Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, The Hag, August 1890.

A hag (or crone) is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel.^[1] Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or Badbh, who are seen as neither wholly beneficent nor malevolent.^[2][3] The term appears in Middle English, and might be short for hægtesse, an Old English term for witch.^[4] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 382 pixel Image in higher resolution (811 × 387 pixel, file size: 114 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, The Hag, August 1890. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 382 pixel Image in higher resolution (811 × 387 pixel, file size: 114 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, The Hag, August 1890. ... by Sophie Anderson For other uses, see Fairy (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Artwork by Arthur Rackham, 1909. ... The Morrígan (terror or phantom queen) or Mórrígan (great queen) (aka Morrígu, Mórríghan, Mór-Ríogain) is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not referred to as such in the texts. ... In Irish mythology, the Badb ( crow in Old Irish; modern Irish Badhbh means vulture or carrion-crow) was a goddess of war who took the form of a crow, and was thus sometimes known as Badb Catha (battle crow). ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon[1], Old English: ) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ...

Hag in folklore

A hag, or "the Old Hag", was a nightmare spirit in British and Anglophone North American folklore. This variety of hag is essentially identical to the Anglo-Saxon mæra — a being with roots in ancient Germanic superstition, and closely related to the Scandinavian mara. According to folklore, the Old Hag sat on a sleeper's chest and sent nightmares to him or her. When the subject awoke, he or she would be unable to breathe or even move for a short period of time. Currently this state is called sleep paralysis, but in the old belief the subject had been hagridden.^[5] It is still frequently discussed as if it were a para-normal state.^[6] The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... A mara or mare is a kind of malignant female wraith in Scandinavian folklore believed to cause nightmares. ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis). ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ...

In Irish and Scottish mythology, the Cailleach is a hag goddess concerned with creation, harvest, the weather and sovereignty.^[7][3] In partnership with the goddess Brìde, she is a seasonal goddess, seen as ruling the winter months while Brìde rules the summer.^[7] In Scotland, a group of hags, known as The Cailleachan (The Storm Hags) are seen as personifications of the elemental powers of nature, especially in a destructive aspect. They are said to be particularly active in raising the windstorms of spring, during the period known as A Chailleach.^[8][7] Scottish mythology consists of the myths and legends historically told by the people of Scotland. ... In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach was the Mother of All. The word Cailleac means old woman. She was a sorceress. ... In Irish mythology as it is presently constituted, Brigit or Brighit (exalted one) was the daughter of Dagda (and therefore one of the Tuatha Dé Danann) and wife of Bres of the Fomorians. ...

Hags as sovereignty figures abound in Irish mythology. The most common pattern is that the hag represents the barren land, who the hero of the tale must approach without fear, and come to love on her own terms. When the hero displays this courage, love, and acceptance of her hideous side, the sovereignty hag then reveals that she is also a young and beautiful goddess.^[3]

The Three Fates (particularly Atropos) are often depicted as hags. Fates redirects here. ...

In Persian folklore, the Bakhtak has the same role as that of "the Old Hag" in British folklore. The Bakhtak sits on a sleeper's chest, awakening them and causing them to feel they are unable to breathe or even to move. Bakhtak also is used metaphorically to refer to "nightmare" in the modern Persian language.^{[citation needed]} For information about all peoples of Iran, see Demographics of Iran; for Central Asian Persians, see Tajiks. ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... Persian (فارسی), also known as Farsi (local name), Parsi (older local name, but still used by some speakers), Tajik (a Central Asian dialect) or Dari (an Afghan dialect), is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. ...

Many stories about hags seem to have been used to frighten children into being good. Peg Powler, for example, was a river hag who lived in river trees and had skin the color of green pond scum. Parents told their children that if they got too close to the water she would pull them in with her extra long arms, drown them, and sometimes eat them. The parents hoped that the children would be afraid of the hag so they wouldn't go anywhere near the water. That way, they'd never fall in and drown. Peg Powler has other regional names, such as Jenny Greenteeth from Yorkshire and Nellie Longarms from several English counties.^[9] The Peg Powler is an ugly old woman from English folklore with a green skin, long hair and sharp teeth who is said to inhabit the River Tees. ... Jenny Greenteeth is a figure in English folklore from Yorkshire or Lancashire. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Many tales about hags do not describe them sufficiently to make it clear whether the tale deals with an old woman who has learned magic or a supernatural being.^[10]

In neurobiology

The expression Old Hag Attack refers to a hypnagogic state in which paralysis is present and, quite often, it is accompanied by terrifying hallucinations. When excessively recurrent, some consider them to be a disorder, however many populations treat them as simply part of their culture and mythological world-view, rather than any form of disease or pathology. Hypnogogia, also spelled Hypnagogia, is the name of an experience a person can go through when falling asleep. ...

