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Elflock
In folklore, fairy-locks (or elflocks) are the result of fairies tangling and knotting the hairs of sleeping children and the manes of beasts as the fairies play in and out of their hair at night. English tradition The concept is first attested in English in Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' in Mercutio's speech of the many exploits of Queen Mab, where he seems to imply the locks are only unlucky if combed out: :"She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes :In shape no bigger than an agate stone....... :That plaits the manes of horses in the night :And bakes the elflocks in foul sluttish hairs, :Which once untangled, much ''misfortune'' bodes." Therefore, the appellation of elf lock or fairy lock could be attributed to any various tangles and knots of unknown origins appearing in the manes of beasts or hair of sleeping children. It can also refer to tangles of elflocks or fairy-locks in human hair. In King Lear, when Edgar impersonates a madman, "elf all my hair in knots."(Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mare (folklore)
A mare ( ang, mære, odt, mare, ; in Old High German, Old Norse, and Swedish) is a malicious entity in Germanic and Slavic folklore that rides on people's chests while they sleep, bringing on nightmares.Bjorvand and Lindeman (2007), pp. 719–720. Etymology The word ''mare'' comes (through Middle English ) from the Old English feminine noun (which had numerous variant forms, including , , and ). These in turn come from Proto-Germanic . is the source of non, mara, from which are derived sv, mara; is, mara; fo, marra; da, mare; no, mare''/'', Dutch: (), and German: ()'. The ''-mar'' in French ('nightmare') is borrowed from the Germanic through Old French . Most scholars trace the word back to the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root , associated with crushing, pressing and oppressing. or according to other sources 'to rub away' or 'to harm'. However, other etymologies have been suggested. For example, Éva Pócs saw the term as being cognate with the Greek (I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging from traditional building styles common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, taking actions for folk beliefs, the forms and rituals of celebrations such as Christmas and weddings, folk dances and initiation rites. Each one of these, either singly or in combination, is considered a folklore artifact or traditional cultural expression. Just as essential as the form, folklore also encompasses the transmission of these artifacts from one region to another or from one generation to the next. Folklore is not something one can typically gain in a formal school curriculum or study in the fine arts. Instead, these traditions are passed along informally from one individual to another either through verbal instruction or demonstr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairies
A fairy (also fay, fae, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, English, and French folklore), a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural. Myths and stories about fairies do not have a single origin, but are rather a collection of folk beliefs from disparate sources. Various folk theories about the origins of fairies include casting them as either demoted angels or demons in a Christian mythology, Christian tradition, as deities in Paganism, Pagan belief systems, as spirits of the dead, as Prehistory, prehistoric precursors to humans, or as spirits of nature. The label of ''fairy'' has at times applied only to specific Magic (supernatural), magical creatures with human appearance, magical powers, and a penchant for trickery. At other times it has been used to describe any magical creature, such as goblins an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polish Plait
Polish plait (Latin: ''Plica polonica'', pl, Kołtun polski or ''plika'', ''Kołtun'' in Polish meaning matted), less commonly known in English as plica or trichoma, is a formation of hair. This term can refer to either a hairstyle or a medical condition. It also relates to the system of beliefs in European folklore, and healing practices in traditional medicine in medieval Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that supported, matted hair as an amulet, or as a catchment for illness leaving the body. As a medical condition Plica Polonica (synonym, ''plica neuropathica''; common name, "Polish plait") is an uncommon condition in which the hair shaft becomes entangled irreversibly, forming a mass which is matted and sometimes can be sticky and moist. In this condition, the protective layer of hair (cuticle) is damaged, and the cortex of the hair is exposed. The cortex is a more moist and sticky part of the hair than the outer layer, and the affected hairs adhere to each other and other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lutin
A () is a type of hobgoblin (an amusing goblin) in French folklore and fairy tales. Female lutins are called (). A ''lutin'' (varieties include the '' Nain Rouge'' or "red dwarf") plays a similar role in the folklore of Normandy to household spirits in England, Germany and Scandinavia. ''Lutin'' is generally translated into English as: brownie, elf, fairy, gnome, goblin, hobgoblin, imp, leprechaun, pixie, puck, or sprite. It sometimes takes the form of a horse saddled ready to ride, and in this shape is called Le Cheval Bayard.Brewerpp.283-84 Lutins sometimes tangle people's or horses' hair into elf-locks. A French fairy tale, " Le Prince Lutin", written in 1697 by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy has a description of the "air, water and terrestrial ''lutin''": "You are invisible when you like it; you cross in one moment the vast space of the universe; you rise without having wings; you go through the ground without dying; you penetrate the abysses of the sea without drowni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Holda
