“Don’t let de hag ride ya’” is not an uncommon departing salutation in the low country areas of Georgia and South Carolina. The “hag” being referred to here is a product of Gullah culture, the creole culture developed in this region of the United States by the descendants of African slaves. Higher African cultural retention in this region is largely due to a lack of enforced assimilation, and the presence of West African culture due to targeted purchasing of West Africans, which is believed to have been continued well after the transatlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States after 1808.
Like many other Creole cultures throughout the Atlantic, Gullah culture developed a syncretic belief system. They practiced Christianity, visited the conjuring doctor, and believed in the presence of the supernatural; the folktale of the Boo Hag reflects several of these elements. With the Boo Hag folktale, Gullah culture contributed its own unique rendition to hag folklore found worldwide.
According to legend the boo hag, also referred to as simply “the hag” or “haint,” is a red being that disguises itself in skin during the day, which helps it to go undetected among the population. Upon nightfall, the boo hag sheds this skin and is thus rendered invisible. Flying through the night, the hag finds a home, entering through any crack or opening available to locate its victim. It then mounts the victim’s chest and “rides” it. Similar to the way vampires depend upon the living for sustenance, the boo hag’s “riding” is largely comprised of the hag sucking the victim’s breath, or life force, while the victim sleeps. On the chance that the victim awakens while the hag is riding, he or she is rendered mute and thus is unable to speak or yell for help. One of the signs of being ridden by the hag is extreme exhaustion the following day. While the boo hag generally avoids killing its victims, preserving them as future sources, it is believed that murder can occur if the victim awakens and causes trouble during the riding. It is also believed that repeated visits from the boo hag will cause physical harm and eventual death.
Some believe that the hag is a malevolent spirit that remains on earth after physical death to torment others. Lore has it that these spirits are controlled by conjurers or witches, and are set upon the enemies of these individuals or upon the enemies of those who pay conjurers. Others believe that the boo hag is the spirit of an old woman who practices witchcraft and rides people she dislikes or people that she has been asked to bother. In a version of the folktale shared by Margaret Creel, the hag “pummels you to exhaustion, then sucks your blood” (Creel 1988, 346). According to this version, people know when they are being visited by the boo hag because they will experience increasingly unpleasant dreams, and “if the hag is not called off the person will lose his mind” (Creel 1988, 346).
Although they are invisible, it is said that a boo hag can be identified by an unusual increase in humidity and a strong, pungent, rotting smell. Once a boo hag is detected, it is suggested that salt be thrown into the air. Another option is leaving an open bottle of salt near the bed. The boo hag will fly into the bottle and the salt will trap it. If a boo hag is covered in salt, it cannot reenter its skin and will eventually disintegrate. These remedies may stem from African thought, as in several cultures it is believed that salt blocks witches’ and spirits’ ability to fly. However, before the hag is even detected, there are steps that can be taken to protect a dwelling from its presence. Gullah homes often feature blue doors. This particular shade of blue, called Gullah or haint blue, is believed to protect homes in part from evil intruders such as the boo hag. Additionally, it is believed that boo hags are incredibly curious and cannot resist counting things. With this in mind, it is considered wise to place an item such as a broom outside the house, as the hag will stop and count each straw before proceeding, often resulting in the daylight catching the hag. When this happens, the hag becomes visible, is no longer able to get back into its skin, and disintegrates. Candles are believed to be effective in warding boo hags off, as they cannot stand the burning smell. If none of these tactics work, a conjurer can be called in to capture the boo hag.
Today, the influence of the boo hag can be found in children’s literature, including Precious and the Boo Hag in Cornelia Walker Bailey’s God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man (2001), where the author recounts tales she heard growing up on Sapelo Island in Georgia. The boo hag has also been the topic of songs and is a popular image in visual art.
Nicole M. Morris
See also Flying Africans; Witch Doctors
Further Reading
Bailey, Cornelia Walker. 2001. God, Dr. Buzzard, and the Bolito Man: A Saltwater Geechee Talks About Life on Sapelo Island, Georgia. New York: Anchor Books.
Creel, Margaret. 1988. A Peculiar People: Slave Religion and Community-Culture among the Gullahs. New York: New York University Press.
McKissack, Pat, Onawumi Jean Moss, and Kyrsten Brooker. 2005. Precious and the Boo Hag. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.