Lidérc
A Hungarian supernatural being that causes nightmares and hoards gold.
The lidérc is a supernatural being from Hungarian folklore with three distinct varieties that often share characteristics. It is notable for its association with nightmares, as the Hungarian word for nightmare, lidércnyomás, literally means 'lidérc pressure,' referring to the being sitting on a sleeper's body.
Quick Facts
- Alternate names
- iglic
- ihlic
- lüdérc
- piritusz
- mit-mitke
- ludvérc
- lucfir
- ördög
- Forms
- miracle chicken (csodacsirke)
- temporal devil (földi ördög)
- Satanic lover (ördögszerető)
- Associated phenomenon
- nightmare (lidércnyomás)
Facts from the source article.
Appearances in modern literature
The lidérc appears in Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. Katie MacAlister's Fire Me Up mentions it on page 261 as a possible alternative to an incubus that forcibly attacked a human. It is also referenced in Steven Brust and Megan Lindholm's The Gypsy, Carol Goodman's The Incubus (re-released as The Demon Lover under the penname Juliet Dark), Daniel O'Malley's The Blitz, Frank Tallis's Fatal Lies, and Regine Abel's ¡Ups He Invocado A Un Lidérc.
More in Sleep in Mythology and Folklore
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