Tradition: Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: De Mare
Category: House dweller
The Myth
The Mare is a terrifying supernatural being that appears as an old, heavy woman dressed entirely in black. In a legend from Beveren-Waas, she attacks a woman who has returned to bed after rising early to prepare everything for her husband before he leaves for work. The Mare’s appearance is sudden and frightening, transforming an ordinary morning into a supernatural ordeal.
The woman had expected someone from the village, who customarily came to call her husband when it was time to leave for work. That morning, however, nobody appeared. After briefly going outside to look and listen, she returned indoors, locked the door, and lay down again. She had been resting for barely five minutes when she thought she heard the key turning in the front door and someone entering the room.
An old, stout woman dressed completely in black approached the bed and threw herself onto the woman. The supernatural attacker felt extraordinarily heavy, as though she weighed a hundred kilograms, pressing down on her victim. When the frightened woman tried to scream, she felt her throat being squeezed shut and could scarcely breathe, as if she were about to suffocate.
At the moment when the woman seemed close to suffocation, the Mare suddenly vanished. The victim was immediately able to breathe freely again. The account offers no explanation for the Mare’s origins or motives, but its attack resembles the frightening experience of being crushed and strangled while lying in bed. In this Flemish tradition, the Mare is remembered as a menacing nocturnal or early-morning presence capable of overwhelming a person with supernatural weight and leaving them struggling for breath.
Sources
De Cock, Alfons. Vlaamsche sagen uit den volksmond. Amsterdam: Maatschappij voor Goede en Goedkoope Lectuur, 1921. https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/cock001vlaa01_01/cock001vlaa01_01_0004.php#subnav-meer-btn