Witte Wieven: Ghostly Ladies Of The Marshes
Probably as long as people have roamed the earth and have been able to tell stories, they have enjoyed scaring each other with spooky stories about the creatures of the night. In Twente, in the eastern part of the Netherlands near the German border, one of the favorite spooky creatures is the "Witte Wief" which literally translates as "White Lady". Some, however, argue that the word "wit" is derived from the old word "wid" which means "wise" and therefore "Witte Wieven" are not white ladies but wise ladies.
According to local folklore, these white ladies roam the marshes at night and lure people into the swamps to drown them there. They are also regarded as omens of death. On the other hand, there are sagas in which they appear as wise women that help and cure. Whether evil or good, they are always described as long-haired women with long white gowns. I once hiked in the moors here at dusk on a cold, misty autumn afternoon and I can assure you that it was very easy to mistake the wisps of fog for ghostly creatures in long white dresses. They are misleading also, making the trail hard to see. Ending up in the swamp was a real danger. A spooky experience indeed. However, scholars believe there is more to the story than creepy surroundings and a vivid imagination.