Boo Hag or Slip Skin Hag

A Boo Hag or a slip-skin hag is a witch, vampire, and demon combination. It is a part of the legends in the Southwestern part of the United States, especially those practicing Hoodoo and Gullah descent.

 

How Does Boo Hag Attack Its Victim?

 

During the day, a slip-skin hag appears to be normal.  But by night, the creature will slip out of her skin and fly to search for her victim.  It was believed that the Boo Hag would torture her victims while sleeping.  Those attacked by the creature complained about strange scratches, nightmares, sudden illness, and fatigue.  The attack is said to be the cause of unexpected mental illness and eventually causes the victim's death.  There is also a case of sexual molestation, especially if the victim is male.

 

How to Determine a Boo Hag?

 

A traditional Hag is always in her spirit form, a characteristic different from the Boo Hag. Boo Hag, according to the legends, resembles a vampire. However, as opposed to the vampire that enjoys blood, this creature consumes the breath of its victim. They will not have skin; therefore, their muscles will be apparent, which gives them a red complexion. To cover this, they will steal their victim's skin.

 

An Incident about the Boo Hag

 

In 1916, there was a report about an incident that involved a slip-skin hag.  It can be found in the works of Roger Pinckney, "Blue Roots: African American Folk Magic of the Gullah People."

 

"Neighbors suspected a certain woman of going out after dark and tormenting a former lover who had found a new partner. They found the skin hanging behind the woman's bedroom door, salted it thoroughly, and waited anxiously in the closet. The woman came in at dawn, commanded the skin back into its rightful place. The skin, in salty misery, did not respond. "Skin, skin, don't you know me?", the woman pleaded. The neighbors leaped from the closet, and the hag disappeared into thin air, never to return."

 

How to Kill a Boo Hag?

 

You can kill a Boo hag by destroying its skin before it returns to sunrise.  You can also place salt or red pepper in its skin to inflict suffering and pain on the creature when she returns to her original skin.  If you suspect someone of being this creature, writing the name Hag on her front door would prevent her from entering her own house.  Hoodoo practitioners can also perform a ritual to turn a boo hag into an insect and trap them in a bottle, making them easier to kill.