 "Vrouwen in wit" (plural of "vrouw in wit"), or "witte wieven" as these women are called in local dialects, are mythical creatures of Lower Saxon origin and so most known in the eastern and northern parts of the Netherlands.Sometimes referred to as "witte joffers" ('white maidens'), they can have both a benevolent as well as a malevolent nature.Often related with witches and/or ghosts, they show many similarities with the banshee, the fairy, and the elf.