Character Analysis
Remember Hermengyld? She's the wife of the Northumbrian Constable who takes Custance into his home. Which means she holds a special place in our hearts. Sometimes, it's hard to find people who are nice to Custance.
The Constable's wife is one of the first Northumbrians to convert to Christianity. She almost immediately finds her faith tested when a blind man asks her to heal him. Hermengyld is reluctant at first, fearing how her husband will react.
Custance, however, uses the occasion as a mini-lesson in Christianity. She encourages Hermengyld, urging her to do the "wyl of Christ / as doghter of his chirche" (567). This healing ends up converting the Constable as well. Hermengyld's faith becomes an example of how making oneself a vessel for God's power can have powerful effects on the world. In the world of this tale, she's definitely one of the good guys.