The different versions of „The Muse“
The Muse, the Actress, the Witch
The character of Barbara Jagger was introduced in 2010’s Alan Wake. We met her as a mysterious figure of an old woman dressed in a black costume, a veil hiding her face. In this story we learn that this „woman“ is not Barbara Jagger herself but the Darkness using her as a disguise.
Her biggest influence being Baba Yaga.
But over time [especially in Alan Wake 2] we get introduced to a variety of different versions of her.
A beacon of light? The leading Lady in Thomas Zane’s movies? A Witch, maybe?
In the following essay I will try to describe and unravel some of her versions.
1) Barbara Jagger – Cynthia Weaver’s obituary (The Alan Wake Files)1
From Cynthia Weaver’s obituary of Barbara we find out that she was a long time resident of Bright Falls. She was born in 1945. As her former classmate Joy Miller stated they knew each other since elementary school. Not knowing if Joy Miller is a Bright Falls resident we don’t know if this could imply that Barbara grew up in Bright Falls or somewhere else. Also in the obituary it says she didn’t had immediate family in the area but survived by Thomas Zane. This could mean she have been in Bright Falls before meeting Zane surviving one way or another or she came with Zane to Bright Falls [which would parallel with her version of Baba Jakala].
Both of them living on Diver’s Isle in the Bird Leg Cabin.
Also we know she was a beauty and three-time winner of the „Miss Deerfest Pageant“.
Her death remaining a mystery about why she drowned being known as a more than capable swimmer.
She died being only 25 years old.
The personality of this Barbara Jagger is descriped as kind, warm and maternal. Even Cynthia who had a disliking to her called Barbara „sweet and nice“ in Alan Wak (2010). Also even being aware of her looks she never used them to her advantage.
She was generous and made everyone felt at home.
A true beacon of Light.
2) The Muse – Old Gods of Asgard „The Poet and the Muse“
In the song „The Poet and the Muse“ we get the perspective of the story from Tom and Barbara from Bright Falls Folklore after they’ve been written out of existence by Zane. Barbara is pretty much the same from above. It just expands the story about her after her death. We know how Tom writes her back to life which fails and she comes back but it’s just her body used by the Dark Presence.
The song ends there but we know after Tom takes her back inside he cuts out her heart and writes them both out of existence.
Throught the lines [And told her stories of treasures /Deep beneath the blackened waves] and [He searched in vain for his treasure lost] it could be interpreted that Barbara was Thomas Zane’s treasure and him telling her stories about those treasures deep beneath the blackened waves he could unconsciously used the power oft he Cauldron Lake which lend to Barbara’s death.
A short idea influencing this song with the version of Baba Jakala:
We know that the Old Gods of Asgard worked with Zane in his „artist commune“ in the timeline of Alan Wake 2. Tom Zane was working on a movie called „Tom the Poet“ before he dissapeared in 1970. So maybe the song and the movie were used by the Lake and also lend to the death of Baba Jakala, who drowned like Barbara Jagger.
3) Baba Jakala – The finnish actress
Baba Jakala (later Barbara Jagger) was a finnish actress who met the filmmaker Thomas Seine in Finland before those two moved to Bright Falls, Washington.
As an actress she was perfect as the Muse of an Auteur like Thomas Seine himself.
The two of them lived together with their new built artist commune in the old manor house outside town (Valhalla nursing home).
She starred in Zane’s Movies like „Nightless Night“ [Yötön Yö] as the ‚Writers Widow‘ and in „Tom The Poet“ as ‚The Dark Presence‘.
In „Nightless Night“ she portrayed a Black Widow/Femme Fatale type of character who allured the Detective to be sacrificed so her Lover was able to come back home.
A connection between her and the Barbara we know from the first game is that both drowned in Cauldron Lake in 1970.
If this Version of Baba Jakala is also connected to the „Grande Dame“ Casey talks about in the Ocean View Hotel I’m not sure.
What could be an indicator for it is both of them are actresses. Also they play the part of the Muse and The Devil himself played the leading role just to meet her. What could not lead up to this is that she was the victim in Room 105. The victim in the bathtub is Cynthia Weaver. But in one of the manusprict pages [Cynthia & Tom] it states that Cynthia wants to be like Barbara or even better. So maybe there was some kind of overlap between these two which helped to create the [Overlap] in the Ocean View Hotel/Valhalla Nursing Home.
But also this version of Baba Jakala later became the Dark Presence we know from the first game as seen in the FBC files.3
Another parallel here is not between Baba and Barbara but with Alice Wake.
