Fae Dictionary

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

There are very many types of faeries in the world, some kind some not so kind. Some beautiful and some ugly as sin. This dictionary shows the types of faeries that are really out there, and tells the real name, where to find them, when to look for them etc.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

A'S AND B'S

Alven:
Land of Origin: Netherlands
Other Names:Ottermaaner
Element:Water
Appearance and Temperment: Alvens have very light bodies.. so light in fact that it is almost imosible to see them, the look so invisible. They do not have wings but they can travel through the air by becoming incased in a water bubble.
Time most active: At night
Where to find them:In the River Elbe, an easy journey on the inner plane.
How to Contact them: Look for them in Faeryland and try approaching them as a friend, someone who also loves the moon and nature.

Ankou:
Land of Origin: Brittany
Other Names: Death, the Grim Reaper and Father Time.
Element: The Ankou is part of all the elements includig the fifth element, spirit.
Appearance, Temperment: He is a male, dark and rather Dickensian with his blak robed costume pulled high over his head.
Time most active:All year
Where to find him:Unknown
How to contact: NOT ADVISED!!!!!

Aine - She is the Bright Faerie goddess, sister to Fennine, daughter to Egogaba a king of the Tuatha de Danann. A Goddess of the Moon, she is also associated with meadowseet, swans, horses and fire. Probably another form of Brigit, the Bright One.

Arkan Sonney - The fairy pigs of the Isle of Man, also known as "Lucky Piggy." Fairy pigs are supposed to bring good luck if one is to capture it.

The Asrai - small, delicate female faeries who melt into a pool of water when captured or exposed to sunlight

Aughisky - pronounced "Agh-iski"; They are the Irish version of the Each-Uisge.

Awd Goggie - A type of Bogie who haunts forests and orchards, and kidnaps children. Wise children will stay away from orchards when unsupervised lest Awd Goggie get them.

Ballybogs:
Land of Origin: Ireland
Other Names: Bogles, Peat Faeries, Mudbogs, Bor-a-boos,
Boggies.
Element:Earth
Apearence and Temperment: Ballybogs are mud covered creatures of very small size. Their bodies are almost completely round, with their heads rising from their bulbous bodies without benifit of necks. They have spindly arms and legs which look too thin and baneful, but are usually said to be so stupid that it is hard to determine their temperment. They speak no language and grunt and slober instead of speaking.
Time most active:All year
Where to find them:At peat bogs or mud holes.
How to Contact:Ask them to manifest in the physical.

