Artist's impression of The Groac'h; Ogress of the Water.
She was given notice in The Groac'h of the Isle of Lok, a Breton fairy tale collected by Émile Souvestre in Le Foyer Breton. Here is some information for you…
Her size varies, and she takes on only the most flattering appearances. She may turn into a fish, a swan, a boat, or even any new kind of fishing equipment. But, as soon as she returns to her home, she will happily slip into her comfortable, scaly dressing gown and her black felt and leather newt slippers. She is terrifyingly ugly: a fat myopic larvae, with flaccid, transparent skin revealing a distended and grumbling stomach. With green and red teeth. Groac'h dresses in a scaly mantle, although usually she wears whatever the traditional local costume.
When she cannot find small children and youths, she feeds on the surrounding wildlife: rats, water hens, ducks, and any other small creature that cos too close to the water for a drink. She is not interested in fish, although she will nibble on hydras, flatworms, leeches, amphibians, and other small bog creatures as snacks.
Within her bog or swamp, Groac'h is said to live in a crystal palace. This, in fact, is merely a mirage created by magic. Her real dwelling in a large ovoid shell built from solidified sludge and slime.
In the past, to find the body of the handsome young man she had abducted, people would plant a wax candle in a loaf of bread and then let it float into the sickening waters. After a few moments of hesitation, she would arise in the form of a voluptuous naked woman with red hair and green eyes, and lead them immediately to the bloodless body of the drowned man. She eats only the children, preferring to suck adults dry of blood.
She is customized to take on a beautiful appearance when hunting. Fascinated by her physical appearance, these innocents are completely fooled, failing to recognize her true identity hazily reflected in the murky surface of the water she lurks in.
If you want to read the story: http://www.mythfolklore.net/an…..ng/159.htm
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