The Old Hag of Newfoundland
A strange and terrifying phenomenon has been plaguing humans for millennia, walking into bedrooms at night, looming at bedsides and, in the worst cases, attempting to suffocate or strangle its paralyzed victims. It has many names throughout the world, but in Newfoundland they call it "The Old Hag," where it has connections to centuries-old beliefs about witchcraft and the occult. In this episode, we'll learn about the cultural phenomenon of "The Old Hag" and what Newfoundland folklore can teach us about the cause, the cure and the culture behind it all.
Notes
Special thanks to Christine from St. John’s, Newfoundland, for sharing her story, and to Emily Kellogg of the award-winning horror-fiction podcast The Parkdale Haunt for her fantastic reading. A big thank you as well to Mike Rink for his spooky reading of “The Lord’s Prayer” backwards.
Special shoutout to my fellow Canadian podcasters at The Some Weird Podcast. Check out their episode on The Old Hag to hear their own discussion and stories.
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