Talk: Folklore, Female Aging & The Hag

Explore the modern reimagining of the Hag, a powerful goddess rooted in folklore, through film and fiction. Followed by Q&A. The Hag, a sensual, powerful, older sovereignty goddess, has recently resurged in contemporary culture, from movies like 'Weapons' or 'Hokum' to books by Sharon Blackie and Manchán Magan. But where does this figure originate from? What is her significance in terms of our collective past, present and future? How does she speak to our contemporary anxieties? Join author and researcher Dr Tracy Fahey for a deep dive into the backstory of the Hag, or Cailleach, and explore her complex character revealed through folklore. Long reduced to a symbol of fear or ridicule, the Hag is now being reclaimed as a figure of power, transformation, wisdom, and resistance. Drawing on folk tales, film, and contemporary media, this talk will explore the Hag's complex and ambiguous nature, and how she has become deeply tied to questions of ageing, femininity, nature, and power.