When I was in college, I wrote an essay about the hag trope as it is shown in film and how certain characters went about either uplifting or counteracting the common stereotype. As I for some reason used a book to explain a film trope, I figured it would only be fitting to use a film trope as a guide for books.
Hags have been around for ages, and their longest roots actually come from stories! The word itself stems from the Old English word hægtesse, meaning witch, but the hag archetype is shown across dozens of folklore. Baba Yaga is one of the most popular iterations of this type of character, though there’s also the Cailleach, Kikimora, Muma Pădurii, and so on.
(please note that for some of these figures, the Cailleach in particular, I actually found some really beautiful, non-offensive art of them. Although they are hags and much of what I’m about to discuss does apply to them, know that not everyone views them with the common “hag” appearance.)
Some of the hags in folklore are good, kind souls, but most others are evil and try to shove children into furnaces to eat them. There is a modicum of diversity in personality, and, if you go to the original myths and tales, in their appearance, although modern tales will work very hard to make them all look like the Evil Queen’s disguise in the animated Snow White.
Nowadays, the hag trope is less common in stories and more common in film. Hags are used almost exclusively as the antagonists in horror films, and although they have always been described as “wizened old women”, the horror genre has largely capitalized on the physical aspect of the archetype. There are minor differences from one hag to the next, but they tend to follow a similar aesthetic checklist; pale with drooping, wrinkly skin, protruding bones, thin hair, sagging breasts.
Aging. That’s the gag here. It’s the dramatized recap of an aging woman’s body that is meant to strike fear into an audience’s heart.
(The Shining, 1980)Don’t believe me? Then let’s talk about one of my favorite terms, “hagsploitation”, which was coined in 2014 and describes a subgenre that began in the 1960’s in order for aging actresses - you know, those really old haggard ladies in their fifties and sixties, please note my sarcasm - to continue having roles in film. Of course they couldn’t be wives or lovers! Don’t even dream of it! After all, who in their right mind would find a fifty year old woman attractive? Please again note my sarcasm.
The hag has, in a way, become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy. A patriarchal society tells us that aging female bodies are horrifying, the horror genre takes this idea and runs with it, and audiences see the drastic effects of aging on a female body and continue to engage with the idea that aging female bodies are horrifying. The common appearance of the hag is intended to close in on postmenopausal fear of, as my professor stated; “being beyond purpose”, as a woman so unsightly no one would like to “romance” them.
Zoe Moss writes a wonderful article about this called “It Hurts To Be Alive and Obsolete: The Aging Woman”. The aging female body is unworthy of affection, and is shunned and treated with disgust if she dares to display any form of romantic or sexual attraction, as are other individuals who may think to show her romantic or sexual attraction. Women are meant to fulfill their perceived duty (satisfy / obey their husband, have children, take care of the home) and then die, and they must do it without fuss. This is why hags in horror look the way that they do, and it’s also why they are commonly portrayed as alone, cruel, and unhinged, I.E. visibly childless and for the most part unmotherly. With this, we return to the hag's terror stemming from them "being beyond purpose". Because what’s more disturbing than an ugly woman? An ugly woman that doesn’t want to take care of you. Now that’s horror right there.
I may be a little bitter. Truth is, I think there are some really well done hags in horror. I don’t believe that the trope is inherently controversial or offensive, though its roots and repeated use up until this point work very hard to prove me wrong.
This is also the time where I tell you that hags don’t have to only exist in horror! That’s what film directors use them for, but they can be so many other things! They don’t even have to be the antagonist!
Let me share my favorite example of a hag; Laudna, played by Marisha Ray in the Critical Role DnD campaign Bells Hells, also known as my literal favorite character of all time.
Now, Laudna’s a hag. I say this with love. She’s creepy, she’s kooky, she's all together spooky. Laudna is undead, pale and bony, her hair falls out, she sleeps with her eyes open, and sometimes she opens her ribcage so a giant smoky wolf can tear through her skin and destroy her enemies. My girl is canonically horrifying. So what makes Laudna different? In a word; Imogen. Imogen Temult, played by Laura Bailey, is Laudna’s partner in a lesbian relationship with one of the longest runs of screen time in the history of anything. Imogen thinks Laudna is beautiful, countering the idea that the aging female body, accentuated though it may be, is grotesque and unworthy of romantic or sexual affection. Imogen also loves Laudna deeply as a person which, again, proves that Laudna’s appearance does not justify her overall worth and use as an individual. The final push is made by Laudna herself; after all, how could Imogen not love her, when Laudna is so soft? True, she is kooky, and sometimes weeps black ichor. But Laudna is one of the kindest characters in the entire campaign, and no matter what she goes through (which, trust me, is a lot), she remains hopeful, empathetic, and dedicated to helping those around her. She is soft and nurturing, she adores her friends and would do anything to protect them, she feels empathy for monsters because she knows what it’s like to be hated and feared because of how you look. Laudna is a hag, yes, but she is not a stereotype. Laudna’s abuser, on the other hand, the woman responsible for most of the awful things she had to experience, is cruel, selfish, and all of the classic traits we would commonly relate to the physical appearance of the hag. Ironic, because Laudna’s abuser is canonically a very beautiful woman. Laudna is, in my eyes, the perfect hag. Not a stagnant horror trope that plays on the fears and insecurities of women becoming obsolete as they age, but a genuine commentary on the diversity of beauty and how outward appearance does not dictate inward integrity. Also, she’s funny. And gay. What else could you possibly ask for? If I had to give comments, critiques, or perhaps a suggestion if you intend to write a hag yourself, for a book or for film, I would say a few things. Unless you’ve got a good reason, drop the antisemetic nose. You know what I’m talking about. The hag trope is saturated in antisemitism, and though I’ve focused on the feminist aspect of the character, it cannot be pressed enough just how evil this trope is to other groups of people. With the hooked nose, long fingers, even the witch hat itself is a nasty play off of a jewish tradition (something I learned today)! You don’t need any of these stereotypes, so don’t use them. Point blank. I would also say that hags don’t have to be white. If you’re a horror buff, I implore you to think about it for a second; how many of the hags, the monstrous women on screen, have been white? Even if you aren't a horror buff, think about your average witch. Of the witches you think up, how many of them are white? Quite a few, I’m willing to bet. There is some really rich and wonderful folklore in almost every country centered around some kind of witch or hag or crone, this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about them, and base a character off of them. That sounds way more interesting than a repeat of a half-assed character we’ve already seen a million times. Hags don’t only exist in horror; like Laudna, they can be in fantasy, in folklore, in tons of other things, and they don’t always have to be the antagonist! Which leads me to my final point; don’t view your character as a hag. View them as a woman. They have thoughts, emotions, and motives, and they are deserving of as much time and consideration as any other character. To perceive them as anything less is to cripple your own storytelling. Books are much more interesting when you remember that every character, from a certain angle, should be able to become the protagonist. Does that make sense? No? Then watch Bells Hells and figure it out, I don’t know what to tell you. Happy Writing!
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