Mistress Beldam Symbol
The villagers believe that the female traveller is a witch and nickname her Mistress Beldam. A Beldam is another name for a witch or otherwise witchlike woman. They name her this as a symbol of their suspicions.
Mr Quill Symbol
Mr Quill's real name is Phillip Earle; however, he is immediately dubbed "Mr Quill" by the villagers as a symbol of his job. He is a cartographer and he uses a quill pen to draw maps.
Violence Motif
There is a great deal of violence in the book which pertains to the characters themselves but also to the brutality of Medieval life in England. Master Kent's horse is murdered, most likely by Mistress Beldam. His groom is also knife in the face by Lizzie Carr's family. At the end of the novel we find that Quill has been stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. The violence is a constant motif both in the story and within village life.
Paganism Motif
The motif of pagan belief can be seen throughout the novel and is exemplified by the festival that is held annually in the village. Lizze Carr is made Gleaning Queen, an honor bestowed on a young woman each year who has participated in the gleaning of the crops. The festival is derived from old pagan rituals worshipping the goddess of the harvest and annually both thanking her for the harvest of the year before and also asking for her to bless the harvest to come.
The paganism motif is also evident in the fear of witches that Master Jordan has. In a village such as this a witch would not be a devil worshipper but a person who follows the old pagan rituals and customs, rather than following the church.
Walter Planting Crops
Walter plants crops and ploughs the fields which is symbolic of his hatred of Jordan and also symbolic of his open defiance of him and allegiance to the village. Although he is later ashamed of his revenge, it is symbolic of his, and the villagers', disapproval of the Inclosure Act and the way it is being carried out.
