Nelly Longarms; a hairy situation
Nelly Longarms is a hag and water spirit in English folklore who dwells at the bottom of deep ponds, rivers and wells. she will reach out with her long sinewy arms and drag children beneath the water if they get too close.
Invoked by parents to frighten children into appropriate behaviour, the legend finds its origins around St Margaret's Garth, Durham, England. Residents have reported sightings and strange sounds, especially at night, since the early 18th Century. Nelly Longarms must typically be invited into a property for her to drag children into the water, and most sightings of the spirit are at the threshold of properties, often heard slamming or opening doors.
Digital painting
My painting is inspired by the idea of a river hag, but one with a tragic backstory.....having been thrown out of society and tested in the local river, Nelly sinks to the bottom of this deep stretch. It was common for women who commit adultery to be branded with the letter ‘A’ and have their head shaved. And this is what happened to Nelly.
In folklore a witch’s magical power is bound by their hair. During the witch hunts, individuals suspected of witchcraft were shaved in the belief that it made them powerless and more likely to confess. In actual fact the act of having one’s head shaved against their will is an act of degradation, humiliation and a show of subordination and would certainly be enough to start breaking down a person’s spirit. In the Middle Ages all traces of fallen hair were burned to prevent witches from taking the strands and transforming them into snakes.
The magical light reflections of the canal dancing across Nelly aboard the boat
I got Nelly printed as a4 prints for my shop and really like how she turned out, just the right amount of creepy…..
Nelly Longarms is a hag and water spirit in English folklore who dwells at the bottom of deep ponds, rivers and wells. she will reach out with her long sinewy arms and drag children beneath the water if they get too close.
A4
300gsm signed/stamped
Unicorn white card
With compostable cello bag
Timelapse and animation (Procreate)
Nelly lives on as the river hag, her hair grows back as long tendrils, weaving in and out are her fish-riding minions. Plagued with hatred for her accusers, she seeks revenge by clutching the local children if they stray too close to her banks......
Character Design
I wanted Nelly to be both ominous and ethereal, choosing mermaid-esque blue tones and softness in her features. Alien but familiar. …..A faint echo of her former self, trapped inside cold black eyes. All very dramatic stuff. The tiny fish-riding ghosts were my favourite addition, perhaps they are past memories haunting her, or the souls of the children she has kidnapped…..some look a little more human that others as they entangle their strange forms within the strands of her barmy barnet. As usual you can see from my original sketch in the timelapse that my concept evolved. This is often the case once I get into the real flow of painting, its as if she revealed herself to me half way through……
Nelly framed as part of my Water and the Witch exhibition