Orgins of Fear
Hades
Hades is the lord of the dead and ruler of the nether world, which is referred
to as the domain of Hades or, by transference, as Hades alone. He owns all
the wealth in the ground and the people referred to him as the Rich One.
They were frightened to say his real name for fear that it would attract
his attention. Black sheep were offered to him, and the sacrifice was performed
with the face averted. Mortals who enter his world had no hope of returning,
and so Hades was characterized as pitiless and inexorable. Hades had abducted
Persephone and made her his wife.
Hag
On the British Isles, hags are regarded as the personification of winter.
Usually they are old and very ugly during the winter months but as soon as
the weather changes, they change into beautiful young women.
Harpies
"The robbers". In earlier versions of Greek myth, Harpies were described
as beautiful, winged maidens. Later they became winged monsters with the
face of an ugly old woman and equipped with crooked, sharp talons. They are
represented as carrying off persons to the underworld and inflicting punishment
or tormenting them. Those persons were never seen again. The Harpies were
driven away by Cailas and Zetes, the Boreads, and since then they lived on
the Strophades. The Harpies were probably the personification of storm winds.
They are: Aello, Celaeno, and Ocypete.
Incubus and Succubis
In medieval European folklore, the incubus is a male demon (or evil spirit)
who visits women in their sleep to lie with them in ghostly sexual intercourse.
The woman who falls victim to an incubus will not awaken, although may experience
it in a dream. Should she get pregnant the child will grow inside her as
any normal child, except that it will possess supernatural capabilities.
Usually the child grows into a person of evil intent or a powerful
wizard. Legend has it that the magician Merlin was the result of the
union of an incubus and a nun.
A succubus is the female variety, and she concentrates herself on men.
Etymology: (Latin) incubare "to lie upon, in, with".
Jack-in-Irons
A very dangerous giant who haunts the deserted roads in Yorkshire. He is
covered with chains and the heads of his victims. His weapon is a large club
with spikes.
Jack O'Lantern
Many mistakenly believe that Jack O'Lantern was a damned soul, doomed to
wander listlessly forever, or that pumpkins carved into Jack O'Lanterns are
supposed to hold souls. While the former is partially true, it casts a negative
shadow on the true story of Jack O'Lantern, which goes something like this
There once was a farmer named Jack who was both very lazy and very quick-witted.
Now one day, the Devil came to Jack to tempt him, but Jack tricked the Devil
into climbing a tree. The Devil couldn't climb down, and asked Jack for help.
"On one condition," Jack replied. "That you not allow me into hell." The
Devil couldn't very well refuse, so he grudgingly agreed and Jack helped
him down. As everything does, eventually Jack died. He went straight to hell,
but the Devil kept his word, and wouldn 't let him in. Jack travelled to
heaven, but he'd been so bad during his life, they wouldn't let him in heaven
either. So Jack hollowed out one of his gourds (it was originally a turnip)
and made a lantern out of it. Even now he wanders the face of the world,
trying to find somewhere he can stay...
Jack is generally described as very tall and lanky, but not unlikable. He
is also personified in two works that I know of: "The Halloween Tree" by
Ray Bradbury, as Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud, and in Tim Burton's
film "The Nightmare Before Christmas", as Jack Skellington. Jack O'Lantern
is analogous to Jack o' the Shadows, or Death Itself.
