Hag 367869 213383503 2008-05-19T02:17:13Z Orangemango 6987529 /* In popular culture */ {{semiprotected|small=yes}} :''For the fish, see [[Hagfish]]. For the Swiss model train company, see [[HAG]]. For the fruit of the tree [Prunus padus], see [[Bird Cherry]].'' [[Image:Yoshitoshi The Hag.jpg|thumb|right|300px| 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]].<ref>[[Katharine Mary Briggs|Briggs, Katharine ]] (1976) ''An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Boogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures'', "Hags", p.216. ISBN 0-394-73467-X </ref> 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.<ref name="Lysaght">Lysaght, Patricia (1986) ''The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger''. Roberts Rinehart Publishers. ISBN 1-57098-138-8. p.54</ref><ref name="Clark">Clark, Rosalind (1991) ''The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the Morrígan to Cathleen Ní Houlihan'' (Irish Literary Studies, Book 34) Savage, Maryland, Barnes and Noble (reprint) pp.5, 8, 17, 25</ref> The term appears in Middle English, and might be short for ''hægtesse'', an [[Old English language|Old English]] term for ''[[witch]]''.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/61/84/H0008400.html hag<sup>1</sup>] ''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition'' (2000)</ref> ==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'' &mdash; a being with roots in ancient Germanic superstition, and closely related to the Scandinavian ''[[mara (folklore)|mara]]''. According to folklore, the Old Hag sat on a sleeper's chest and sent [[nightmare]]s 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 "[[#In neurobiology|hagridden]]".<ref>Ernsting, Michele (2004) "[http://www2.rnw.nl/rnw/en/features/cultureandhistory/041119vh Hags and nightmares: sleep paralysis and the midnight terrors]" Radio Netherlands</ref> It is still frequently discussed as if it were a [[paranormal]] state.<ref>[http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa112000a.htm The "Old Hag" Syndrome] from About: Paranormal Phenomena</ref> In [[Irish mythology|Irish]] and [[Scottish mythology]], the [[Cailleach]] is a hag goddess concerned with creation, harvest, the weather and sovereignty.<ref name="McNeill">{{cite book | first =F. Marian | last =McNeill | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =1959 | month = | title =The Silver Bough, Vol.2: A Calendar of Scottish National Festivals, Candlemas to Harvest Home | chapter = | editor = | others = | edition = | pages =20-1 | publisher =William MacLellan | location =Glasgow| id =ISBN 0-85335-162-7 | url = }}</ref><ref name="Clark"/> In partnership with the goddess [[Brigid|Brìde]], she is a seasonal goddess, seen as ruling the winter months while Brìde rules the summer.<ref name="McNeill"/> 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''.<ref name="McNeill2">{{cite book | first =F. Marian | last =McNeill | authorlink = | coauthors = | year =1959 | month = | title =The Silver Bough, Vol.1: Scottish Folklore and Folk-Belief | chapter = | editor = | others = | edition = | pages =119 | publisher =William MacLellan | location =Glasgow| id =ISBN 0-85335-161-9 | url = }}</ref><ref name="McNeill"/> 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.<ref name="Clark"/> The [[Moirae|Three Fates]] (particularly Atropos) are often depicted as hags. In [[Persian people|Persian]] folklore, the Bakhtak <!--(in IPA2 script: Baxtak) let's put this in actual IPA --> 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.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} 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 who wanted to keep their children away from the river's edge told them that if they got too close to the water she would pull them in with her long arms, drown them, and sometimes eat them. Peg Powler has other regional names, such as [[Jenny Greenteeth]] from [[Yorkshire]] and Nellie Longarms from several English counties.<ref>Froud, Brian and Lee, Alan (1978) ''Faeries''. New York, Peacock Press ISBN 0-553-01159-6</ref> Many tales about hags do not describe them well enough to distinguish between an old woman who knows magic or a supernatural being.<ref>K. M. Briggs, ''The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature'', p 66-7 University of Chicago Press, London, 1967</ref> ==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 [[hallucination]]s. 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. {{See|sleep paralysis}} ==In popular culture== In the [[Dungeons & Dragons]] game, "[[Hag (Dungeons & Dragons)|hags]]" are at least three races of [[female]] creatures, sort of female counterparts to [[ogre]]s. 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. 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 [[Being (Harry Potter)|beings]] (as opposed to [[Magical Beasts (Harry Potter)|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" [[Wizarding world|wizards]] and [[witch]]es. It is unclear if such Hags live in Hogsmeade or simply visit the village for business and/or social reasons. Hags are also mentioned in [[the Chronicles of Narnia]] book series. 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 X|Caspian]] to summon the Witch back to life. They attack after being refused, and are killed. 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. ==See also== <div style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"> *[[Baba Yaga]] *[[Banshee]] *[[Black Annis]] *[[Boo Hag]] *[[Cailleach]] *[[Fag hag]] *[[Jenny Greenteeth]] *[[Nightmare]] *[[Peg Powler]] *[[Sheela na Gig]] *[[Sleep paralysis]] *[[Goblin]] </div> ==References== <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;"><references/></div> ==Further reading== <small> *[[Carl Sagan|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</small> ==External links== *[http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/viewOneZoom.asp?dep=11&viewmode=1&item=1980%2E411&zoomFlag=0 Henry Fuseli's painting of a hag], from the Met collection [[Category:European legendary creatures]] [[Category:Fairies]] [[Category:Witchcraft]] [[de:Hexe]] [[ja:ハッグ]]