Basilisk:
Land of Origin: Greece
Other Names:
Element:Fire
Appearance and Temperment:The Baslisk has the body and the head of a huge golden snake, but on it's head sits a read comb like that of a rooster. It also has two arms which it uses to increase the speed of it's slithering and to hold the front half of itself upright. It is highly poisonous and is reputed to hate humans.
Time most active:All year
Where to Find them:Faeryland
How to Contact:Unknown. If you happen to run into one in Faeryland, immediate retreat is advised.
Bean-Fionn:
Land of Origin:Ireland
Other Names:Water Woman, Weisse Frau.
Element:Water
Appearence and Temperment:This faery is very protective of children and a kiss from her renders a child almost indestructible. She has also been know to give directions to lost travelers. She will however, drown those who displease her or who hurt and abuse children. In England she is called Jenny Greentooth or the Greentooth Woman, which has become a generic name for these types of drowning faeries in English-speaking countries. Her name "Bean Fionn" literally means "white woman" is a watery female faery in a white gown who lives beneath lakes and streams and reaches up to drag under and drown children at play or in the water.
Time Most Active:All year.
Lore: She may have been created by parents who wish to warn their children away from dangerous lakes and rivers. An English nursrey rhyme echoes the sentiments of these worried parents:
"Mother, may I go out for a swim?
Yes, my dearest daughter.
Hang your clothes on a rowan limb,
And don't go near the water."
Where to find her: Possibly in dark lakeswhere drownings have repeatedly occured.
How to Contact:There is probably no way to contact her becauese she may no exist except in the most rudimentary astral form. Contact is probably not a good idea anyway.
Boggarts:
Land Of Origin:Scotland
Other Names:Hobgoblins, Goblins, Gobelins, the Boogey Man, Boogies, Padfoot, Boggans, Hobbers, Gobs, Blobs.
Element:Earth
Appearance and Temperment: This faery is a male dwarf with a squat and distorted form. He is a cousin of the friendly house Brownie, but his intentions are very different. Whereas a Brownie will adopt a home for the joy of offering his help and mutual support, a Boggart will adopt a house just for the sheer delight of destroying things. They are very ill-tempered and greedy.
Lore:In northern England the Boggart is known as a Padfoot or Hobgoblin and enjoys frightening travelers and disrupting households. He is also thought to be poisoness to the touch. The following poem by Mark Shapiro entitled The Wee Little Hobgoblin typiefies some of the havoc they can wreak on a happy home:
"One wee little Hobgoblin
All dressed up in red
Was spying on a farmhouse
With mischief in his head.
"This place" said the hobgoblin
"It could be lots of fun.
Everythings so clean and tidy
and begging to be undone."
So the wee little Hobgoblin
He went to work with glee
He let the cattle out hte gat
And set the piglets free.
He spilled some milk in the kitchen,
And overturned the butterchurn.
He yanked the landry off the line
And caused the soup to burn.
He pinched the baby, and scared the cat
And had the mostes fun.
And when the spree was over
He said "That's a job well done."
Time most Active:At night
Where to find them: Unknown, unless one has invaded your home. If you want to see one, then let your deep mind take you to an infested house in the astral world. Just make sure he doesn't follow you home!
How to Contact:CONTACT IS NOT ADVISED!
Cailleac Bhuer:
Land of Origin:Scotland
Other Names:The Blue Hag, Black Annis, the Stone Woman.
Element:Water
Apearance and Temperment: This faery is one of a kind. She is an old woman who walks by night carrying her walking stick, her carrion crow on her left shoulder. However, her reputation as dangerous and ill-tempered may be a mistaken one. It is possible that this fear of her was created by the early Scottish churchmen seeking to eradicate the vestiges of the Old Religion by demonizing its Crone mythology.
Time most Active: At night.
Where to find her: In Scotland Highlands, or near the western sea in Faeryland. The best time to look for her is during the waning moon.
How to Contact biggrin o not fear her, but do use caution. Try making an evocation to her with the same respect and reverence you would give to the Goddess in her guise as Crone. She is most likily a Goddess, merely one in a devaluded state.

Banshee - actually should be spelled Bean Sidhe. The Scots call her Bean-Nighe. She's an Irish death spirit. Their keening fortells a death. They have very long, flowing hair and wear green dresses with grey cloaks. Their eyes are bright red because of their continuous weeping.

Barguest - A kind of Bogie. It has horns, dangerous teeth and claws, and fiery eyes. It can take many forms, but usually is a shaggy black dog. Upon the death of a prominent figure, it rounds up all the dogs in the community and leads them on a procession through the streets, howling.

Bauchan - also Bogan. A type of Hobgoblin. Like most faeries, they are fond of tricks, sometimes are dangerous, and sometimes are helpful.

The Bean-Nighe - pronounced "ben-neeyah"; type of Banshee around streams in Scotland and Ireland. She washed bloodstained clothing of people who will soon die. They are rumored to be the ghosts of women who died in childbirth and will continue to wash until the day they should have died. The Washer at the Ford.

Bean sidhe (ban-shee): Ireland. "Woman Faery"; a spirit attached to certain families. When a member's death approaches, the family will hear the bean sidhe wailing.

Bendith y Mamau (ben-dith uh momay): Mother's Blessing, which was the name of the fairies of the Carmarthenshire country in Wales; this saying became a prayer spoken to ward-off harm.

Black Annis - She is a Hag who eats stray children and lambs.

