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Zwarte Madam
"De Zwarte Madam" is a witch from Flemish folk tales. Her
characteristics tend to vary, although she always seems to be in service of the devil, collecting the souls of mortals. As a
consequence, she can be warded off by the use of Christian symbols or the mention of a sacred name. Often she can be seen travelling silently alongside wanderers destined for hell.
'Zwarte' means 'Black', 'madam' is to be read as a polite dialectical title for a middle-aged woman (in a certain sense like 'lady'). A pendant of this figure is 'De Witte Madam' or 'The White Lady'.