Red Cap

Also called a "bloody cap" or "red comb," a red cap is an evil goblin of English folklore that haunts the ruins of castles where bloody battles have occured. With its long gray hair, fiery red eyes, and protruding teeth, the red cap might be mistaken for a very ugly old man, if it were not for its distintive red hat, which gains it color by being soaked in blood. It carries a walking stick tipped with a metal spike, and will happily use it on anyone who is foolish enough to wander into a ruined castle. After all, the blood of a fresh victim is just what's needed to brighten the color of its crimson cap.

For those who can't resist visiting old ruins, tradition holds there is one sure way to protect yourself against a red cap. Read the Bible aloud and the red cap will shriek and vanish, leaving behind one of its hideous teeth as a souvenir.

Hag

The British Isles are said to be populated by a great number of hags. Some are bennevolent spirits associated with harvests and spinning. Others are witchlike figures who torment and even eat people. One is an ancient nature spirit, responsible for changing the weather and natural landscape. But all of them have a few things in common - they are women, they are old, and they are hideous looking.

Hanging out with hags like those who frequent the Leaky Cauldron can be a dangerous business, since most have malice on their minds. They enjoy sitting on sleeping humans, causing nightmares and depriving their victims of breath. Someone who is "hag ridden" will wake up exhausted - if the person is lucky enough to wake up at all.

The most famous hag in England is the Black Annis, a one-eyed cannibal with blue skin, long white teeth, and claws of iron. She is said to dwell in the hills of Leicestershire, in a cave she carved from the rocky terrain with her own fingernails. In front of her cave stands a giant old oak tree, in which she sits to survey the countryside in search of her prey. When a child comes into sight, she swoops down and has a feast. When not in her tree, Black Annis is often seen sitting at the mouth of her cave, atop a pile of her vitim's bones.

A Scotsman is more likely to recognize the Storm Hag, an ancient Celtic goddess also known as the Cailleach Bheare. Like Black Annis, the Storm Hag has a blue face and only one eye. She is recognized by her white hair, which resembles dry, gnarled branches, and by the gray plaid dress she always wears. Closely associated with winter, she is said to usher in the season by washing her clothes in the Corrievreckan (literally meaning "the speckled cauldron"), a great whirlpool off Scotland's western coast that can be extremely hazardous for ships. She also carries a staff, which she strikes the grass and crops, covering them with frost each year after Halloween.