Blue Men of the Minch - They dwell in the strait between Long Island and the Shiant Islands. They are responsible for sudden thunderstorms and shipwrecks, but their ship-sinking attempts may be thwarted if you are an adept rhymer. Some think they may be fallen angels.

Bodach - also Bugbear or Bug-A-Boo. They slide down chimneys to kidnap naughty children.

Boggart - Brownies that have turned evil.

Bogie - This is the generic name for some different types of Goblins. Their temperments range the spectrum from benign to malevolent.

Bogles - They are a form of Goblin and are generally nasty in temperment. However, they prefer to inflict their evil deeds upon liars and murderers.

The Brown Man of the Muirs - He is the protector of wild animals.

Brownie:A.Bwca or Bwbachod in Wales; Bodach (budagh) in the Scottish Highlands; Fenodoree in Man; Pixies or Psgies in the West County of England; Bockle in Scotland. If one wants to court their friendship, they are called Bendith Y Mamau (the Mother's Blessing). They are about two to three feet high and dress in brown clothes. They have brown wrinkled faces and shaggy hair. Brownies make themselves responsible for for the house where they live by coming out at night to complete unfinished work. Any offer of reward will drive them away, but they expect an occasional bowl of milk and piece of cake to be left out. Tradition says they do not like teetotallers and ministers. If offended, brownies will create malicious mishchief. If there is a lazy servant in the home, he might choose to plague him for it. All Brownies expect in return is a bowl of cream or good milk and a honey cake. Never leave clothes and never leave too much food. They find this offensive and will leave. Care should be taken not to criticize their work. When one farmer criticized the mowing job, the Brownie responsible threw the entire crop over a cliff. In the West County, Pixies or Pigsies occasionally perform the office of a brownie and show some of the same characteristics, though they are essentially different. Border brownies are most characteristic. They are small men, about three feet in height, very raggedly dressed in brown clothes, with brown faces and shaggy heads. They make themselves responsible for the farm or house in which they live: reap, mow, thresh, herd the sheep, prevent the hens fromlaying away, and give goode counsel at need. A brownie can become personnaly attached to one member of the family.

The Bwca - They are the Welsh version of the Brownie (see above). They have slightly nastier tempers and are prone to tantrums if their work is criticized. They also despise tattletales and people with long noses.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

C-L
Chi Spirits:
Land Of Origin:China
Element:Air
Apearance and Temperment:No one has ever seen a Chi Spirit as they are pure energy and have no physical confines.
Time most Active:All year.
Where to find Them:Unknown. While the Chinese think of this energy as a faery, Chi Spirits may be no more than phsychic vibrations which always surround us and are part of everything.
How to Contact: Invite them into your home in a ritual you design just to bring them in.
Cucui:
Land of Origin: Northern Mexico.
Other Names: Not known
Element: Earth
Apperance and Temperment: This faery has almost become a generic term for "monster" among Mexicans and American Hispanics. If the Cucui had a characteristic look, it has long been lost to us. He is not friendly nor is he considered safe to be around.
Time most active: All year
Where to find them: Unknown
How to contact: Not advised!

Cailleach Bheur: Scotland. The Blue Hag, a cross between the Underworld goddess and a faery spirit. She has fangs and sometimes three faces, making her a triple being or deity.

Caoineag (konyack): Scotland. "Weeper"; a bean sidhe.

Cluricaun - He's a Leprechaun after he's finished work for the day. Cluricauns raid wine cellars and torture sheep and dogs by riding them like horses in the moonlight. A solitary faery who lives in cellars and likes to drink wine and other spirits. A cross between a leprechaun and a hobgoblin.

Coblynau - (also Koblernigh) They are Welsh mine faeries, similar to Knockers. They are considered good omens since the location of their mining usually precedes the discovery of ore there. About 18 inches high, they dress like miners. Although they are ugly, they are good humored and will knock where rich ores are to be found.

Corrigans: Malignant nature spirits found in Brittany, often associated with phantoms of the dead.
Cu Sith: Scotland. A supernatural green dog.

