The Elder Scrolls: 7 Weirdest Skyrim Enemies (And What They Represent)

Much more fearsome than your average witch, Hagravens are women that have swapped their humanity in place of power, transforming themselves into half-beings with avian features for the ability to wield badass spells.

Hagravens are enemies to all things natural, hating nature and continually feuding with spriggans - the embodiment of mother nature itself - in an effort to sacrifice them for ritualistic practises.

Whilst the appearance of Hagravens feels deftly inspired by Harpies from Greek mythology - where the half woman, half bird creatures are noted for their both their ugliness and wickedness - there's something to be said for the classical interpretations of Lilith. The first wife of Adam in Jewish mythology, Lilith refused to be subservient and was cast out of the Garden of Eden - and has later been argued as a demonic entity that flies on birds wings and gives night terrors to innocent sleepers.

That the Hagravens of Skyrim are revered and worshipped by the Forsworn ties into these religious roots, and their aggressive opposition to the natural could be an extension of Lilith's banishment from the Garden, a haven of creation.

In Japanese folklore, the Hagravens also appear similar to early depictions of Tengus - avian-human hybrids who are seen as demonic, harbingers of war.