Jenny Greenteeth | |
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Real Name |
Jenny Greenteeth |
First Appearance |
Unknown |
Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
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, black hair and sharp teeth.
She is likely to have been an invention to frighten children from dangerous waters but, other folklorists have seen her as a memory of sacrificial practices.
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.