Boo Hags
The creatures who leave you breathless.
Sleep paralysis is a common condition that occurs when a person is unable to move or speak while their body transitions between states of wakefulness and sleep. It’s a condition that’s inspired folklore through the centuries. Before modern medical science shed more light on what causes sleep paralysis, shadowy evil creatures were often blamed for the occurrences of this condition.
One such shadowy creature is the boo hag. Stories of boo hags first originated in the Gullah cultural region covering parts of the coastal plain extending through North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
What is a Boo Hag?
Boo hags are a blend of a witch and a vampire. These creatures differ from a vampire in one key aspect. They draw their power and gain sustenance from stealing their victim’s breath rather than their blood.
A boo hag has no skin in their natural state. They are red from head to toe. They will steal a victim’s skin to conceal their true appearance, wearing it as a person wears clothing. The boo hag will remove and hide this skin in a safe place before they go on the prowl at night.
When a boo hag identifies a suitable victim, they will enter the victim’s home through a small crack, crevice, or hole. The creature will position themselves over their victim and ride them. They will draw out their breath as they ride, rendering their victim unable to move or speak. Soon they force them to sink into a deep sleep filled with unpleasant dreams.
The boo hag prefers to leave their victim alive, so they can feed on their breath and gain additional energy later. If their victim struggles, the boo hag will steal their skin and leave them to suffer a painful death in their bed. If they don’t resist, the victim will awaken short of breath and feeling drowsy but otherwise have no memory of what transpired during the night.
How do you defeat a Boo Hag?
Boo hags have a specific vulnerability. These creatures must be back in their skin by dawn after feeding during the night. If they are outside their skin when the sun rises, they will remain trapped in that state forever. Boo hags fly off to their home after feeding and their skin so they aren’t caught in this position.
Much like a vampire, boo hags are compelled to count certain objects. Boo hag legends say a person can protect themselves when they sleep at night by placing a straw broom beside their bed or across the floor in front of their door. When the boo hag sees the broom, it will become distracted. They will feel compelled to count the straw in the broom and are unable to complete the task before sunrise. This deprives them of a chance to ride their victim and steal their breath.
If you find a boo hag’s hidden skin, you can prevent that specific hag from slipping back into their skin by coating it with salt and pepper. The boo hag will be repelled by the salt and pepper and will be unable to don their skin again before sunrise, thus trapping them in their raw red natural state forever.
Ooh, this one is so strange! It's like a combination of several mysterious creatures. Love it!