Night-Mares

legends and superstitions about the demons that cause nightmares translated and/or edited by

D. L. Ashliman 1998-200

Contents
1. De!initions. 2. "he Alp #$ermany% &acob and 'ilhelm $rimm(. ). "he Alp #$ermany% &ohann August *rnst +,hler(. -. .elie!s /oncerning Alps and 0ares #$ermany% +arl .artsch(. . "he 01rt #$ermany% A. +uhn and '. 2ch3art4(. 5. A 0ahrt 6s /aptured #7oland/$ermany% A. +uhn and '. 2ch3art4(. 8. An Alp 6s /aptured #$ermany% .ernhard .aader(. 8. /harm against 9ight-0ares #$ermany% A. +uhn(. 9. "he Alp #7oland/$ermany% &. D. :. "emme(. 10.A /harm to /ontrol the 9ight-0are #*ngland% &ames ;rchard :alli3ell-7hillipps(. 11.9ightmare /harm or 2pell against the 0ara #2hetland 6slands% .iot *dmonston and &essie 0. *. 2a<by(. 12.A 2hetland /harm #2hetland 6slands% +arl .lind(. 1).=anlandi% +ing o! 23eden% and :uld% the 'itch 'oman #6celand% "he Ynglinga Saga o! 2norri 2turluson(. 1-..a>u% *ater o! Dreams #&apan% ?. :adland Da@is(. 1 .Lin>s to Aelated 2ites. Aeturn to D. L. AshlimanBs folktexts% a library o! !ol>tales% !ol>lore% !airy tales% and mythology.

Definitions
"he mare in nightmare is not a !emale horse% but a mara, an Anglo-2a<on and ;ld 9orse term !or a demon that sat on sleepersB chests% causing them to ha@e bad dreams. Dialect @ariants% as e<plained belo3% include the !orms mara, mahr, mahrt% mrt, and others. 6n :igh $erman% the demon 3ho causes bad dreams is most o!ten called an Alp% a 3ord that is etymologically related to elf. A mare-induced bad dream is called a nightmare in *nglish% martr,C #mare-ride( in Anglo-2a<on and 6celandic% mareridt #mare-ride( in Danish% mareritt #mare-ride( in 9or3egian% and Alpdruck #alp-pressure( or Alptraum #alp-dream( in $erman.

 Aeturn to the table o! contents.

The Alp
Germany
*@en though 3indo3s and doors may be tightly closed and loc>ed to >eep out the alps% they can still get in through the smallest holes% 3hich they see> out 3ith special pleasure. 6n the still o! the night one can hear the sound that they ma>e in the 3all 3hile getting in. 6! one gets up Duic>ly and plugs up the hole% then they must stay in the room and cannot escape% e@en a!ter the doors ha@e been opened. "hen% be!ore setting them !ree% one must ma>e them promise to ne@er disturb the place again. ;n such occasions they ha@e complained piti!ully that they ha@e little children at home 3ho 3ill perish i! they do not lea@e. A trud or an alp o!ten tra@els a great distance to ma>e his nighttime @isits. ;nce some herdsmen 3ere out in the !ield in the middle o! the night. "hey 3ere 3atching their herds not !ar !rom a body o! 3ater. An alp came by% climbed into a boat% untied it !rom the ban>% ro3ed it 3ith an oar that he himsel! had brought along% climbed out% tied up the boat on the other side% and continued on his 3ay. A!ter a 3hile he returned and ro3ed bac>. "he herdsmen% ho3e@er% a!ter obser@ing this !or se@eral nights% and allo3ing it to happen% decided to ta>e the boat a3ay. 'hen the alp returned% he began to complain bitterly% and threatened the herdsmen that they 3ould ha@e to bring the boat bac> immediately i! they 3anted to ha@e peace% and that is 3hat they did. 2ome people ha@e laid a hac>le Ean iron-toothed comb !or the preparation o! !la<F on their bodies in order to >eep alps a3ay% but an alp o!ten turns it o@er% pressing the points into the sleeperBs body. A better precaution is to turn oneBs shoes around at the side o! the bed% so that the hoo>s and the laces are ne<t to you. 'hen an alp is pressing against you% you can put your thumb in your hand% and he 3ill ha@e to retreat. Alps o!ten ride your horses during the night% and the ne<t morning you can see ho3 e<hausted they are. "hey can also be repelled 3ith horse heads. 6! you donBt mo@e your chair be!ore going to sleep% the mare 3ill ride it during the night. "hey li>e to gi@e people hair-snarls #called 3hole-grain braids or mare braids(% by suc>ing on their hair then braiding it. 'hen a nurse diapers a child% she must ma>e the sign o! the cross and open up a corner% other3ise the alp 3ill re-diaper the child. 6! you say to an alp that is pressing upon you% G"rud% come tomorro3% and 6 3ill lend you somethingHG then he 3ill immediately retreat and come the ne<t day in the !orm o! a human% in order to borro3 something. ;r you can call out to him% G/ome tomorro3 and drin> 3ith me%G then the person 3ho sent him 3ill ha@e to come. According to 7rItorius% such a personBs eyebro3s gro3 together along one line. ;thers claim that such a personBs eyebro3s gro3 together on their !orehead. "here are others 3ho can send an alp to those they hate or are angry 3ith merely 3ith their thoughts. :e comes out o! their eyebro3s% loo>s li>e a small 3hite butter!ly% and sits on the breast o! a sleeping person. 2ourceJ &acob and 'ilhelm $rimm% Der Alp% Deutsche Sagen #1815/1818(% no. 81. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

