The story
A reference to The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in which an old mariner corners a reluctant wedding guest to tell a story of a horrific voyage.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
ancient marineress
Today it means: An old woman who bears some resemblance to Coleridge's Ancient Mariner, especially one who has an unfortunate history or insists on telling her story. Full definition →