"Mara of the Dark Hours" is Mara, a malevolent entity found in Celtic, Germanic and Slavic folklore that is the origin of the word "nightmare". This spirit is also known as the Nightmare Spirit or simply the "Mare".
The Nature of the Mara
- Description: The Mara is typically described as a female being with magical abilities. She is often depicted as a youthful, beautiful woman in some tales, and an old hag in others, capable of shape-shifting or having her soul leave her body at night.
- Actions: The Mara enters a sleeper's room (often through a keyhole) and sits on their chest, making it difficult to breathe and causing a feeling of suffocation. This causes terrifying dreams, a phenomenon now known as sleep paralysis.
- Victims: The Mara preys on both humans and animals, and in some folklore, a person whose hair is matted in the morning is said to have been "mare-ridden" during the night.
Cultural References
The belief in the Mara is widespread, appearing in different forms across cultures:
- Germanic, Celtic & Norse Folklore: Known as mara or mare in Old Norse and Old English, where the word "nightmare" originates from (night and mare). The term for "nightmare" in Scandinavian languages directly translates to "mare-ride" or "mare-dream".
- Slavic Folklore: The entity is called Mora or Mara, a dark spirit that may appear as a beautiful woman to torment men with desire in their dreams or simply suffocate victims in their sleep.
Protective Measures
Folklore suggests various ways to deter the Mara:
- Leaving a broom upside down behind the door.
- Placing one's belt on top of the sheets.
- Placing one's shoes with the toes facing the door.
- Using holed stones as charms, often hung on bedposts.
The concept of the Mara is a mythological explanation for the very real and frightening experience of sleep paralysis and night terrors.