MYTHOS
Tradition: English folklore
Type: Ghost, human
Sex: Female
Habitat: Rivers, streams, pools
Time active: Any
Disposition: Malevolent, non-appeasable
Element: Water
Similar entities: Black Annis,
Water Woman,
Weisse Frau,
Jenny Greentooth,
Greentoothed Woman,
Nellie Longarms
A
hag with sharp
green teeth and long green hair that is said to inhabit the river
Tees. She waits in the water for the approach of
unwary humans, especially naughty children, and she grabs the ankles of those who unknowingly wander too close to the water's edge. Some acconts show her dragging her victim to an underwater lair, where she
devours them. Others simply show her pulling her victims underwater to
drown them. Obviously, swimming or wading in this river is strongly discouraged.
Warnings that Peg Powler may be nearby include the presence of green
foam or
froth on the river (known as Peg Powler's Suds) and/or the presence of green surface
scum (known as Peg Powler's Cream) on slower sections of the river. The
alder tree was considered as a charm that held evil
faeries at bay, as in this
Mother Goose ryme which shows a fear of water faeries like Peg Powler:
"Mother, may I go out to swim?"
"Yes, my darling daughter.
Hang your clothes on an alder limb
And don't go near the water."
Bean-Fionn is a general name for all types of drowning faeries. Peg Powler is also known as
Jenny Greenteeth, a similar green hag who is known to haunt
stagnant pools of water in
Lancashire. Another green hag,
Nellie Longarms, is thought to inhabit
Derbyshire,
Cheshire,
Lancashire,
Stropshire and
Yorkshire. Interestingly, a
German version of the Bean-Fionn, called the
Weisse Frau, was said to love children and protect them. She was also said to help travelers, but she angered easily, especially if you were to
abuse a child.
The tales were no doubt created to scare young children away from the
precarious banks of rivers and streams. Some variations of the story even make sure to specify that the children who were attacked were explicitly disobeying their parents' wishes.
Sources:
http://outer-rim.lweb.net/mythos/faerydic-nojs.html
http://www.fortunecity.com/roswell/shaman/348/words.html
http://bardstune.4t.com/opqr.htm
http://www.sysabend.org/pipermail/champ-l/2002-January/043346.html
http://mars.ark.com/~ramsay/Faery%20Types/Bean_Fionn.html