Hag - Revision history

Ywhateley: Categorization.

2022-07-30T12:11:41Z

Categorization.

Ywhateley: Details added.

2021-05-06T04:20:16Z

Details added.

Ywhateley: Page created.

2021-05-06T03:04:24Z

Page created.

Ywhateley: Page created.

2021-05-06T02:20:35Z

Page created.

New page

'''Hag''', Night-Hag, Boo-Hag, Old Hag, Haint, Nightmare,

Origin: American Folklore, from a virtually universal experience from around the world

==Description==
[[File:Pm fuseli.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Fuseli, "The Nightmare"]]


The hag, night hag or old hag is the name given to a supernatural creature, commonly associated with the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. It is a phenomenon during which a person feels a presence of a supernatural malevolent being which immobilizes the person as if sitting on their chest or the foot of their bed. The word "night-mare" or "nightmare" was used to describe this phenomenon before the word received its modern, more general meaning. Various cultures have various names for this phenomenon and/or supernatural character.

During the [[Salem Witch Trials]] several people reported night-time attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop, that may have been caused by sleep paralysis; in many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is is said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident. Alternatively, the Hag might be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse.

Folk belief describes the negative figure of the hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. The name for this phenomenon in British folklore was "Old Hag", and this nightmare experience is described as being "hag-ridden".

Sleep paralysis is known to involve a component of hallucination in 20% of the cases, which may explain these sightings. Sleep paralysis in combination with hallucinations has long been suggested as a possible explanation for reported alien abduction, [[Demon]]ic oppression and possession, and legends of [[Vampire]], [[Witch]], and [[Faerie]] attacks by night.

In contemporary western culture the phenomenon of supernatural assault on sleeping victims may be associated with [[Shadow Person|shadow people]]; victims report primarily three different entities, a man with a hat, the old hag noted above, and a hooded figure.

==Keeper Notes==



==Associated Mythos Elements==
* setting: [[Folk Mythos]]
* see also:
** [[Nightgaunt]]
** [[Shadow Person]]
** [[Vampire|Succubus]]
** [[Witch]]es and [[Faerie]]s
** [[Demon]]s

==References==

[[Category:Races]]
[[Category:FolkMythos]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:11, 30 July 2022
Line 52:		Line 52:
	[[Category:Races]]		[[Category:Races]]
	[[Category:FolkMythos]]		[[Category:FolkMythos]]
		+	[[Category:Spiritualism]]
		+	__NOTOC__

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:20, 6 May 2021
Line 16:		Line 16:

	In the beliefs and customs of the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of African slaves who live predominantly in the Low Country and on the barrier islands off the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia, and north Florida, "Haint" - an alternative spelling of haunt - or "Boo Hag" are historically used in African-American vernacular and in [[Hoodoo]] belief to refer to an evil spirit, ghost or a witch-like creature seeking to chase victims to their death by exhaustion, or come to the bedroom at night to steal the energy of people while they sleep, sitting on the chest of the sleeper or hovering over them, draining their energy like a vampire and leaving the hag-ridden victim exhausted and unwell in the morning, a condition that might be described by a Hoodoo wise-men as "the haint (or hag, or witch) is riding you".		In the beliefs and customs of the Gullah Geechee people, descendants of African slaves who live predominantly in the Low Country and on the barrier islands off the coast of the Carolinas, Georgia, and north Florida, "Haint" - an alternative spelling of haunt - or "Boo Hag" are historically used in African-American vernacular and in [[Hoodoo]] belief to refer to an evil spirit, ghost or a witch-like creature seeking to chase victims to their death by exhaustion, or come to the bedroom at night to steal the energy of people while they sleep, sitting on the chest of the sleeper or hovering over them, draining their energy like a vampire and leaving the hag-ridden victim exhausted and unwell in the morning, a condition that might be described by a Hoodoo wise-men as "the haint (or hag, or witch) is riding you".
		+
		+	It may be no coincidence that such a gaunt, exhausted, haunted look can also be described as ''haggard'' - both "haggard" and "hag" seem to be derived from an older word (related to "hedge") meaning "wild", in the same sense that a [[Faerie]] spirit might be said to be wild, untamed,a creature of the borderland wilderness hedges, and it is similarly unlikely to be coincidental that a term for witches - or hags - dwelling in the wilderness is "hedge-witch".

