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Black Annis of the Dane Hills
A blue-faced hag with iron claws who dwells in a cave she scratched from the rock. She snatches children and lambs, eats them raw, and hangs their skins on her cave walls to dry.
Ancient - Present
Leicestershire, England
200+ witnesses
Black Annis is a legendary witch from English folklore, associated with the Dane Hills in Leicestershire.
The Legend
According to documented folklore:
Black Annis:
- Is a monstrous hag
- Has blue skin and iron claws
- Lives in a cave in Dane Hills
- Hunts children and lambs
- Hangs their skins on her walls
Appearance
Black Annis appears as:
- A blue-faced crone
- One eye
- Long iron claws
- Hideous and terrifying
- Dressed in rags
The Cave
Her dwelling:
- Black Annis’s Bower
- In the Dane Hills
- She scratched it from rock
- With her iron claws
- An oak tree guards it
Her Hunting
Black Annis:
- Waits by her cave at night
- Reaches into cottage windows
- Snatches sleeping children
- Eats them raw
- Tans their skins in her bower
Historical Practice
Until the 18th century:
- An annual hunt was held
- A dead cat dragged from her bower
- Hounds gave chase
- People followed
- Easter Monday tradition