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Nightmare

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amarillis | 15:31 Mon 20th Dec 2004 | Phrases & Sayings
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Why are scary dreams called nightmares? Did the inventor of the word have a bad dream about a horse?

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Avatar Image ursula62

Nothing to do with a horse I'm afraid... the "mare" part of the word is an Old English word for a demon - "maere".  Hence a  nightmare is a demon that visits you in the night.

 

The word "mare" for demon, goblin, succubus etc, is common in many early Germanic languages.

16:52 Mon 20th Dec 2004

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