The White Lady - The Goddess Of Fertility

The White Lady - The Goddess of Fertility

Aight, so this might be just a random midnight headcanon that crossed my mind, but I had to share it because the White Lady is refusing to leave my mind:

The White Lady was the Goddess of Fertility within Hallownest. While yes, bugs have been able to reproduce long before she appeared, her presence had an influence not on bugs' capabilities to reproduce, but she inadvertently also had an influence on societal norms surrounding romance/intimacy.

Before the White Lady had appeared, it was an unspoken societal rule that bugs did not mingle with other species. Though it had initially sprung up as a "you can't reproduce with someone outside of your species" mindset, it evolved into bugs being ostracized if they were to fall in love with one outside of their species. Those who did intermingle were oftentimes alienated by other bugs as a result. This also left many interspecies couples to struggle with starting families, as many would not allow them to adopt as it would "damage the mental health of the child."

When the White Lady appeared, she was saddened by all of these societal rules. As the goddess of fertility, she wanted everyone to know the joy that offspring could bring. So, as her gift to Hallownest, she blessed the kingdom's denizens by giving bugs the ability to bear children with others outside of their species.

However, her gift was not accepted as swiftly as she hoped. Many were still convinced that those interspecies children would grow up damaged, and those that had interspecies families felt as though they had to hide their families to avoid scrutiny as well as potential physical and mental danger that coming out would cause.

Because of this (and with the Pale King's permission) she made it very public about the children that they bore. She hoped that she could lead by example and help to change the mindset of the bugs of Hallownest. However, the bugs saw these two as an exception, as the Pale King and her were both higher beings, and as a result were exempt from the rules of society.

It wasn't until Hornet was born that the true shift began. While the bargain between the Pale King and Herrah was merely for political reasons, those outside who did not know of the deal began believing that the Pale King had bore a child with the Spider Queen because so many were rejecting his wife's gift. They believed he wanted to show the world that it was no longer taboo, and because he was so revered by people, the shift in mentality began happening much quicker. They were even more convinced after Hornet grew up, as she had grown up to be a normal girl--or as normal as she could being a princess and daughter of the Pale King.

(side note: It was also because of the White Lady that the Pale King and Herrah were able to bear a child together. She hoped that the child born between them would help bugs to accept one another no matter who they loved.)

As time passed, it became much more common to see interspecies couples. By the present time, it became a cultural norm in Hallownest, though many had forgotten by then that it was the White Lady's influence that allowed such things (as they'd forgotten about her and the Pale King by that time).

By the time the Kingdom began to crumble at the hands of the Radiance, the dwindling population made the White Lady start to lose control and become overcome by her more basic instincts. As the Goddess of Fertility, her body began to respond to the dwindling population by an uncontrollable urge to repopulate herself. However, knowing that she would not be able to care for those offspring and that they would become more fodder for the Radiance, she bound herself within her gardens. She prays that soon her urges will subside and that she may one day be able to return to the Kingdom she once knew...