Leprechauns

The Leprechaun is a diminutive male solitary Irish faery who loves to play pranks on humans. Variants include lurachmain, lurican, lurgadhan Appearance Leprechauns are described as merry folk, dressed in traditional green with red or green tri-coloured caps and buckled shoes. Etymology The name leprechaun may have derived from the Irish leath bhrogan (shoemaker), although … Read more

Changelings

In European folklore, a changeling is an imbecilic or deformed offspring of dwarves, elves, or faeries surreptitiously substituted by them for a human child. The belief in changelings seems to have arisen from the idea children are susceptible to demonic possession. Some believed faeries preyed only upon unbaptized infants. A changeling can be one of … Read more

Gnomes

Gnomes are very widespread species, known to a number of human races. Germans name them Erdmanleins, except in the Alpine areas, where they are called Heinzemannchens. In Denmark and Norway they are Nisse; Nissen is a Swedish variation. In Brittany they are called Nains. Tontti to the Finns and Foddenskkmaend is their name in Iceland. … Read more

Trolls

Aka : Trolds (Sweden), Trows, Hill Men, Berg People (Denmark), Rise, Jutul, Tusse (Norway). Race: A dwarf or giant inhabiting caves or hills. Function: Legend places them as guardians of bridges and byways, though their help seems arbitrary and dubious.  They are sometimes psychopump (passers-by) like Caron and the Ankou. Origin : Germany and Scandinavia … Read more

Goblins

A goblin is a small-size fairy creature, described as a grotesquely evil and somewhat related to the brownie and gnome. Aka : Hobgobs, Gobelins, Hob-thrush, Blobins, Bogles, Bogies, Brags, Boggarts, … The word goblin is derived from the French gobelin, rendered as Middle Latin gobelinus, itself a loan from a Germanic term cognate to German … Read more

Elves

Elves (masc – elf from Proto-Germanic albiz (source also of Old Saxon alf, Old Norse alfr, German alp), originally found in Germanic and Scandinavian folklore, were a very mysterious race from the beginning of time. Later they became supernatural beings, mainly shaped as humans. They were worshiped in trees, mountains and waterfalls. Definition Elves is … Read more

Dwarfs

Dwarfs are fairy humanoids found in the mythologies and folklore of Germany and Scandinavia. Origin In Scandinavian legends the dwarfs (duergar) were great craftsmen in legend. Some of their accomplishments included Odin’s spear, Gungnir and Thor’s hammer Mjollnir. They brewed the mead of poetry, and created many magical runes and songs. According to Snorri Sturluson, … Read more

Fairy animals

The very numerous fairy animals, of which there are many traditions in the British Isles, may be divided into two main classes. There are wild ones, that exist for their own purposes and in their own right, and the domesticated ones bred and used by the fairies. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between these … Read more