Synopsis
A farmer has a wife who causes him stress. One day, the Devil takes her away to Hell. In Hell, the wife commits violent acts. She makes life in hell so bad that the Devil brings her back to her husband.[2]
The Farmer's Curst WifeTHERE was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell,
There was an old farmer in Sussex did dwell, And he had a bad wife, as many knew well. Then Satan came to the old man at the plough: ‘One of your family I must have now. ‘It is not your eldest son that I crave, But it is your old wife, and she I will have.’ ‘O welcome, good Satan, with all my heart! I hope you and she will never more part.’ Now Satan has got the old wife on his back, And he lugged her along, like a pedlar’s pack. He trudged away till they came to his hall-gate; Says he, Here, take in an old Sussex chap’s mate. O then she did kick the young imps about; Says one to the other, Let’s try turn her out. She spied thirteen imps all dancing in chains, She up with her pattens and beat out their brains. She knocked the old Satan against the wall! ‘Let’s turn her out, or she’ll murder us all.’ Now he’s bundled her up on his back amain, And to her old husband he took her again. ‘I have been a tormentor the whole of my life, But I neer was tormented so as with your wife.’ 
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Annotating the Ballad
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This ballad depicts Satan, Imps and Hell.
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Hieronymus Bosch Garden Of Earthly Delights Hell
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Sussex
Unlike the other ballads, The Farmer's Curst Wife is set in England.
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I wanted to change from the full spreads that most of my book will be made up of. Thus I would create a vignette like illustration like above.
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These medieval depictions of the devil and demons inspired my devil and strange creatures.
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New border for the farmer's curst wife.
Type for the Farmer's Curst Wife
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The final spread for the Farmer's curst wife
