The Faeries and Folklore Podcast by Ronel: Storm Hags #podcast #faeries #folklore

Episode 106: Dark Fae: Storm Hags

The folklore of the storm hag in a nutshell, how I reimagined it for my writing, and this fae translated to Afrikaans.

Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.

Copyright 2024 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.

Learn more about the storm hag in folklore here.

Get the transcript here.

Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com

Transcript

You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.

I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With over a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.

This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.

Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.

This episode is brought to you by my Dark Court Sisters book series. Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Three sisters. Three destinies. Three ways to destroy the world. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/darkcourtsistersseries for more.

You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion. Go to buymeacoffee.com/ronel to support me.

We’re continuing our exploration of Dark Fae.

Today’s Faery: Storm Hags

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

There are two distinct storm hags in folklore: The Celtic Cailleach and the Storm Hag of Lake Erie.

Let’s first look at the Storm Hag of Lake Erie. This American faery is known to lurk below the surface of Lake Erie near Presque Isle. Much like a river hag, she’s fond of wrapping her long green arms around the unwary and drag them beneath the water. Much like a sea witch, she calls up storms over the water. Sometimes she attacks during the storm, but other times she waits until the calm after the storm to appear with whipping winds and crashing lightning to drag the ship and crew beneath the water.

Then there’s the Cailleach. We already know that she is the terrifying personification of winter and that her powers are more destructive as the season comes to a close. The people of Mullet, Ireland, still speak of an evening in January 1839 when they could see this Storm Hag rising from the sea, her hands of blue and green fire reaching up as the wind blew in storm clouds and the sea raged around her before she disappeared in the gloom. The people knew what this meant: the fishermen at sea weren’t coming home. Only a handful of boats that went out that morning returned; the rest were lost in the storm. Even the houses were levelled and their roofs blown away. Thus is the fury of the Celtic Storm Hag.

I have found a third storm hag in Japanese folklore called the Shikome. It roughly translates to “terrible woman”.  This faery is described as having sharp, jagged teeth and bloodshot eyes. It is said to roam the mountains, attaching humans and supernatural creatures alike. A savage creature, it is feared by all.

Looks like storm hags are powerful, scary and hungry for murder.

And now for my interpretation of the fae in an Origin of the Fae: Storm Hags

They are an ugly veined blue. They are truly hags.

They cause storms wherever they go. Their cackling can be heard in the wind.

They follow the Cailleach around because they are drawn to her strength and cold. They obey her every command – as long as it is in line with the wishes of the Unseelie King.

As a little bonus, here is storm hags in Afrikaans: Storm Wyf

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.

Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!

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You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.