# Watho — Short Fiction character guide > Watho in Short Fiction by George MacDonald. **Role:** major **Also known as:** IV Photogen Watho, Photogen, An Evil Nurse Watho, VIII, VIII The Lamp Watho **First appearance:** 0057-i-watho ## Snapshot A sorceress who raises two children in deliberate darkness and light, experimenting on human nature itself — and discovering that her subjects have wills of their own. ## Who they are Watho rules a secluded world of her own design, keeping Photogen in perpetual day and Nycteris in perpetual night as a private experiment in what children become. Her cold curiosity masquerades as maternal care, but her real passion is control: she cannot bear a result she did not intend. She matters because her scheme is the story's whole premise, and the first crack in it — a child asking questions, a boundary crossed — is what sets the plot in motion. ## Relationships ### [Nycteris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/nycteris) _psychological_ Watho is a manipulative captor and tormentor of Nycteris, controlling her environment and perception. ### [Fargu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/fargu) _professional_ Fargu is a servant or subordinate to Watho, carrying out her orders in a hierarchical dynamic. ### [Nycteris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/nycteris) _psychological_ Watho is a manipulative captor and tormentor of Nycteris, controlling her environment and perception. ### [Nycteris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/nycteris) _psychological_ Watho is a manipulative captor and tormentor of Nycteris, controlling her environment and perception. ### [Fargu](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/fargu) _professional_ Fargu is a servant or subordinate to Watho, carrying out her orders in a hierarchical dynamic. ## In the story ### [Cross Purposes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/cross-purposes) Manipulates events from behind the scenes, contributing to the misunderstandings. ### [The Gray Wolf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/the-gray-wolf) The gray-complexioned, barefoot woman who leads the student to her mother's hut and later transforms into a wolf. ### [The History of Photogen and Nycteris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/the-history-of-photogen-and-nycteris) The witch who raises Photogen and Nycteris in isolation, manipulating their environments. ### [I: Watho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/i-watho) The witch who desires to know everything, with a wolf in her mind that makes her cruel. ### [Aurora](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/ii-aurora) Watho the witch arranges for two ladies to stay in her castle, keeping them unaware of each other, and makes herself charming to Aurora. ### [III: Vesper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iii-vesper) The witch who secretly lodges Vesper in hidden tomb chambers, attended only by her trusted servant Falca. ### [IV: Photogen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iv-photogen) Watho orchestrates the deception of Aurora and raises Photogen in a sun-drenched environment, deliberately shielding him from darkness and shadows. ### [IV: Photogen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iv-photogen) The boy born to Aurora, renamed Photogen by Watho; he is raised to love sunlight, avoid darkness, and develops a merry, loving, and occasionally raging temperament. ### [V: Nycteris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/v-nycteris) Takes charge of Nycteris's upbringing, keeping her in artificial light and teaching her music. ### [How Photogen Grew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/vi-how-photogen-grew) The boy raised by Watho, trained in hunting and archery, fearless and saturated with sunlight. ### [How Photogen Grew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/vi-how-photogen-grew) The witch who commands that Photogen never be out at sundown, and whose gaze terrifies Fargu. ### [How Nycteris Grew](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/vii-how-nycteris-grew) Gives Nycteris minimal education by word of mouth, intending to keep her from reading. ### [VIII: The Lamp](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/viii-the-lamp) Watho is mentioned as having given orders and appearing from behind the curtain, but she is not present in the chapter. ### [IX: Out](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/ix-out) Mentioned indirectly as the mistress to whom Falca reports; she replaces the fallen lamp. ### [XI: The Sunset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xi-the-sunset) Photogen, who has never known darkness, is overcome by fear at sunset and flees in terror from the forest. ### [XI: The Sunset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xi-the-sunset) Photogen recalls Watho's warning about the terrors of sundown, which he now experiences firsthand. ### [The Garden](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xii-the-garden) Mentioned as being ill and confined to bed, which allows Nycteris to explore without immediate discovery. ### [The Coward Hero](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xv-the-coward-hero) Referenced as the witch who took pains over Photogen's health. ### [XVI: An Evil Nurse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xvi-an-evil-nurse) Grows ill and more malicious; her conscience only makes her more wicked. She hates Photogen for being a failure and torments him, and also grows sick of Nycteris. ### [Watho's Wolf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xvii-watho-s-wolf) Plots evil against Nycteris, has her carried to the plain, and watches through a telescope, hoping for her death. ### [Refuge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xviii-refuge) Mentioned as the witch from whom Photogen and Nycteris flee; she sees best in daytime. ### [XIX: The Werewolf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xix-the-werewolf) Carries Nycteris and kills the wolf, later discovering it was Watho. ### [XIX: The Werewolf](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xix-the-werewolf) Transforms into a wolf using ointment and attacks Photogen and Nycteris; is killed by Photogen's arrow. ### [All Is Well](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xx-all-is-well) Killed by Photogen; her body is devoured by birds and beasts. ### [II: Won’t I, Just?](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/ii-won-t-i-just) Identified as Princess Makemnoit, the king's sister and a witch who casts a curse on the baby. ### [She Can’t Be Ours](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/iii-she-can-t-be-ours) Referred to as 'Princess Makemnoit,' the atrocious aunt and witch who deprived the child of gravity. ### [Hiss!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/xi-hiss) The old witch-princess who orchestrates the lake's draining out of revenge, using a White Snake of Darkness and dark magic. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters/watho - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_21_se/characters