"Frau Holle" ( ; also known as "Mother Holle", "Mother Hulda" or "Old Mother Frost") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Children's and Household Tales'' in 1812 (KHM 24). It is of Aarne-Thompson type 480. Frau Holle (also known in various regions as Holla, Holda, Perchta, Berchta, Berta, or Bertha) was initially a pre-Christian female legendary figure who survived in popular belief well into the 19th century. The name may be cognate of the Scandinavian creature known as the ''Hulder''. Jacob Grimm made an attempt to establish her as a Germanic goddess. The legendary creature Etymology The name is thought to originate from German ''huld'' ("gracious, friendly, sympathetic, grateful" found in ''hold sein'', ''huldigen''), Middle High German ''hulde'', Old High German ''huldī'' ("friendliness"). Cognate with Danish and Swedish ''huld'' ("fair, kindly, gracious") or 'hyld' ("secret, hidden"), Icelandic ''hollur'' ("faithful, dedicated, loyal"), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wight
A wight (Old English: ''wiht'') is a mythical sentient being, often undead. In its original use the word ''wight'' described a living human being, but has come to be used in fictional works in the fantasy genre to describe certain immortal beings. An example of this use occurs in William Morris's translation of the ''Grettis Saga'', where '' haugbui'' is translated as "barrow-wight". Wights also feature in J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, especially in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and in George R. R. Martin's novel series ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and HBO television series ''Game of Thrones''. Since its 1974 inclusion in the RPG ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D), it has become a recurring form of undead in other fantasy games and mods, such as '' Vampire: The Masquerade''. Examples in classic English literature and poetry * Geoffrey Chaucer : ''The Reeve's Tale'', (1387–1400), line 4236: :: "For leynhad swonken al the longe nyght, :: And seyde, 'Fare weel, Malyne, swe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drude
In German folklore, a drude (german: Drude, pl. ''Druden'') is a kind of malevolent nocturnal spirit (an elf ( Alp) or kobold or a hag) associated with nightmares, prevalent especially in Southern Germany. Druden were said to participate in the Wild Hunt and were considered a particular class of demon in Alfonso de Spina's hierarchy. The word also came to be used as a generic term for "witch" in the 16th century ( Hans Sachs). The word is attested as Middle High German ''trute'', In early modern lexicography and down to the 19th century, it was popularly associated with the word ''druid'', without any etymological justification. Its actual origin is unknown. Jacob Grimm suggests derivation from a euphemistic ''trût'' (modern ''traut'') "dear, beloved; intimate", but cites as an alternative suggestion a relation to the valkyrie's name Þrúðr. If so it is natural to connect the ''druden'' with the daughter of the chieftain of the gods in the Norse religion, Thor, and his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging from traditional building styles common to the group. Folklore also includes customary lore, taking actions for folk beliefs, the forms and rituals of celebrations such as Christmas and weddings, folk dances and initiation rites. Each one of these, either singly or in combination, is considered a folklore artifact or traditional cultural expression. Just as essential as the form, folklore also encompasses the transmission of these artifacts from one region to another or from one generation to the next. Folklore is not something one can typically gain in a formal school curriculum or study in the fine arts. Instead, these traditions are passed along informally from one individual to another either through verbal instruction or demonstr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alp (folklore)
An ''Alp'' (plural ''Alpe'' or ''Alpen'') is a supernatural being in German folklore. Not to be confused with the similarly named Alp-luachra, the ''Alp'' is sometimes likened to a vampire, but its behavior is more akin to that of the incubus. It is distinct from both of these creatures in that it wears a magic hat called a ''Tarnkappe'', from which it draws its powers. The word ''Alp'' is the German form of the word that comes into English as ''elf'', both descended from Common Germanic. It is also known by the following names: ''trud'', ''mar'', ''mart'', ''mahr'', ''schrat'', and ''walrider''. Many variations of the creature exist in surrounding European areas, such as the Drude or, in the British Isles, the Old Hag, related to now commonly recognized sleep paralysis. In medieval sources In the period before about 1000, the Old High German word ''alp'' is attested only in a small number of glosses. It is defined by the ''Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch'' as a "nature-god or na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', where "she is the fairies' midwife". Later, she appears in other poetry and literature, and in various guises in drama and cinema. In the play, her activity is described in a famous speech by Mercutio published originally in prose and often adapted into iambic pentameter, in which she is a miniature creature who performs midnight pranks upon sleepers. Being driven by a team of atomies, she rides her chariot over their noses and "delivers the fancies of sleeping men". She is also described as a midwife to help sleepers "give birth" to their dreams. Later depictions have typically portrayed her as the Queen of the Fairies. Origin Shakespeare may have borrowed the character of Mab from folklore, but this is debated and there have been numerous theories on the origin of the name. A popular theory holds that Mab derives from Medb (pronounced "Maive" or "Meave"), a legendary queen from 12th-centu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