Cyhyraeth (kerherriighth): Wales. A form of bean sidhe. It usually cries or groans before multiple deaths by epidemics or accident.


Dracs:
Land os Origin: France
Ohter Names: They are called Dracae in England, where they are less well-known.
Element: Water
Apperence and Temperment: In their natural state Dracs appear as great floating purple blobs in the surface of the water. But more often they are seen in the form of a golden chalice or in a female humanoid form. They are dangerous to approach.
Time most active: All year
Where to Find them: In the waters of France. In faeryland search for them by the wetern sea.
How to Contact: If you really want to meet one, try making a call to one while in Faeryland at the western sea or other body of water. It is best not to go close enough for one to touch you.
Drakes:
Land of Origin: England
Element: Fire.
Apperence and Temperment: Drakes have never been seen by humans eyes, but they have been smelled. They are benvolent house spirits who bless your hearth and multiply and keep your firewood dry in exchange for living in your home.
Time most sctive: From nightfall until just past dawn.
Where to find them: In wood piles at heathsides and in deep woods with very old trees. They prefer rural areas.
How to contact: Invite them to your hearth and they will probably come. Leave food and provide warmth and respect to keep them. If you don't have a fireplace in your home, then provide one for yourself and them in your astral home.

Daoine Maithe: C. "The Good People", Similar to the Gentry, they were said to be next to heaven at the Fallbut did not fall.


Daoine Sidhe - (theena shee): Ireland. A name for the faery people.This is the name assumed by the Tuatha de Danann when the Milesians drove them underground. Their King is Finvarra, who to this day hold court in his palace beneath the faerie hill of Knockma. They are skilled chess players, and no human has ever beaten Finvarra in a game. Finvarra is a womanizer, frequently kidnapping human women. The Daoine Sidhe are also quite fond of hurling.

Dryads: All Celtic countries. Spirits who dwell in trees, oaks in particular. They were contacted by druids and shamans for inspiration.

Duergar - These are a malicious form of Dwarf from Northern England. They revel in tricking people into dying.

Dwarfs - They are short, usually bearded and appear to be very old. Their aged appearance seems to be caused by the fact that they reach maturity at age three. They exist mainly in the mountains of Scandinavia and in mines in Germany. They are sensitive about showing their feet since they are usually deformed in some way. If you are curious of their feet, the only way to get an idea is to put flour, ash, or something of that sort in their path and to look at their footprints. Dwarves can't be above ground during the day since sunlight turns them to stone. Some say they exist as toads during the day and assume their familiar dwarvish form at night.

Elves:
Land of Origin: World Wide
Element: Usually Earth.
Appearence and Temperment: Elves dress differently depending on what land they come from, but are all small and chubby. Mostly they are kind and beneficial to humans; a very few types are actually dangerous. As a general ruel, trooping Elves are good and solitary Eves and bad.
Time most active: Usually at night.
Lore:The following nursery rhyme tells of a group of spinnig mice/elves and the cat who tries to trick them into becoming her supper:
Six little mice sat down to spin
p***y passed by, and she peeped in
"what are you doing my little men?"
"Weaving coats for gentlemen."
"Shall I come in and cut off your threads?"
"oh no Mistress p***y, you'd bit off our heads!"
"Of course I shall not, But I'll help you spin."
"That you say, but you can't come in."
Where to find them: In fields, homes, woodlands, and all over Faeryland.
How to Contact: Invite them to your circleor home leave food and milk out for them, and lock up the cat!
Erdluitle:
Land of Origin: Switzerland
Other Names: Duckfoots is a slang term for them. The males are called Hardmandlene, and the females are called Erdbiberli.
Element: Earth

Each-Uisge - pronounced "Ech-ooshkya"; They are similar to the Kelpiebut far more dangerous. They inhabit lochs and seas and will eat their victims after tearing them into pieces, except for the liver, which they leave. If they are ridden inland, they are safe to ride, but if they catch the slightest whiff of the sea air...