The Alp
Germany
"he alp is a demonic being 3hich presses upon sleeping people so that they cannot utter a sound. "hese attac>s are called Alpdrcke #nightmares(. A girl told ho3 the alp came to her through a >eyhole. 2he 3as not able to call !or help. Later% she there!ore as>ed her sister to call out her name in the night% and then the alp 3ould go bac> out through the >eyhole. 6n K3ic>au they claim that the alp 3ill go a3ay i! one in@ites him !or co!!ee the !ollo3ing morning. 6t is also belie@ed that the alp crushes animals to death. ?or e<ample% i! young geese% are placed in a pig pen and then die it is said that the alp crushed them to death. 6! rabbits die% and it appears that they ha@e been crushed% a broom is placed in their pen% 3hich protects them against the alp. 2ourceJ &oh. Aug. *rnst +,hler% Sagenbuch des Erzgebirges #2chneeberg and 2ch3ar4enbergJ =erlag und Druc> @on /arl 0orit4 $Irtner% 1885(% no. 200% pp. 1 --1 Aeturn to the table o! contents.

Beliefs Concerning Alps and Mares

Germany
1. 6t is belie@ed that by stopping up the >eyhole% placing oneBs shoes 3ith the toes !acing the door% and then getting into bed bac>3ards one can protect onesel! against nightmares or G0ortriden.G Emare ridesF. 2. ?urther% one can put something made !rom steel% !or e<ample an old pair o! scissors% in oneBs bed stra3. ). A person su!!ering !rom nightmares should urinate into a clean% ne3 bottle% hang the bottle in the sun !or three days% carry it -- 3ithout saying a 3ord -- to a running stream% and then thro3 it o@er oneBs head into the stream.

2ourceJ +arl .artsch% Sagen, Mrchen und Gebruche aus Meklenburg #=iennaJ 'ilhelm .raumLller% 1880(% @ol. 2% p. ). Aeturn to the table o! contents.

The Mrt
A. Kuhn and . !ch"art#$ Germany
1. "he name most o!ten !ound in northern $ermany ends 3ith a pronounced Gt%G and can be grammatically either masculine or !eminine. "he compound Gnightm1rtG is also @ery common. "he !orms Gm1rG #masculine( and Gm1reG #!eminine( also e<ist. "he designation GalpG is recogni4ed as 3ell. 2. All o! these names are used to designate the spirit being that sits upon a sleeping personBs chest% thus depri@ing him o! motion and speech. "he approaching being sounds li>e the gna3ing o! a mouse or the Duiet creeping o! a cat. "he m1rt can be captured by grasping it 3ith an inherited glo@e or by closing up all o! the roomBs openings as soon as the sleeping person begins to groan. ). 01rt-pressure #also called a m1rt-ride( can be pre@ented by crossing oneBs arms and legs be!ore !alling asleep. -. 6n the ;ldenburg district% in 2aterland% and in *ast ?riesland% the alp is called G31ridMrs>eG or G3IridMrs>e.G . 6n the @icinity o! 'endisch-.uchhol4 the same being is called the G0urraue.G "he !ear that it causes the sleeping person does not cease until it gets light in the room. 5. 2ome pine trees ha@e t3igs that gro3 together in curls until they loo> almost li>e nests. During a rain storm% one must be care!ul to not stand beneath such a t3ig% because i! rain drops !all on a person !rom such a nest% the murraue 3ill surely sit on him during the night. 8. A person 3hose eyebro3s gro3 together is called a murraue. 8. A murraue can be either a man or a 3oman% but only a person born on 2unday. 6! they are pressing against you% you should say that you 3ant to gi@e them something% then they 3ill come the ne<t day to get it. .raunsdor! near ?Lrsten3ald. 9. "he murraue creeps up a sleeping personBs body !rom belo3. ?irst you !eel her 3eight on your !eet% ne<t on your stomach% and !inally on your chest% and then you cannot mo@e a muscle. :o3e@er% i! you thin> that you >no3 3ho she is% you must call her by name as soon as you percei@e her% and she 3ill ha@e to retreat. "eupit4. 10.6! a m1rt is pressing against you% and you presume that it is an acDuaintance% you need only call him by name% and he 3ill ha@e to appear in his physical !orm. ;nce a m1rt 3as pressing against a man. :e called out the name o! his belo@ed% and in an instant she 3as standing be!ore him. ?rom *lm. 11.6t helps to pre@ent being ridden by a nightm1rt 3hen in the e@ening one places oneBs shoes ne<t to the bed 3ith the toes pointing out3ard. =arneit4e near 'insen on the Aller. 12.6! there are se@en boys or se@en girls in one !amily% then one o! them 3ill be a night-mare% but 3ill >no3 nothing about it. 0oorhausmoor. 1).;n the island o! .altrum the male mare is called G31lrLderG and the !emale mare is called GrittmeiNe.G 2ourceJ A. +uhn and '. 2ch3art4% !rddeutsche Sagen, Mrchen und Gebruche #Leip4igJ ?. A. .roc>haus% 18-8(% pp. -18--20. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

