The Glaistig
In the Highlands, people told of a woman in a long green dress who watched over the cattle at night. Her dress hid the legs of a goat.
What was reported
The glaistig is a spirit of Scottish Highland folklore: a beautiful woman in a trailing green dress, often seen by rivers and near old houses, whose lower half is that of a goat. She was said to be bound to a place or a family.
In some stories she's kindly, herding the cattle, watching children and expecting a bowl of milk left out for her. In others she lures men to dance with her through the night, and they're found the next morning harmed, or not at all.
Explanations offered
The glaistig is a folk figure with many local versions, sometimes said to be a mortal woman who was given a fairy nature. Like the brownie, she carries the idea of a spirit who must be treated with respect.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Lochaber, Highland, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Scottish Highland folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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