Ellyllon (ethlerthlon): Wales.They are tiny diaphanous fairies whose queen is Mab. Their food is toadstools and faery butter, a fungus found on the roots of old trees.Their queen is Mab. They are smaller than the Tylwyth Teg.

Elves - Scandinavian version of faeries,of two classes, light and dark, like the Seelie and Unseelie. The Danish elves are beautiful from the front, but hollow when seen from behind. The Danish elves also like stealing human foods. Elves are also another name for the Trooping Faeries of Britain. In Scotland the fairy people of human size were often called elves and Faeryland was Elfame; in England it was the smaller Trooping Fay who were called elves, and the name was particularly applied to small faery boys.

The Fachan - Faeries from the Western Highlands of Scotland.

Faeries-Fairies: The earlier name was Fays. the term "faery" now covers Anglo-Saxon elves, the Daoine Sidhe of the Highlands, the Tuatha De Danann of Ireland, the Tylwyth Teg of Wales, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, the Wee Folk, Good Neighbors, and many more. Fair Family or Fair Folk: The euphemistic name used by the Welsh for the fairies. See Tylwyth Teg.

Fair Family or Fair Folk: The euphemistic name used by the Welsh for the fairies. See Tylwyth Teg.

Far Darrig, Fear Dearg, Fear Dearc: Ireland. "Red Man"; a solitary faery who wears a red cap and coat and likes to indulge in gruesome practical jokes. However, some farmers consider it lucky to have him around.

Farisees, or Pharisees: The Suffolk name for the fairies. The Suffolk children used to be confused between the farisees and the biblical mentions of the Pharises.

Fary: The dialect name in Northumberland.

Fays: The earlier noun archaic of the word "fairy"; also referred to as the Fatae (three fates).

Fear-Gorta: Ireland. "Man of Hunger"; a solitary fairy who roams the land during famine; he brings good luck to those who give him money or food.
Feeorin: A small fairy that is indicated as being green-coated, generally red-capped, and with the usual fairy traits of love of dancing and music.They are thought to be more or less friendly to humans, and have given warnings to them.

Fees/Fetes/Fions: Upper Brittany. Faeries. Fees des Houles (Faeries of the Billows) live in natural caves or grottos in sea cliffs, sea faeries.
Fees are also storm faeries who dress in the colors of the rainbow. They appear in procession before a storm, following a Queen fee who is mounted in a boat made from the nautilus of the southern seas. And the boat is drawn by two crabs.Associated with them are the Fions, a race of dwarfs with swords no bigger than pins.

The Fenoderee - He is a type of Brownie from the Isle of Man who is large, ugly and hairy. He is enthusiastic about helping the farmers, but isn't all that bright. The Fenoderee once was tricked into trying to fetch water with a sieve. The Fenoderee was at one time a handsome member of the Ferrishyn (the faerie tribe of Man), but he was exiled and his good looks taken when he missed the Autumn festival to court a human girl.

Feriers, or Ferishers: Another Suffolk name for the fairies.

Ferries: The usual name for the Shetland and Orcadian fairies.

Ferrishyn (ferrishin): Isle of Man. Name for the Fary Tribe. A Manx name for the Fairy Tribe; the singular is "ferrish". They are the Trooping Fairies of Man, though there does not seem to be any distinction between them and the Sleih Beggey. They are less aristocratic than the fairies of Ireland and Wales, and they have no named fairy king or queen. They were small, generally described as three feet in height, though sometimes as one foot. They could hear whatever was said out of doors. Every wind stirring carried the sound to their ears, and this made people very careful to speak of them favorably.

Fetes: The Fates of Upper Brittany.

Fir Darrig - pronounced "fear dearg"; They like fairly gruesome practical jokes. Be nice to them or you may be on the receiving end of one.

Foawr - They are Manx stone-throwing giants. They often ravish cattle. Nasty beings, they are...

Fin Bheara (fin-vara)/ Fionnbharr (fyunn-varr) / Findabair (finnavar): Iraland. Thr Faery King of Ulster, sometimes called the king of the dead. Although he was married to a faery lady, he still courted beautiful mortal women. Not the same person as the daughter of Aillil and Maeve.

