“Old Factory Magic” Wood-Wives are female spirits of the Forest, also known as Moss Women, Wish Wives, Spae Wives or Skogsra in Sweden. They are native to and inhabit the deep forests of Germany and Scandinavia. Wood-Wives are generally gentle and helpful to humans, sometimes traveling through or working in the meadows or woods. They are known to ask favors of travelers or woodsmen, asking to borrow something or have something mended. The wise person will do as the Wood Wife asks, despite the only payment being a pouch of wood chips. Tales are told of mean-spirited men who have not accepted the wood chips, and who never know what they’ve lost. The good hearted men who take the payment are happily surprised when they learn that the chips turn to gold as soon as they’ve left the forest. You might say that wood wives are women who work with natural herbal remedies, make soaps and scents or find cures for what ails us, the wild crafting woman. Village herbalist used to be looked upon with suspicion, folks often turned to other sources to find their cures or remedies but eventually they are returning to the wood wives and herbalists. Wood wives who live near the forest, woodlands or meadows gather their herbs, the healing flowers, roots and barks and use these as remedies or products to purify the mind, body and soul. At Old Factory, we are similar to the alchemist and wood wife, turning our wonderful works with good intention, into soaps and scents, for your body – who will certainly love the cleansing, purity and healthy products for personal care in a gentle way.
