Why Do Parents Worry About Grindylows?
GRINDYLOWS ARE WATER DEMONS FROM the legends of
Yorkshire. J. K. Rowling introduces them in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: “A sickly
green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against
the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly
fingers.”
These dangerous creatures have a fondness for
ponds and lakes, where unsuspecting children who get too close to
the water’s edge can be caught and dragged under the surface. In
Lancashire, the same demon is known as Jenny Greenteeth. In other
parts of England it is known as Nellie Long-Arms. A relative of the
grindylow, Peg o’ the Well, haunts wells.
Carol Rose, an expert on demons and spirits,
calls grindylows “nursery bogies, described with vigor by watchful
nursemaids and anxious parents in order to prevent the
untimely death of children in such fearful places.” But when Harry
dives into the Hogwarts lake to rescue Ron during the second task
of the Triwizard Tournament, the grindylows who grab his leg and
robes feel very real to him.
Every culture and every era has its water bogeys.
This is from a medieval woodcut.
See also: Giant Squid Kappas
Merpeople