Jenny Greenteeth is a figure in English folklore. A river hag, similar to Peg Powler, she would pull children or the elderly into the water and drown them. She was often described as green-skinned, with long hair, and sharp teeth. She is called Jinny Greenteeth in Lancashire, but in Cheshire and Shropshire she is called Ginny Greenteeth, Jeannie Greenteeth, Wicked Jenny, or Peg o' Nell.
She is likely to have been an invention to frighten children from dangerous waters similar to the Slavic Rusalka, the Kappa in Japanese mythology, or Australia's Bunyip, but other folklorists have seen her as a memory of sacrificial practices.[1]
The name is also used to describe pondweed or duckweed, which can form a continuous mat over the surface of a small body of water, making it misleading and potentially treacherous, especially to unwary children. With this meaning, the name is common around Liverpool and south west Lancashire [1]
In popular culture
Jenny Greenteeth inspired the lake monster (Meg Mucklebones) in the Ridley Scott fantasy film Legend.
Jenny Greenteeth made an appearance in the Hellboy short story Hellboy: The Corpse.
She also made an appearance in Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men as well as Christopher Golden's The Myth Hunters.
Jenny Greenteeth has made an appearance as one of the leading characters in London Falling, a short story in 2000AD.
The English comedian Dave Spikey mentions Jenny Greenteeth in his stand up act though he was told she would come up through the cracks in the pavement and suck out their bone marrow if you stayed out after dark.
Jenny Greenteeth makes an appearance in the fictional children's story "Nellie Longarms will get you if you don't watch out". [2]
Jenny Greenteeth features as one of the mythical animated creatures in 'Rumpus Mansion', a haunted house attraction at the Isle of Wight theme park, Blackgang Chine.
In Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Jenny Greenteeth appears in the form of a beautiful young woman, the handmaiden of Maeve, Winter Lady and youngest of the Unseelie Queens of Faerie.
The first issue of the comic book anthology PopGun contains a story called "Jenny Greenteeth" by Derek McCulloch and Shepherd Hendrix. [3]
Jenny Greenteeth is Monster in My Pocket #108.
Jenny Greenteeth is referred to in the Torchwood novel "Something In The Water" by Trevor Baxendale (BBC Books / Ebury Press) along with other ideas about the Water Hags.
Jenny Greenteeth appears as a character in Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. She is part of the Dark Faery Court.
There is a similar figure in Jamaican folklore called the River Mumma (River Mother). She is said to live at the fountainhead of large rivers in Jamaica sitting on top of a rock, combing her long black hair with a gold comb. She usually appears at midday and she disappears if she observes anyone approaching. However, if an intruder sees her first and their eyes meet, terrible things will happen to the intruder.
References
- ^ Carole B. Silver, Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness, p 155-6 ISBN 0-19-512100-6
- ^ Nellie Longarms
- ^ Comic Book Resources - CBR News: "POPGUN" - The Ultimate Comics Mixtape
- Katharine Briggs, An Encyclopeidia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Boogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures, "Jenny Greenteeth", p242. ISBN 0-394-73467-X
This article relating to a European myth or legend is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.She may also be the inspiration for the character in Ridley Scott's Legend.
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