Cold Hands

It sees you while you sleep and puts its cold hands on you to wake you. Don't wake up!

Summary

In traditional beliefs and literature, Cold Hands refers to a type of ghost that kills or takes the energy of an awaken person. The entity is believed to put its cold hands onto a sleeping victim waking them up with the intention of either killing them or sapping their strength. Some accounts say it causes bodily harm or disfunction and some say they are awoken to see a bright, floating ghost. They are usually depicted as genderless "its" with long, heavy hair and thin bodies. The face usually consists of a sewn mouth and covered nostrils.

Historical Basis

After the destruction of the war, the area suffered and the people had to live out often harsh conditions after a lifetime of relative (or for some, extreme) comfort. Some would not make it through the night or would wake up with bites, bruises or health issues. This was the beginning of the myth of the Cold Hands who causes these problems. The story of Cold Hands is often told to children to get them to sleep through the night also.

Spread

The myth of the cold-handed ghost is a widespread one as most know of it. It is also said that only certain blessed individuals can survive the ghost's desire to kill as it picks victims at random.

Variations & Mutation

The biggest differences in stories of Cold Hands are mainly about how you can predict its occurence. Some accounts suggest that it manifests as a black shadow that follows you and that branches off with more variations of how to know when the ghost will wake you. A common variation is that the ghost will be seen near a fire and will show with its fingers the number of days left. Some accounts say there is no way to determine whether you (some say even the ghost doesn't know) will be a victim at all.

Cultural Reception

The myth of these ghosts is the oldest known purely Eeriean folklore therefore is featured in every kind of media and promoted as a cultural export to other cultures.

In Literature

The Enchanted Thread - The first book in "The Ripped Seam" trilogy about a seamstress that is ruthlessly pursued by a cold hands-like figure but survives by giving an enchanted thread to the ghost who uses it to become a human man named Melus.