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Trooping Fairies
Fairies, particularly those of Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh folklore, have been classified in a variety of ways. Classifications – which most often come from scholarly analysis, and may not always accurately reflect local traditions – typically focus on behavior or physical characteristics. Early classifications of fairies Germanic lore featured light and dark elves ( Ljósálfar and Dökkálfar). This may be roughly equivalent to later concepts such as the Seelie and Unseelie. In the mid-thirteenth century, Thomas of Cantimpré classified fairies into ''neptuni'' of water, ''incubi'' who wandered the earth, ''dusii'' under the earth, and ''spiritualia nequitie in celestibus'', who inhabit the air. In 1566, John Walsh of Devonshire – on trial for witchcraft – said that there were three kinds of "feries": white, green and black. Good and evil Seelie and Unseelie Courts In Scottish folklore, faeries are divided into the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairy
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic mythology, Celtic, Slavic paganism, Slavic, Germanic folklore, Germanic, and French folklore, French folklore), a form of Supernatural#Spirit, spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities. 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 Spirit (supernatural entity), 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 (su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bogle
A bogle, boggle, or bogill is a Northumbrian,''Rambles in Northumberland, and on the Scottish border ...'' by William Andrew Chatto, Chapman and Hall, 1835 Cumbrian and Scots term for a ghost or folkloric being,''The local historian's table book, of remarkable occurrences, historical facts, traditions, legendary and descriptive ballads c.connected with the counties of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland and Durham.'' by Moses Aaron Richardson, M. A. Richardson, 1843 used for a variety of related folkloric creatures including Shellycoats,''Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border'' by Walter Scott, Sr. Barghests, Brags, the Hedley Kow and even giants such as those associated with Cobb's Causeway (also known as "ettins", "yetuns" or "yotuns" in Northumberland and "Etenes", "Yttins" or "Ytenes" in the South and South West).''Northumberland Words – A Glossary of Words Used in the County of Northumberland and on the Tyneside -, Volume 1'' by Richard Oliver Heslop, Read Books, 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sleih Beggey
( Manx for ''Little people'', also , , , and from the ) is the umbrella term for Manx fairies. Descriptions A wide variety of individual mythical creatures come under the umbrella of sleih beggey, with both benevolent and malevolent fairies. Generally, the Sleih Beggey are seen as stocky in stature, and as domestic fairies, who lived in burghs. They are fond of hunting, music, and abducting humans. They dislike ashes, artificial light, salt, and baptisms. They commonly wore green clothes. Many were also known to steal babies, and in doing so getting into fights with humans. John Rhys noted that Manx and Welsh fairies were similar in most aspects, but that Manx fairies had no issue using weapons to attack humans, unlike the Welsh fairies. The Ferrish have been described as a particular tribe of fairies, standing between one and three foot tall, who rode horses and kept dogs for hunting, having no named king or queen. They were known to replace human babies with changelin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Puck (mythology)
In English folklore, The Puck (), also known as Goodfellows, are demons or fairies which can be domestic sprites or nature sprites. Origins and comparative folklore Etymology The etymology of ''puck'' is uncertain. The modern English word is attested already in Old English as (with a diminutive form ). Similar words are attested later in Old Norse (, with related forms including Old Swedish , Icelandic , and Frisian ) but also in the Celtic languages ( Welsh , Cornish and Irish ). Most commentators think that the word was borrowed from one of these neighbouring north-west European languages into the others, but it is not certain in what direction the borrowing went, and all vectors have been proposed by scholars. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' favoured a Scandinavian origin, while the scholarly study by Erin Sebo of Flinders University argues for an Irish origin, on the basis that the word is widely distributed in Irish place-names, whereas ''puck''-place-names in Eng ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otherworld
In historical Indo-European religion, the concept of an otherworld, also known as an otherside, is reconstructed in comparative mythology. Its name is a calque of ''orbis alius'' (Latin for "other world/side"), a term used by Lucan in his description of the Celtic Otherworld. Comparable religious, mythological or metaphysical concepts, such as a realm of supernatural beings and a realm of the dead, are found in cultures throughout the world.''Gods, goddesses, and mythology'', Volume 11, C. Scott Littleton, Marshall Cavendish, 2005, , . Pp. 1286-1287 Spirits are thought to travel between worlds or layers of existence in such traditions, usually along an axis such as a giant tree, a tent pole, a river, a rope or mountains. Indo-European reconstruction Many Indo-European mythologies show evidence for a belief in some form of "Otherworld". In many cases, such as in Persian, Greek, Germanic, Celtic, Slavic and Indic mythologies, a river had to be crossed to allow entrance to it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairyland
Fairyland (Early Modern English: ''Faerie''; ( Scottish mythology; cf. (Norse mythology)) in English and Scottish folklore is the fabulous land or abode of fairies or ''fays''. Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th [2-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... (Early Modern English ) referred to an illusion or enchantment, the land of the ''faes''. Modern English (by the 17th century) ''fairy'' transferred the name of the realm of the ''fays'' to its inhabitants, e.g., the expression ''fairie knight'' in Edmund Spenser's ''The Faerie Queene'' refers to a "supernatural knight" or a "knight of Faerie" but was later re-interpreted as referring to a knight who is "a fairy". Folklore Fairyland may be referred to simply as ''Fairy'' or ''Faerie'', though that usage is an archaism. It is often the land ruled ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Changeling
