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Shakespeare's iconic tragedy, Macbeth, offers a glimpse into the enduring fascination with witches, with their tales leaving a profound mark on folklore and literature. These mystical beings have earned a legendary reputation across the globe. While many stories focus on the women persecuted during various witch hunts in Europe and North America, this list shifts focus to another category of witches: the hag.
Although the term 'hag' is no longer commonly used to describe those associated with magic, it originally referred to figures who were solitary, often monstrous in appearance, and notorious for their penchant for murder and cannibalism. This list explores ten such witches. Unlike mythical figures like Hecate or Grendel's Mother, these witches were believed to be real. A bit of knowledge from the Brothers Grimm will help you delve deeper into their tales.
10. Nelly Longarms
Nelly Longarms kicks off this list as a quintessential example of the classic witchy hag, or at least in the English tradition. Hailing from near Durham, England, she is often depicted as a frail, elderly woman with long, wiry arms and untamed hair. Many folklorists believe that such figures trace their origins to the worship of crone-like deities associated with wisdom, old age, and guidance in pre-Christian European pantheons. As Christianity gained prominence, these deities took on more sinister connotations, and Nelly Longarms became a reflection of that transformation.
This particular hag is known for her terrifying habit of luring children to the water and dragging them to an untimely, watery demise. As a water spirit, Nelly Longarms shares this trait with many other hags, though it isn't essential to all such mythological figures. She also gained a reputation for producing eerie sounds and materializing mysteriously in village streets and doorways, attempting to entice the unwary to their doom by drowning.
9. The Aswang
A defining characteristic of many hags is their disturbing tendency toward cannibalism, and who better exemplifies this trait than the bloodthirsty vampire? Emerging from the Philippines, the Aswang is a hybrid of witch and vampire, blending the deadliest aspects of both creatures into one terrifying being.
The aswang prowls the night, transforming into various animals, from the stealthy, quiet cat to skilled predators like the wolf. Once it locates its prey, it waits atop their homes until darkness falls, using its long, flexible tongue to sense the surroundings, much like a snake's tongue. It then burglarizes and devours its victims. The legend also speaks of its ability to curse its targets, with its infamous act involving rice, sand, and even bugs pouring from its victims' orifices.
8. Muma Pădurii
Hailing from Romania, this next witch has a unique blend of traits. While she retains a penchant for attacking children, she is somewhat kinder than other hags, offering her assistance in healing woodland creatures with her various potions. Muma Pădurii is distinguishable by her bulging eyes, gnarled hands, and a considerable size. Unlike other hags, she has the ability to shift between the forms of an old woman and an old man, though those are not her only transformations—she can also appear as a young, beautiful woman, a nun, or even a tree.
Muma isn’t always malevolent, only seeking vengeance on those foolish enough to destroy her beloved forest. At times, she even lends a hand to lost children, guiding them back home. Unlike many other hags, she does not share their cannibalistic urges. Romanian lore also claims she is married to the legendary Father of the Forest.
7. Jenny Greenteeth
Next on the list is the mysterious Jenny Greenteeth, the more famous and vivid counterpart of Nelly Longarms in folklore. Jenny stands apart from Nelly by being less selective about her victims, as she is known to drown both children and the elderly. She also has more than one lair and is often spotted lurking in the branches of willows and other swamp-dwelling trees.
Hailing from Lancashire, England, this hag is depicted with green skin, long, messy black hair, and razor-sharp teeth. It’s also said she made her way to North America, with superstitious sailors in Erie, Pennsylvania, claiming to see her swimming in Lake Erie.
6. Soucouyant
This next legend originates from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. While the term 'soucouyant' refers more to a type of witch than a singular entity, it solidifies its place in the pantheon of wicked witches with the power to transform into a fireball for quick travel, as well as a deadly craving for human blood. The soucouyant is also said to roam as far west as Jamaica and as far north as Louisiana.
Other sinister abilities of this hag include her shape-shifting power to steal her victims' skin upon death from blood loss. She can even squeeze through the tiniest openings, such as a crack in the wall or a lock, to infiltrate homes. However, there are methods of escape—one such way is to place a bowl of rice at your door; she’ll count every grain before she pursues you.
