We all know about vampires and werewolves, or at least we think we do. The legends and myths that inspired these monsters are sometimes surprisingly different, but no less chilling. In this series of posts, Monster Monday, we’ll investigate the monsters that have informed our modern notions, as well as some lesser known monsters. Today, we talk about the Glaistig.

The glaistig or Green Lady is a legendary Scottish ghost. She is associated with a number of castles in Scotland, including Fyvie, Ashintully, Ballindaloch, Ladyland, Crathes, and Knock.

In some legends, she is a fairy spirit or a woman given a fairy nature by the fairies. She is depicted as a beautiful woman with long blond hair and wearing a flowing green dress. Her dress, however, conceals the fact that she has the legs of a goat.

In several legends, she is the daughter of the lord of the castle, murdered by a jealous servant while wearing a green dress and stuffed up a chimney. She is often seen in the castle and on the castle grounds. It is said that her footsteps can still be heard walking the castle. In these legends, she sometimes tries to frighten or even harm nearby travelers.

In other legends, she looks after the nearby farmer and herdsmen, who offer her small amounts of milk in return. In many of these stories, she revokes her protection after someone insults her.