The act of being tormented or harassed in a nightmarish way, or the supernatural experience of having a witch or demon sit on one's chest during sleep.
From 'hag' + 'riding', a compound dating to Old English. Originally referred to the folklore belief that witches would ride on sleeping people's chests, causing nightmares and sleep disturbance.
Medieval people described 'hagriding' as the worst kind of nightmare, and scientists now think they were experiencing sleep paralysis combined with night terrors—your brain awake but your body paralyzed!
Gerund of 'hagride,' embedding gendered supernaturalism into descriptive action. Normalizes the witch-hunt trope of female malevolence enacted against male/human subjects.
Use 'tormenting,' 'plaguing,' or 'afflicting.' Strip away gendered supernatural framing.
["tormenting","plaguing","afflicting"]
The 'hag-riding' myth disguised male control over female knowledge and bodies as male victimhood. Accused women were often practitioners of medicine and craft the patriarchy wanted to monopolize.
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