The Spinwijf or Spinjuffer (translation: Spinning Woman) is a ghostly apparition with the appearance of an old woman in white garnments. She's known to be seen late at night in desolate areas, working the spinningwheel as she sits in the moonlight.[1] It is possible she belongs among the Witte Wieven. Many farmers used her as a child terror to prevent children from going into their fields. They'd say the old woman would take them away and proceed to spin all hair from their scalp. The rumors were even worse in some areas, as the woman in white (sometimes called Spin-An) would slaughter anyone who trampled the rye and possibly even burn them alive.[2]
Spin-An[]
Spin-An or Spinnen-Annechien was mainly seen in Zuidwolde, an area in the South East of Drenthe. She appeared as an old woman in white garnments, working away at her spinning wheel as she basked in moonlight on top of a hill. Some have claimed to hear the noise of a spinning wheel at work on top of the Hekelenberg, and some have seen her. She was also said to work on top of the Schottershuizerberg. The excavations that took place there revealed remains of an actual spinning wheel.[3]
Three Spinning Women[]
A story from Wapserveen tells of three old women in white garnments, working their golden spinningwheels at the base of the local Hunebedden. A farmer's servant provoked the women and hollered at them:
- "Old wiefien platvoet, komstoe mar oet, as ‘t kwaad doet."
The old women gave chase, throwing green bones at the young man as they went after him. The servant managed to return to the farm unscathed, but his horse was left a cripple after being hit by one of the bones. Surely a human being would not have survived the same ordeal.[4]
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