Foawr, (fooar): Manx equivalent of Highland Fomorians/giants, stone throwing.

Gnomes: Earth Elementals. They live underground and guard the treasures of the Earth. Gnomes are wonderful metal workers, especially of swords and armor.

Ghillie Dhu - He is a solitary Scottish faerie who can be found amongst birch thickets. He is clothed with leaves and moss.

The Glaistig - She is a water faerie, a beautiful seductress with the body of a goat which she hides under a long billowy green dress. She lures men to dance with her, then feeds like a vampire on their blood. She can be benign as well, often tending children and the elderly or herding cattle for farmers.

Goblins - They are somewhat malicious little creatures. They can appear as animals. They are thieves and villains and count the dead among their companions. They like to tempt people with faerie fruits. They're not truly completely evil, however. Mine goblins make knocking noises where they know there are rich deposits of ore. To avoid the Knockers' wrath, a pastie (traditional miner meal) should be left for them.
Goblins/Hobgoblins: Originally a general name for small grotesque but friendly brownie-type creatures.

The Good Folk: A general name for faeries.

Good Neighbors: One of the most common Scottish and Irish names for the fairies.

Good People: The Irish often referred to the sidhe in this manner. See Daoine Maithe.

Green Children, the: The fairy are recorded in the medieval chronicles in under such a name.

Greencoaties: The name for the fairies that dwell in Lincolnshire Fen country.

Greenies: The euphemistic name used for the fairies in Lancashire; associated with the Jacobean Fairies.

The Green Lady of Caerphilly - She haunts ruined castles, and often appears as ivy.

Grey Neighbors, the: One of the euphemistic names for the fairies given by the Shetlanders to the Trows, the small grey clad goblins whom the Shetlanders used to propitiate and fear, using against them many of the means used all over the islands as protection against fairies.

Guillyn Veggey: The Little Boys is a Manx term for the fairies that dwell on the Isle of Man.

Gwartheg Y Llyn (gwarrthey er thlin): A. Wales. Faery cattle.
Gwragedd Annwn - pronounced "Gwrageth anoon"; They are beautiful Welsh water faerie maidens who sometimes marry humans.

Gwragedd Annwn (gwrageth anoon): Wales. Lake faeries; harmless Water sprites.

Gwyllion (gwithleeon): The evil mountain fairies of Wales. They are hideous female spirits who waylay and mislead travelers by night on the mountain roads. They were friends and patrons of the goats, and might indeed take goat form.
Hags - They are the personification of winter in the British Isles, anare thought to be the remnants of the most ancient godesses. Some hags turn from hideously ugly (their usual state) to breathtakingly beautiful at the turn of winter to spring.

Hobgoblin - They have a bad reputation since the Puritans used their name to refer to wicked Goblin spirits, but they're really a sort of friendly Brownie. They are helpful at times, but like practical jokes. But don't annoy them or they can become nasty.

Hounds of the Hill, Cwn Annwn (coon anoon), Herla's Hounds: Wales and many other Celtic areas. The phantom hunting dogs of Arawn, the Lord of the Underworld. Very large; white with red ears.

Howlaa: A faery sprite who wails along the sea shore before storms.
Kelpie: A supernatural Water elemental which takes the form of a horse, malevolent.

Hyter Sprites - They are faeries from East Anglia. They are able to appear as sand martins (a type of bird).

Jack-In-Irons - He is a giant from Yorkshire who haunts lonely roads.

Jenny Greenteeth - She is the Yorkshire River version of Peg Powler.

Jimmy Squarefoot - His appearance is said to be frightening, but he is actually harmless.

The Kelpie - They are Scottish water faeries. Usually they are seen ayoung horses, but sometimes they appear as hairy men. They haunt rivers and streams, letting men mount them and then riding off into the water, dunking them. (See also Each-Uisge.)

The Killmoulis - He is an ugly Brownie who haunts mills. He has an enormous nose and a missing mouth. He eats by stuffing the food into his nostrils. He works for the miller but he plays pranks so often he is often more of a nuisance than a help.

