Old or ugly women, often in folklore depicted as having magical powers; can also mean witches (plural of hag).
From Old English 'hægtes,' possibly related to 'hedge' (a boundary where supernatural beings were thought to gather). The word gained supernatural associations over time.
In folklore, hags often lived on the edges of villages—literally on the hedges between civilization and wilderness—which is why 'hag' got connected to witches and supernatural crossroads!
From Old English 'hægtes,' the term became gendered slur for older women by medieval period; conflated with witchcraft accusations and misogynist demonization of post-menopausal or non-compliant women.
Avoid using 'hag' as descriptor for women; if used historically (Beowulf, folklore context), clarify it reflects prejudice of source text, not reality.
["elderly women","older women","experienced women","crones (in neutral context)"]
Reclaimed by some feminist scholars; historically the term erased women's power, wisdom, and autonomy by associating age and independence with evil.
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