Martha Is Dead is a psychological thriller set during World War II, precisely in 1944. In the game, we impersonate Giulia, a young lady who has a passion for photography who one day finds her sister drowned in the lake near their country house. When she was little, her nanny used to tell her the tale of the White Lady every day before going to bed. Giulia was oddly fascinated by that tale that, during her adulthood, she decided to get in touch with the White Lady.
The White Lady is part of a variety of different cultures, especially the German one. In Italy, where Martha Is Dead is set, the folklore says that she was a drowned maiden, murdered in a fit of jealousy by her lover. Her only relief is to drag down into the water a young lady to suffer from the same fate.
The Tale of The White Lady In-Game
Martha Is Dead was one of the most anticipated horror games coming this year, in which players can discover a plot that comprises folklore and superstition. The tale of the White Lady has accompanied Giulia since her childhood, as her nanny used to tell Giulia the story every nights. The White Lady was a beautiful young lady that, one day, decided to go to the tiny island in the middle of Casciano's lake. She was waiting for her love, gazing out at the old tree. However, when her beloved arrived, he killed her in a fit of jealousy, saying that he loved her too much. The man confessed his crime, so he was hanged at the old tree where he and his girl used to see each other.
People searched everywhere, but the body of the young Lady was never found. Since then, the girl's spirit, known as the White Lady, wanders restlessly in search of relief from her eternal suffering. Only the life of young girls like her can give the Lady a moment of peace and relief, so that's why she kills girls like her, drowning them in the lake. This is just a temporary relief, so she repeatedly hunts other victims to repeat the cycle.
According to the legend created from the creators of The Town of Light, those who are in great pain can attempt to evoke the White Lady through a dark ritual and the magic of the tarot. As the Lady knows they're suffering all too well, she could show them pity, or she may not. However, the ritual has strict rules to follow: Evoking her loss by putting her in contact with her lover, an object to connect her world to the real one, a lock of hair of whoever wants to evoke her, and the tarot cards to speak with her. Lastly, the most important thing is that it must be foggy, or the ritual won't work.
The Tale of The White Lady in Italy
The tale of The White Lady, similar to how it's portrayed in Martha is Dead, is a legend that can be found in many countries worldwide, with some variations. The common aspects are accidental death, murder, or suicide, and the theme of loss, betrayal by a husband or fiance, and unrequited love. The White Lady is represented with long, dark hair and a white-ish robe. She has also been described as without eyes or mouth, with arms and feet hidden, and enveloped in a pale luminosity that leaves dark traces in passing.
Like there are games inspired by real world locations and events, there are games inspired by real legends. In Italy, the first evidence of the use of the term "White Lady" for spirits of this type dates back to the fifteenth century. She is the spirit of a woman who died of tragic or painful events, and her appearance would traditionally be a harbinger of nefarious events.
According to some stories, they wandered around carrying lighted candles from which they would place drops of wax on the horses' mane to braid and comb it. According to others, they would wash their underwear in secluded places, asking passers-by to help them and breaking their arms if not satisfied. For others, they would have an extraordinarily dignified and verecund bearing, not speaking except on rare occasions.
Martha Is Dead is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