A Mahrt %s Captured
&oland'Germany
"3o !arm 3or>ers slept together in one room. ;ne o! them 3as ridden by a mahrt so o!ten that he !inally as>ed his comrade the ne<t time it happened to stop up the >nothole in the door so they could capture the mahrt. "he ne<t time he 3as miserably moaning and groaning in his sleep% his comrade did 3hat he had been as>ed% then called his !riend by name. A3a>ening% he Duic>ly reached out and grabbed a piece o! stra3 in his hand. Although it t3isted and turned% he held it tightly until his comrade had stopped up the >nothole. :e then laid the piece o! stra3 on the table% and they both !ell asleep until morning. 'hen they a3o>e they sa3 a beauti!ul girl behind the sto@e. "hey nearly parted 3ays disputing 3hom she belonged to. "he one 3ho had stopped up the >nothole said that she should be his% because i! he had not done that% she 3ould ha@e escaped. "he other one said that she belonged to him% because he had captured her. ?inally the one 3ho stopped up the >nothole ga@e in% and the other one married the girl. "hey had children and li@ed together Duite happily. :o3e@er% the 3oman o!ten begged her husband to sho3 her the >nothole 3here she had entered the room. 2he said that she 3ould ha@e no peace until she had seen it. "he man resisted her pleas !or a long time% but once she begged him especially earnestly% saying that she could hear her mother in *ngland calling the pigs% and as>ed him to allo3 see her again Nust once. ?inally he so!tened and ga@e in. :e 3ent 3ith her and sho3ed her 3here she had entered the room% but in that instant she !le3 out through the >nothole and ne@er returned. 2ourceJ A. +uhn and '. 2ch3art4% G0ahrt ge!angen%G !rddeutsche Sagen, Mrchen und Gebruche #Leip4igJ ?. A. .roc>haus% 18-8(% no. 15% pp. 1--1 . +uhnBs and 2ch3art4Bs sourceJ G;ral% !rom 23inemLnde.G 23inemLnde is the $erman name !or 23inouNscie% 7oland% a city on the .altic @ery near the current 7olish border 3ith $ermany. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

An Alp %s Captured
Germany
A cabinetma>er in .Lhl slept in a bed in his 3or>shop. 2e@eral nights in a ro3 something laid itsel! onto his chest and pressed against him until he could hardly breathe. A!ter tal>ing the matter o@er 3ith a !riend% the ne<t night he lay a3a>e in bed. At the stro>e o! t3el@e a cat slipped in through a hole. "he cabinetma>er Duic>ly stopped up the hole% caught the cat% and nailed do3n one o! its pa3s. "hen he 3ent to sleep. "he ne<t morning he !ound a beauti!ul na>ed 3oman in the catBs place. ;ne o! her hands 3as nailed do3n. 2he pleased him so much that he married her. ;ne day% a!ter she had borne him three children% she 3as 3ith him in his 3or>shop% 3hen he said to her% GLoo>% that is 3here you came inHG and he opened the hole that had been stopped up until no3. "he 3oman suddenly turned into a cat% ran out through the opening% and she 3as ne@er seen again.

