aked ▁behind ▁him , ▁and ▁his ▁ears ▁through ▁the ▁old ▁clo ak ▁that ▁was ▁over ▁his ▁head , ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁hand ▁he ▁had ▁three ▁spe ars ▁of ▁hol lywood ▁sc orch ed ▁and ▁black ened ." ▁ ▁In ▁Scottish ▁fol kl ore ▁the ▁ ▁comes ▁down ▁the ▁chim ney ▁to ▁kid nap ▁n aught y ▁children , ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁ca ution ary ▁tale ▁or ▁b oge yman ▁figure ▁to ▁fright en ▁children ▁into ▁good ▁behaviour . ▁A ▁related ▁being ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁ ▁(" D ark ▁Grey ▁Man ") ▁is ▁considered ▁an ▁o men ▁of ▁death . ▁In ▁Walter ▁Scott ' s ▁novel , ▁W aver ley , ▁Fer g us ▁Mac - I vor ▁sees ▁a ▁, ▁which ▁for et ells ▁his ▁death . ▁In ▁W . ▁B . ▁Ye ats ' s ▁ 1 9 0 3 ▁pro se ▁version ▁of ▁The ▁H our - G lass , ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁F ool ▁remarks ▁at ▁one ▁point ▁during ▁the ▁play ▁that ▁a ▁ ▁he ▁met ▁upon ▁the ▁road side ▁attempted ▁to ▁trick ▁him ▁with ▁a ▁r iddle ▁into ▁letting ▁the ▁creature ▁near ▁his ▁coin . ▁ ▁References ▁in ▁popular ▁culture ▁ ▁s ▁are ▁seen ▁at ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁Mo ons h ine ▁by ▁Rob ▁Th ur man . ▁ ▁s ▁occasionally ▁appear ▁in ▁Charles ▁de ▁L int ' s ▁books ▁of ▁myth ic ▁fiction . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁ ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁shadow - like ▁or ▁" ink ▁like " ▁cre atures — in visible ▁to ▁most