In Alan Wake 2 we discover that Alice is haunted by Alan’s [Doppelgänger] Scratch which is another name fort he devil. Scratch [Alan] visits Alice in their Appartment and even gets violent towards her. The act of stalking their muse is a direct parallel with the happenings in the Hotel.
Also Baba playing the role of the „Writer’s Widow“ and Thomas Zane playing „The Writer Alan Wake“ shows the parallel in Alan Wake 2 with Alice Wake. This becomes particularly clear in the NG+ ending of Alan Wake 2 with the line [„At last. / Thank you, my love“] shared between Baba/Tom and Alice/Alan.
The parallel between Barbara Jagger [The Poet’s Muse] and Alice Wake is also a theme in Alan Wake (2010).
4) The Witch – Witch’s Ladle
This Version is just called the Witch and is part of Bright Falls Folklore.
From her appearance alone she looks exactly like the „Barbara Jagger“ or „The Witch“ we know from the first game.
From her face, to her mourning gown and her missing heart.
Her background story seems to be a different one.
There is no mention of Thomas Zane (because he is known in this reality to be with the actress Baba Jakala).
Here the Sheriff fell in love with her, she refused him and he accused her of having bewitched him. She then was drowned in Cauldron Lake.
She returned to avenge her wrongdoers by drowning the Sheriff in the Lake as well. After that she was the one who cut his heart out and put it in a box.
She was able to summon him with his heart to avenge her.
5) Barbara Jagger/Baba Jakala – Return Manuscript (2023)
A last version we find is in Cynthia Weaver’s Room in the Valhalla Nursing Home.
In the Manuscript page Cynthia describes Barbara/Baba as bad news.
Also in this version Thomas Zane is in love with Barbara/Baba and has only eyes for her but seems to see that Barbara was bad news.
It’s not descripted what those „bad news“ were.
Cynthia has a photo on her table with Tom and Barbara in front of Diver’s Isle.
Also she seems to be confused about Tom being a filmmaker and Barbara being an actress.
She remembers them as the poet and his muse.
6) The Barbara Jagger/Alice Wake Overlap [Alan Wake (2010)]
In the last Episode of Alan Wake (2010) when Alan approaches in the “Dark Place” the Bird Leg Cabin a conversation between Tom and Barbara (being influenced by the Dark Presence/TheShadow) is playing in the background. It shows the aftermath of Zane writing Barbara back into existence/ him cutting her heart out. In this conversation Barbara Jagger is voice acted by Brett Madden who was the original voice of Alice Wake.
Here is shown a direct connection/parallel/mirror image between Barbara and Alice. In relation with their storys overlapping in the first game it could hint to a possible similar connection like Alan Wake/Thomas Zane/ Thomas Seine.
7) Barbara/B. [This House of Dreams]5
In the 2012 released Blog “This House of Dreams” created by Samantha Wells she writes about her new “House of Dreams” and a suspicious showbox she finds in the attic.
This shoebox contains different poems written by Thomas Zane.
One of the most interesting finds is an old picture of a woman helping her partner out of a diving suit. Their faces are inked out. Samantha states that the pictures look like they might be from the 1960s or 1970s.
The woman in this picture is blonde and has some resemblance to Alice Wake. Even their Hairstyles have some certain similarities. So again hinting at a Barbara and Alice connection (?).
Also some Poems are found with hints of the relationship between B. and T. (B.)arbara from time to times gives notes and ideas realting to the Poems.
In Alan Wake (2010) Barbara Jagger/Dark Presence had the role of an editor. If this version of (B.)arbara has the same role is uncertain.
As we find out in „This house of dreams“ this version and Tom exist in a „baby universe“ in the Dark Place together peacefully.
Their bodies were still used by the Light and Darkness.
8) Conclusion
As much as Thomas Zane is one of the biggest mysteries in the Remedy Connected Universe the same is to be said about his other half.
Where Thomas Zane shifts as a character Barbara does it as well.
He is a Poet so she is his beautiful and graceful Muse, he is a Filmmaker she adapts to be an actress.
He is finnish, she is from Finland as well.
But even with all the changes made in his story she stays a part of it.
The Alan Wake Files p. 119.
Barbara Jagger | Alan Wake Wiki | Fandom; The Alan Wake Files p. 119.
Federal Bureau of Control | Alan Wake Wiki | Fandom.
Thomas Zane | Alan Wake Wiki | Fandom.
This House of Dreams
Alan Wake Illuminated p.41.