Donate SIGN UP
Home > Phrases & Sayings > Nightmare

Nightmare

Avatar Image
amarillis | 14:31 Mon 20th Dec 2004 | Phrases & Sayings
1 Answers

Why are scary dreams called nightmares? Did the inventor of the word have a bad dream about a horse?

prev Uncanny
  
next The Emporer has no clothes
Gravatar

Answers

Only 1 answerrss feed

Best Answer

No best answer has yet been selected by amarillis. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.

For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
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.

15:52 Mon 20th Dec 2004

Only 1 answerrss feed

Do you know the answer?

Nightmare

Answer Question >>