She Rides While You Sleep: The Southern Legend of the Boo Hag

In the low country of South Carolina, where the trees are veiled in Spanish moss and the summer air hangs thick with moisture and mystery, old legends linger like the fog. Down there, they whisper of her.

They call her the Boo Hag.

Not a ghost.

Not a demon.

Something worse.

According to Gullah folklore, passed down through generations of African-descended communities in the southeastern United States, the Boo Hag is a supernatural entity. Unlike typical haints or spirits, she doesn’t haunt houses. She haunts you. At night. While you sleep.

The Boo Hag is described as skinless, her red muscles glistening beneath the moonlight. But don't expect to see her coming. She doesn’t attack with claws or knives. Instead, she "rides" you—a chilling term for her method of feeding. She enters the sleeping body, draining its breath, siphoning off energy, and leaving the victim weak, confused, and exhausted the next morning.

But she doesn’t kill.

Not unless you fight.

The Gullah people knew how to protect themselves. Folklore offers several tried-and-true methods:

A broom beside the bed—so she’ll stop to count every straw.

Cayenne pepper in the corners—spice to repel her unnatural presence.

A Bible under the pillow—for faith and protection.

The Boo Hag is clever. She can mimic voices. Slip through cracks. Sometimes, she wears stolen skin to move unnoticed. And if she likes the way you sleep… she may return. Again, and again.

There’s a story about a man who didn’t believe.

He heard the tale, laughed it off, and went to bed without a second thought. But when he woke the next morning, his body ached. There were claw-like scratches running down his back.

His bathroom mirror was fogged. And there, faint but clear, was his name…

written in breath.

They say the Boo Hag leaves no footprints.

Only fear.

Only fatigue.

Only that terrible sense… that you weren’t alone.

So tonight, before you drift off—

Check your windows.

Check your mirror.

And for your safety,

Don’t forget the broom.