Knockers, Knackers: A. Cornwall. Mine spirits who are friendly to miners. The knock where rich ore can be found. Also called Buccas.

Kobolds - These are the German version of Knockers. They are known for causing problems for the miners and undoing their progress. To keep the miners guessing, they occasionally help them.

The Lady of the Lake - She is a faerie whose palace is hidden by th illusion of a lake.

Leanhaun Shee-Sidhe (also Leanan Sidhe): Ireland. "Faery Mistress", in return for inspiration she feeds off the life force of the individual until he -she wastes away and dies. Gaelic poets tend to die young if they strike a bargain with this faery.
Leprechaun (lep-ra-kawn): Ireland. A solitary faery who makes shoes and generally guards a pot of gold. The name comes from the Irish leith brog, the name in Irish is leith bbrogan. They tend to be practical jokers, as are the Cluricaun and Far Darrig. This Irish faerie is always seen alone. He can be found happily working on a single shoe under a dock leaf or a hedge. They are very cunning, an it is difficult to get them to let on to the location of their amazingly well-hidden pots of gold, since to do so you must see the Leprechaun before he sees you. Leprechauns usually wear a three-cornered hat, and have been seen spinning on them like tops.

The Little People of the Passamaquoddy Indians - There are two kinds:
the Nagumwasuck and the Mekumwasuck. They're both two to three feet tall and ugly. The Passamaquody Indians live close to teh Canadian border, by the way. The Nagumwasuck are closely involved with their humans, often singing sadly when there is a death in the tribe, and they dance at weddings. They are self-conscious of their ugliness, and it is near fatal to laugh at them. The Mekumwasuck live in the woods and dress outlandishly. Their faces are covered with hair. They are the guardians of the Catholic Church. If a Mekumwasuck looks directly at you, you either die or acquire a contagious disease of some sort.

Lunantishess or Lunantishee - They are the tribe which guards blackthorn bushes. They will never allow a stick to be cut on November 11th or May 11th. If you manage to cut a stick on those days, you will experience misfortune.  

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Mab - She is the traditional queen of the faeries.

Mer-People: Mermaids; water dwellers who are human from the waist up but with tails of fishes. They are irresisible singers who sometimes lure fisherman to their deaths.They lure humans with their beautiful singing, which carries with it an enchantment. They create storms which wreck ships. They are often seen vainly combing their hair, admiring their reflections in mirrors.
The Irish equivalent of the mermaid is Murrughach, Murdhuacha (muroo-cha), or Merrows. It is possible for them to take the form of a human with tiny scales and move about on land. They wear a cobullen druith, which is a red cap covered with feathers.

Merrows - They are the Irish merpeople. They wear red feather caps. If their caps are stolen, they can't return to the depths of the sea where they live. Female merrows are beautiful and to see one is an omen of a storm, but they are benevolent and often fall in love with fishermen, probably because the male merrows are so repulsive. Males are, however, generally friendly. They often come ashore in the form of small hornless cattle.

Muryans - It's the Cornish word for "ant" . They are the souls of those sent to Purgatory. Their souls dwindle in size until they are the size of ants. Then they disappear, and no one knows where they go after that. So never step on ants. You could be stepping on your ancestors.

Nuckelavee - He is a horrible Scottish sea faerie who appears as a
gigantic horse with legs that are part flipper, a gigantic mouth and
blazing, evil eyes. Rising from its back is a hideous torso with arms that nearly reach the ground and it appears that its neck is too weak to support its monstrous head. It has no skin, exposing black blood in yellow veins, white sinews, and strong red muscles. He hates fresh running water, so if you are ever chased by him, just find a stream and cross it.

Nuggie: A. Scotland; a water sprite.

Oakmen: Britain. Wood sprites who live in oak trees and oak groves. They are hostile to humans but benevolent to wild life.

Old People: Cornish name for faeries.

Oonagh (oona): Ireland. Wife of Fin Bheara.

