Who is Black Annis?
Black Annis is a terrifying old-woman monster of the Dane Hills in Leicestershire, central England. Among the hags (fairies in the form of old women), she has been especially feared.
Folklore and features
Black Annis is said to have a blue face, long claws as sharp as iron and large teeth. She lived in a cave in the hills, and at night she snatched and ate nearby children and lambs, flaying them and wearing their skins around her waist, it is said. Her cave, said to have been dug out of the rock with her own claws, was called “Black Annis’ Bower.” It was said that if you heard her grinding her teeth, you had to close your windows.
Origins of Black Annis
Theories about her origin include the memory of the Celtic mother goddess Anu (Danu) changing into the form of a monster, and the name of a female hermit who lived in a cave in the area in the Middle Ages becoming linked with the legend. It is also thought to have been a story to warn children not to go out at night.