 2ourceJ .ernhard .aader% GAlp%G "!lkssagen aus dem #ande $aden und den angrenzenden Gegenden #+arlsruheJ =erlag der :erderBschen .uchhandlung% 18 1(% no. 1)5% p. 125. .Lhl is a to3n in south3est $ermany. "he closest larger city is .aden-.aden. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

Charm against Night-Mares

Germany
6 lay me here to sleepO 9o night-mare shall plague me% Pntil they s3im all the 3aters "hat !lo3 upon the earth% And count all the stars "hat appear in the !irmamentH "hus help me $od ?ather% 2on% and :oly $host. AmenH (riginal German) :ier legB ich mich schla!en% +eine 9achtmahr soll mich plagen% .is sie sch3emmen alle 'asser% Die au! *rden !lieQen% Pnd tellet alle 2terne% Die am ?irmament erscheinenH Da4u hel!e mir $ott =ater% 2ohn und heiliger $eist. AmenH

2ourceJ Adalbert +uhn% Sagen, Gebruche und Mrchen aus %estfalen und einigen andern, bes!nders den angrenzenden Gegenden !rddeutschlands #Leip4igJ ?. A. .roc>haus% 18 9(% @ol. 2% p. 191. "his charm comes !rom !rom 'ilhelmsburg in the @icinity o! 7aderborn. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

The Alp
&oland'Germany
"he alp% or as it is most o!ten called% the GmIrt%G is !reDuently encountered in 7omerania. A mIrt rides on sleeping people at night% pressing against them until at last they can no longer breathe. A mIrt is usually a girl 3ho has a bad !oot. ;nce in the @illage o! .or> near 2targard there 3as a smith 3ho had a daughter 3ith a bad !oot% and at that time an unusually large number o! people complained that they 3ere being ridden by a mIrt.

2ourceJ &. D. :. "emme% Die "!lkssagen &!n '!mmern und (gen #.erlinJ 6n der 9i>olaischen .uchhandlung% 18-0(% p. )-1. 7omerania #7olish '!m!rze% $erman '!mmern( is a historic region lying mostly in todayBs north3est 7oland% but partly in northeast $ermany. 2targard is the $erman name !or the 24c4ecin% a 7olish city on the 6na Ai@er. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

A Charm to Control the Night-Mare

*ngland
2. $eorge% 2. $eorge% our ladies >night% :e 3al>t by daie% so did he by night. Pntill such time as he her !ound% :e hir beat and he hir bound% Pntill hir troth she to him plight% 2he 3ould not come to him that night.

2ourceJ &ames ;rchard :alli3ell-7hillipps% '!pular (h)mes and urser) *ales #LondonJ &ohn Aussell 2mith% 18-9(% p. 21). :alli3ell-7hillippsB source is G2cotBs Disco@erie o! 'itchcra!t% 1 8-% p. 88.G Aeturn to the table o! contents.

Nightmare Charm or !pell against the Mara

!hetland %slands +,nst7ulling !rom my head the longest hair it possessed% and then going through the pantomime o! binding a re!ractory animal% the nurse slo3ly chanted this spellJ De man oB meicht :e rod aB neicht 'e nedder s3ird 9or !aerd nor leicht% :e socht da mare% :e !and da mare% :e band da mare 'iB his ain hair% AnB made her s3ear .y midderBs meicht% Dat sh, 3ad ne@er bide a neicht 'hat he had rod% dat man oB meicht. "here are di!!erent @ersions o! this incantation% and 6 E0rs. 2a<byF !orget 3hich it 3as that the old nurse used on the occasion mentioned. "here!ore 6 ha@e gi@en the one 3hich is most !amiliar to me. 2ourceJ +!unt) ,!lk-#!re% @ol. )J E.amples !f 'rinted ,!lk-#!re +!ncerning the /rkne) 0 Shetland 1slands, collected by $. ?. .lac> and edited by 9orthcote '. "homas #LondonJ ?ol>-Lore 2ociety% 190)(% p. 1- . .lac>Bs sourceJ .iot *dmonston and &essie 0. *. 2a<by *he 2!me !f a aturalist, #London% 1888(% pp. 185-188. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

A !hetland Charm
!hetland %slands
Arthur +night :e rade aB night% 'iB open s3ird AnB candle light. :e sought da mareO :e !anB da mareO :e bund da mare 'iB her ain hair. And made da mare "a s3earJ BAt she should ne@er

.ide aB night 'har e@er she heard ;B Arthur +night.