In popular culture

In the Dungeons & Dragons game, "hags" are at least three races of female creatures, sort of female counterparts to ogres. They are the annis (named from an analogous creature from the British folklore), the green hag (a green-skinned version of the Slavic Baba Yaga), and the sea hag (sort of a sea witch, not a mermaid). All three sorts are evil, but not overly powerful. Dungeons & Dragons (abbreviated as D&D or DnD) is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) currently published by Wizards of the Coast. ... In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the hag is a horrible monstrous humanoid creature whose love of evil is equaled only by their ugliness. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hop o My Thumb, illustrated by Gustave Doré An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large and hideous humanoid monster. ... Yaga can refer to: Yajna (Hindu mythology) Baba Yaga (Russian mythology) Yaga (clothing company) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... A mermaid (from the Middle English mere in the obsolete sense sea (as in maritime, the Latin mare, sea) + maid(en)) is a legendary aquatic creature with the head and torso of human female and the tail of a fish. ...

Hags are occasionally mentioned in the Harry Potter series, but never in any great detail (the prologue of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" mentions that they are classed as beings (as opposed to beasts) that children are part of their diet and that they can glide). Hags are occasionally encountered in the wizarding village Hogsmeade, where they are distinguished from "conventional" wizards and witches. It is unclear if such Hags live in Hogsmeade or simply visit the village for business and/or social reasons. This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2001 book written by English author J. K. Rowling to benefit the British charity Comic Relief. ... In the Harry Potter universe, a being is, as defined by Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a creature worthy of legal rights and a voice in the governance of the magical world. This definition is distinct from beast, or a normal, albeit magical, animal. ... Magical creatures comprise a colourful and integral aspect of the wizarding world in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. ... Hogsmeade is a fictional village in Scotland that appears in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. ... Hogwarts, a wizarding school. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Witchcraft. ...

Hags are also mentioned in the Chronicles of Narnia. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Hags are one of the various kinds of evil creatures whom the White Witch has present at the killing of Aslan. Later, in Prince Caspian, a Hag, along with a Werewolf and the dwarf Nikabrik, tries to persuade Caspian to summon the Witch back to life. They attack after being refused, and are killed. The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels for children written by C. S. Lewis. ... The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis. ... Jadis, the White Witch is the key villain of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first published book in C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia series, and the second chronologically. ... For other uses, see Aslan (disambiguation). ... Prince Caspian is a novel for children by C. S. Lewis, first published in 1951. ... Caspian X, King of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravel, and Emperor of the Lone Islands, also called Caspian the Seafarer and Caspian the Navigator (born 2290–died 2356, Narnian Time) is a fictional character in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. ...

In the Popeye comics and cartoons, Popeye is sometimes pursued by a villainous witch called Sea Hag, who has an unrequited love for the sailor. Cheri Di Novo is a hag protected by NDP attack queers and an evil shrew from Minnesota. For other uses, see Popeye (disambiguation). ...

See also

Yaga can refer to: Yajna (Hindu mythology) Baba Yaga (Russian mythology) Yaga (clothing company) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Look up banshee in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Black Annis is a bogeyman figure in English folklore. ... A Boo Hag is a mythical creature in the folklore of South Carolinas Gullah culture. ... In Irish and Scottish mythology, Cailleach was the Mother of All. The word Cailleac means old woman. She was a sorceress. ... Jenny Greenteeth is a figure in English folklore from Yorkshire or Lancashire. ... The current usage of the term nightmare refers to a dream which causes the sleeper a strong unpleasant emotional response. ... The Peg Powler is an ugly old woman from English folklore with a green skin, long hair and sharp teeth who is said to inhabit the River Tees. ... Sheela-na-Gigs or Sheela Na Gigs are grotesque figurative carvings of naked females displaying an exaggerated vulva. ... Sleep paralysis is a condition characterized by temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up (known as hypnopompic paralysis) or, less often, shortly before falling asleep (known as hypnagogic paralysis). ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

References

Katharine Mary Briggs (November 8, 1898 – 1980) is the author of The Anatomy of Puck, the definitive 4-volume Dictionary of British Folk-Tales, and various other books on fairies and folklore. ...

Further reading

• Sagan, Carl (1997) The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
• Kettlewell, N; Lipscomb, S; Evans, E. (1993) Differences in neuropsychological correlates between normals and those experiencing "Old Hag Attacks". Percept Mot Skills 1993 Jun;76 (3 Pt 1):839-45; discussion 846. PMID 8321596

Insert non-formatted text here Carl Edward Sagan (November 9, 1934 – December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer and astrobiologist and a highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics, and other natural sciences. ... The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark is a 1997 book by Carl Sagan. ...

External link

• Henry Fuseli's painting of a hag, from the Met collection