thumb|1920 Arthur Rackham illustration for the Irish fairytale The Hag of the Mill. "Now the Hag of the Mill was a bony, thin pole of a hag with odd feet."
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- In folklore
- In Western literature
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|1920 Arthur Rackham illustration for the Irish fairytale The Hag of the Mill. "Now the Hag of the Mill was a bony, thin pole of a hag with odd feet."
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy, witch, or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as "Hansel and Gretel". Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as The Morrígan or , who are seen as neither wholly benevolent nor malevolent. The word hag can also be synonymous for a witch.