A changeling, also historically referred to as an auf or oaf, is a human-like creature found throughout much of European folklore. According to folklore, a changeling was a substitute left by a supernatural being when kidnapping a human being. Sometimes the changeling was a "stock" (a piece of wood made magically to resemble the kidnapped human), more often the changeling was a supernatural being made magically to look like the kidnapped human. Supernatural beings blamed for stealing children included Fairy, fairies, demons, trolls, nereids and many others. Usually, the kidnapped human was a child; but there were cases, particularly in Scandinavia and Ireland, where adults were taken. Some modern scholars have argued these stories of replaced children originated as folklore explanations for autism or other developmental conditions. Description A changeling is typically identifiable via several traits, which vary from culture to culture. In Irish mythology, Irish legend, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Álfheimr
In Norse cosmology, Álfheimr (Old Norse: , "Land of the Elves" or "Elfland"; anglicized as Alfheim), also called "Ljósálfheimr" ( , "home of the Ljósálfar, Light Elves"), is home of the Light Elves. Attestations Álfheim as an abode of the Elves is mentioned only twice in Old Norse texts. Grímnismál The Eddic poem ''Grímnismál'' describes twelve divine dwellings beginning the stanza 5 with: A tooth-gift is a gift given to an infant on the cutting of the first tooth. Gylfaginning In the 12th century Eddic prose ''Gylfaginning'', Snorri Sturluson relates it in the stanza 17 as the first of a series of abodes in heaven: Later in the section, in speaking of a hall in the Highest Heaven called Gimlé that shall survive when heaven and earth have died, explains: See also * Álfheimr (region) * Alfheimbjerg * Fairyland, a folkloric location sometimes referred to as Elfame * Svartálfaheimr * Svartálfar , Svartálfar (black elves) Citations Bibliogra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gwyllion
Gwyllion or gwyllon (plural noun from the singular Gwyll or (Yr) Wyll "twilight, gloaming") is a Welsh language, Welsh word with a wide range of possible meanings including "ghosts, spirits" and "night-wanderers (human or supernatural) up to no good, outlaws of the wild." ''Gwyllion'' is only one of a number of words with these or similar meanings in Welsh. It is a comparatively recent word coined inadvertently in the seventeenth century by the Welsh lexicographer John Davies (Mallwyd), Dr John Davies of Mallwyd. Folklore According to folklorist Wirt Sikes the gwyllion are female fairy, fairies of frightful aspect who haunt lonely roads in the Wales, Welsh mountains and lead travellers astray. They are gloomy spirits more akin to hags or witchcraft, witches, as distinct from the Welsh ellyllon (elves) that are more benevolent. Those who encountered them either by night or on a misty day would be sure to lose their way even if they were perfectly familiar with the road. One gwyll in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gwragedd Annwn
Gwragedd Annwn, (singular ') alternatively known as Dames of the Lower Region, Dames of Elfin Land, or Wives of the Lower World, are beautiful female fairies who live beneath lakes and rivers found in Welsh folklore. They are counted among the Tylwyth Teg or Welsh fairy folk.The mythological narrative of Gwragedd Annwn is intertwined with the origin of the Welsh black cattle. Some legends hold that the existence of the Gwragedd Annwn was owed to the famed Saint Patrick. Occasionally, the fairies were said to ascend into the upper world, and be visible to ordinary people. Origin Gwragedd Annwn were purportedly created by St. Patrick, when he journeyed from Ireland to Wales, to meet with St. David of Wales. A crowd of Welsh folk spotted the two meeting, and began to verbally abuse St. Patrick, angry at him for having left Cambria. St. Patrick, who spoke Welsh and could understand their insults, punished the offending Welsh folk by transforming them into fish. However, since some of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coblynau
A coblyn (plural coblynau) is a mythical gnome-like creature that is said to haunt the mines and quarries of Wales and areas of Welsh settlements in America. Description Like the Knockers of Cornish folklore, they often help miners to the richest veins of ore or other treasures by their peculiar knocking sound. They appear dressed in miniature mining outfits, work constantly but never finish their task. They are said to be half a yard (1.5 ft) tall, very ugly, but often friendly and helpful. Word origin The word ''Coblynau'' is related to the English word ''Goblin,'' and may derive from a Germanic source akin to the German ''Kobold'', via the French ''Gobelin''.The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English Appearances in media Coblynau are mentioned in the '' Constantine'' episode "The Darkness Beneath", but the description of the creatures given is closer to knockers. See also * Bluecap * Gnome * Knocker (folklore) The Knocker, Knacker, or Tommyknocker ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hobgoblins
A hobgoblin is a household spirit, appearing in English folklore, once considered helpful, but which since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous. Shakespeare identifies the character of Puck in his ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' as a hobgoblin. Etymology The term "hobgoblin" comes from " hob". The earliest known use of the word can be traced to about 1530, although it was likely in use for some time prior to that. Folklore Hobgoblins seem to be small, hairy little men who, like their close relatives the brownies, are often found within human dwellings, doing odd jobs around the house while the family is asleep. Such chores are typically small tasks like dusting and ironing. Often, the only compensation necessary in return for these is food. While brownies are more peaceful creatures, hobgoblins are more fond of practical jokes. They also seem to be able to shapeshift, as seen in one of Puck's monologues in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Robin Goodfe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