5. Yamauba
Technically a yokai from Japanese folklore, the Yamauba possesses all the characteristics to make her comparable to the hags on this list. She appears to be an ordinary woman in her seventies—unless, of course, you notice her horns and fangs when she’s provoked. Yamauba is said to reside in roadside huts, offering shelter to weary travelers. But should you see her demonic traits, she will attempt to devour you immediately.
Unlike other figures on this list, Yamauba is actually a collective term for several yokai, rather than one singular being. According to her origin story, this spirit emerged when a woman with unpopular habits ventured into the wilderness and began to adopt more demonic qualities. Some also claim that impoverished families abandoned their daughters to ease the financial burden, and those girls, left to live alone, eventually transformed into yokai after years of isolation.
4. Obayifo
This next entity comes from Ashanti folklore in what is now Ghana. The Obayifo is known for an uncontrollable glow that emanates from their armpits and anus—an unsettling feature that earns this mythical creature its vampire-like status. The Obayifo is not a standalone being but can possess ordinary people, much like the Yamauba. This transformation happens after one engages in the Ashanti witchcraft practice known as 'Bayi.'
This vampire witch hunts for blood and life energy, and can even take full control of unsuspecting victims, effectively inhabiting their bodies. The Obayifo can also soar through the sky, taking the form of a glowing ball of light. Particularly fond of children, this creature also feeds on the life energy of newly sprouting crops. One of its defining traits is its insatiable hunger, a constant craving that persists no matter how much it consumes.
3. Baba Yaga
Fans of Ant-Man will surely recognize this reference—Baba Yaga is possibly the most renowned wicked witch worldwide. Described as an old woman far larger than most, with a nose to match her size, Baba Yaga is often seen either tending to her stove or relaxing in her quaint home. Her house is anything but ordinary—it’s a mobile hut that stands on chicken legs, and Baba Yaga herself flies through the skies on a mortar, using a pestle as an oar. She is, without a doubt, the Baba Yaga.
One of the most notable figures in Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga may have originally been an Earth Mother Goddess, though some scholars suggest she is connected to the deity of the dead, Iagaia Baba. She was first mentioned by name in the mid-18th century. While she is known for her habit of luring children into her stew with the help of geese, Baba Yaga has also played the role of a benefactor in a few tales. On occasion, she even impersonates Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, aiding Vasilissa the Beautiful in escaping her wicked stepmother.
2. La Lechuza
While many witches in folklore are characterized by old age, La Lechuza takes this to a new level, taking on a more avian form. Described as a colossal, seven-foot-tall owl with a wingspan of fifteen feet and the face of an elderly crone, La Lechuza’s legend hails from Mexico, predating the arrival of Spanish explorers. Known as a bruja, or traditional Mexican witch, her Spanish name translates to 'The Owl.'
The story of La Lechuza is more rooted in origin than other entries on this list. She is said to have been a woman convicted of dark magic, sentenced to death during a witch trial. But unlike other witches, she did not die—she returned as a gigantic owl. With a terrifying ability to mimic the cries of babies or the screams of terrified women, La Lechuza would swoop down on unsuspecting victims, delivering a vengeful end. Some claim to have seen her in action even into the 21st century.
1. Black Annis
Black Annis is a legendary hag with pale blue skin, sharp iron claws for fingers, and raven-black hair. She is said to dwell in the Dane Hills near Leicestershire, England. Similar to the wicked witch from Hansel and Gretel, Black Annis is notorious for her appetite for children. It is believed she hunts any child who carelessly wanders through her domain, leaving their tanned skins to hang from tree branches outside her cave. Some claim Black Annis was a malevolent fae and even link her to the Celtic goddess Anu, though her true origins remain elusive.
Black Annis has a fearsome ability to produce a roar so loud that it is said to carry for miles—up to five miles, in fact. When she prowls the village in search of infants to steal from their windows, the eerie sound of her grinding teeth signals her presence. To try and drive her from her lair, the people of Leicestershire organized an annual 'hunt' every Christmas. They would use a dead cat stuffed with aniseed to lure the witch to the mayor's house, but none of these hunts ever managed to produce a blue-toned body.