2ourceJ +!unt) ,!lk-#!re% @ol. )J E.amples !f 'rinted ,!lk-#!re +!ncerning the /rkne) 0 Shetland 1slands, collected by $. ?. .lac> and edited by 9orthcote '. "homas #LondonJ ?ol>-Lore 2ociety% 190)(% p. 1- . .lac>Bs sourceJ +arl .lind ineteenth +entur), #1889(% p. 1105. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

.anlandi$ King of !"eden$ and /uld$ the

0rom the Ynglinga Saga of !norri !turluson

itch

oman

2@egdirBs son 3as named =anlandi% and he too> the >ingdom a!ter him and ruled o@er the 'ealth o! Pppsala. :e 3as a great 3arrior and 3ent !ar o@er the land. :e had stayed one 3inter in ?inland 3ith 2nR the ;ld% and there married his daughter Dri@a. 6n the spring he 3ent a3ay% 3hilst Dri@a stayed behind% and he promised to come bac> a!ter three 3inters% but he came not !or ten 3inters. "hen Dri@a had :uld the 3itch 3oman called to her% and sent =isbur% hers and =anlandiBs son% to 23eden. Dri@a paid :uld the 3itch 3oman to dra3 =anlandi to ?inland 3ith sorcery or else to >ill him. 'hen the spell 3as being !urthered% =anlandi 3as in Pppsala% and he had a longing to go to ?inland% but his !riends and ad@isers !orbade him% and said that it certainly 3as ?innish 3itchcra!t 3hich caused his 3anderlust. "hen he became sleepy and said that the 0are 3as treading on him. :is men sprang up and 3ould help him% but 3hen they came to his head she trod on his !eet% so that they 3ere nigh bro>enO then they resorted to the !eet% but then she smothered the head% so that he died there. "he 23edes too> his body and burned it near a ri@er 3hich 3as called 2>utaO there 3as his standing-stone set up. "hus says "Nodol@J .ut on the 3ay "o =iliBs brother *@il 3ights .ore =anlandiO "hen there trod "he troll-3ise 2orceress ;n the 3arrior lord. And there 3as burned ;n the 2>uta ban> "hat generous man 'hom the 0are >illed.

2ourceJ 2norre E2norriF 2turlason% 2eimskringla3 !r, the #i&es !f the !rse 4ings, edited 3ith notes by *rling 0onsen and translated into *nglish 3ith the assistance o! A. :. 2mith #/ambridge% *nglandJ '. :e!!er S 2ons% 19)2(% pp. 9-10. 2norri 2turlason #1189-12-1( 3as an 6celandic political leader and 3riter. :is best->no3n

3or> is the 'r!se Edda% one o! the best sources o! $ermanic mythology still e<tant. "Nodol@ is "Nodol@ o! +@in% an ;ld 9orse poet. =iliBs brother is ;din Aeturn to the table o! contents.

Ba1u$ *ater of Dreams

2apan
6n &apan% among superstitious people% e@il dreams are belie@ed to be the result o! e@il spirits% and the supernatural creature called .a>u is >no3n as *ater o! Dreams. "he .a>u% li>e so many mythological beings% is a curious mingling o! @arious animals. 6t has the !ace o! a lion% the body o! a horse% the tail o! a co3% the !oreloc> o! a rhinoceros% and the !eet o! a tiger. 2e@eral e@il dreams are mentioned in an old &apanese boo>% such as t3o sna>es t3ined together% a !o< 3ith the @oice o! a man% blood-stained garments% a tal>ing rice-pot% and so on. 'hen a &apanese peasant a3a>ens !rom an e@il nightmare% he criesJ GDe@our% ; .a>uH de@our my e@il dream.G At one time pictures o! the .a>u 3ere hung up in &apanese houses and its name 3ritten upon pillo3s. 6t 3as belie@ed that i! the .a>u could be induced to eat a horrible dream% the creature had the po3er to change it into good !ortune 2ourceJ ?. :adland Da@is% M)ths and #egends !f 5apan #LondonJ $. $. :arrap% 191)(% pp. ) 8-) 9. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

3in1s to related sites)

"he 9ightmare by the 23iss-*nglish artist :enry ?useli #18-1-182 (. 9otice the demon seated on the dreamerBs chest in this !amous painting. $ermanic 0yths% Legends% and 2agas. D. L. AshlimanBs folktexts% a library o! !ol>tales% !ol>lore% !airy tales% and mythology. Aeturn to the table o! contents.

Ae@ised 0ay 2)% 200 .