	In many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is is said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident. Alternatively, the Hag might be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse, or they may be drawn by mischief to steal naughty children or otherwise torment those whose sins and wrongdoing have opened a spiritual door to the evil influence of the Hag. Hags thus drawn to their victims can enter the home through open windows and doors, or through small holes like keyholes or cracks, or they might enter portals torn into the fabric of the universe by evil rituals and black magick.		In many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is is said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident. Alternatively, the Hag might be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse, or they may be drawn by mischief to steal naughty children or otherwise torment those whose sins and wrongdoing have opened a spiritual door to the evil influence of the Hag. Hags thus drawn to their victims can enter the home through open windows and doors, or through small holes like keyholes or cracks, or they might enter portals torn into the fabric of the universe by evil rituals and black magick.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The hag, night hag or old hag is the name given to a supernatural creature, commonly associated with the phenomenon of sleep paralysis. It is a phenomenon during which a person feels a presence of a supernatural malevolent being which immobilizes the person as if sitting on their chest or the foot of their bed. The word "night-mare" or "nightmare" was used to describe this phenomenon before the word received its modern, more general meaning. Various cultures have various names for this phenomenon and/or supernatural character.
-During the [[Salem Witch Trials]] several people reported night-time attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop, that may have been caused by sleep paralysis; in many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is is said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident.  Alternatively, the Hag might be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse.
+Folk belief describes the negative figure of the hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. The name for this phenomenon in British folklore was "Old Hag", and this nightmare experience is described as being "hag-ridden".
-Folk belief describes the negative figure of the hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. The name for this phenomenon in British folklore was "Old Hag", and this nightmare experience is described as being "hag-ridden".
+In many parts of the Southern United States, the phenomenon is is said to portend an approaching tragedy or accident.  Alternatively, the Hag might be summoned to attack a third party, like a curse, or they may be drawn by mischief to steal naughty children or otherwise torment those whose sins and wrongdoing have opened a spiritual door to the evil influence of the Hag. Hags thus drawn to their victims can enter the home through open windows and doors, or through small holes like keyholes or cracks, or they might enter portals torn into the fabric of the universe by evil rituals and black magick.
-Sleep paralysis is known to involve a component of hallucination in 20% of the cases, which may explain these sightings. Sleep paralysis in combination with hallucinations has long been suggested as a possible explanation for reported alien abduction, [[Demon]]ic oppression and possession, and legends of [[Vampire]], [[Witch]], and [[Faerie]] attacks by night.
+During the [[Salem Witch Trials]] several people reported night-time attacks by various alleged witches, including Bridget Bishop, that may have been caused by sleep paralysis.
-In contemporary western culture the phenomenon of supernatural assault on sleeping victims may be associated with [[Shadow Person|shadow people]]; victims report primarily three different entities, a man with a hat, the old hag noted above, and a hooded figure.
+To guard against the Hag, a special sky-blue shade of paint - "Haint Blue" - is used on the ceilings of porches or at other entrances for the Hag, perhaps on the understanding that the Hag, which may be banished or harmed by sunlight, is confused by the blue paint into thinking it is seeing the clear blue sky of daylight.  "Bottle Trees" - small trees with branches hung with bottles - may be planted near the entrances of homes to confuse and entrap Hags who might try to hide inside the bottles in daylight (see the legends of [[Djinn]]i in bottles); blue bottles are preferred for this purpose.  In legends from around the world, including American Gullah and Hoodoo traditions, the Hag is bound by strange compulsions, and may be hindered in its attack by such tactics as spilling a bowl of grain onto the floor (the Hag will be forced to count the number of spilled grains), papering the walls of the house in newspaper (the Hag will be forced to read every word on the paper).  Hags might also be repelled by other [[Folk Magic]] tropes, including burning sage, sprinkling salt at doors and windows, hanging iron horse-shoes or nails over doorways, the use of hex-signs on doors, walls, and barns, etc.
@@ Line 26: / Line 29: @@
 <!-- Optional. Suggestions for using these creatures in the CoC RPG, and in fan-fiction. -->
 <!-- Optional.  This is a good place to include non-canon and controversial aspects of the creature's mythos.  Suggested Alternative Theories include:  Derleth's elemental scheme; pseudo-science interpretation; "fanon" interpretations; unofficial humorous or eccentric versions; identification with "Real Life" mythological, religious, folklore, natural, and historical phenomena; rumor and speculation contribute some flexibility and ambiguity to the mythos. -->
+* Sleep paralysis, a scientific explanation for the sleep disturbances blamed on the Hag, Sleep paralysis in combination with hallucinations has long been suggested as a possible explanation for reported alien abduction, [[Demon]]ic oppression and possession, and legends of [[Vampire]], [[Witch]], and [[Faerie]] attacks by night.  and Sleep Paralysis is known to involve a component of hallucination in 20% of the cases, which may explain these sightings.  Several studies show that African-Americans may be predisposed to isolated sleep paralysis, and that African-Americans who experience frequent episodes of isolated sleep paralysis (one or more per month, coined as "sleep paralysis disorder") were also predisposed to panic attacks, also associated with the mythology (such as the version of the legend in which the Boo-Hag pursues its terrified victim to their death in panicked exhaustion.)  The experience is unsurprisingly also linked with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues linked to stress, health problems, poverty, etc.
 ==Associated Mythos Elements==
 * setting:  [[Folk Mythos]]
 * see also:
 ** [[Nightgaunt]]