Peg Powler - She inhabits the River Tees. She is a green water Hag with long hair and sharp teeth. She is fond of grabbing the ankles of those who stand too close to or wade into the water and pulling them underwater to drown. Fear of her was written into a popular Mother Goose rhyme:
"Mother, may I go out to swim?"
"Yes, my darling daughter.
Hang your clothes on an alder limb
And don't go near the water."
(Alder trees are considered a sort of charm against evil faeries.) See also Jenny Greenteeth.

The People of the Hills - English faeries who live under green mounds. subterranean faeries.

People of Peace: Ireland, Scotland. Another name for the Daoine Sidhe.

Phooka - Phouka (pooka): This is an Irish Goblin who appears as a variety of beasts. It can take various forms and is considered dangerous. Sometimes he appears as a dog, a bull, a horse, or an eagle and he is almost always black with blazing eyes. He is fond of offering rides to weary travellers, appearing to be a kind, docile pony, but then takes them for the wildest ride of their lives once they have mounted and soon after dumps them headfirst into an undesirable locale.

Pixies - Piskies-Pisgies: The name for faeries in Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. Green faeries who often take the form of hedgehogs. They are also known as urchins, pisgies, piskies, and pigseys. They originated in Cornwall. They like to dance in the shadows of stones. Their bells are often heard on the moor. They like to steal horses and torture them to get them to run faster. They delight in throwing pots and pans at kitchen girls. They usually mean no harm, however. Beware of doing pixies favors, for they have a tendency to backfire.

The Plant Annwn (plant anoon): Wales. Gwragen Annwn is the Welsh name for their women. Faeries of the Underworld. The entrance to their kingdom is through lakes. Their king is called Gwyn ap Nudd. Their speckled cattle are Gwartheg Y Llyn and their white hounds are the Cwn Annwn (see Hounds of the Hill).

Plant Rhys Dwfen - They're a tribe of faeries who inhabit a small invisible land. It is invisible because of a certain herb that grows on it. They are beautiful people, quite short, and they are fond of outbidding at Cardigan auctions. They are honest in their dealings, and kind to people who are kind to them.

Portunes - They are small agricultural faeries who work on human farms by day, and spit-roast frogs by night. They are generally very old men with wrinkled faces and patched coats. However kind they are, they have a weakness for grabbing the bridles of horses whom men are riding alone at night and leading them into ponds, laughing.


Puck - He is a mischievous, shape-shifting Hobgoblin, made famous by Shakespeare. He is also associated with the Pwca (maybe aka Pooka) and the Phooka (both on this page).

Pwca (pooka): Wales. A version of Puck; not like the Irish Phouka. They are helpful if milk is left out, but can also be mischievous.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

R-Z

Redcap - He is one of the most evil Goblins. He inhabits ruined towers,especially those that have a history of evil. His red cap is dyed with human blood.

Roane: A. Scottish Highlands. Water Elementals or mermen who take the form of seals. Irish name for the Selkie.

Seelie (Blessed) Court: Scotland. These trooping faeries are benevolent towards humans, but will readily avenge any injury or insult. They are a good-natured aristocracy of faeries. They are fond of riding in long solemn processions called faerie Rades. They are believed to be the last of the Tuatha de Danann. Their evil opposite is the Unseelie Court.

Selkies - Also known as the Seal-Faeries, they inhabit the seas around Orkney and Shetland. A female selkie can shed her seal skin and become a beautiful woman. If a human gets ahold of the empty skin, the selkie is forced to become the perfect wife. But he must keep the skin hidden from her since she may return to the sea if she finds it again. The husband then dies of a broken heart. The male selkies create storms and flip boats to take revenge for their kin murdered at the hands of humans.

Shellycoat - He is a Scottish Bogie who haunts streams. He is covered with shells which clink together when he moves. He likes to trick travellers and lead them astray.

Sidhe-Sidh-Sith-Si (shee): Ireland, Scottish Highlands. Name for faeries and their subterranean dwellings. A barrow or hillock which has a door to a beautiful underground realm of the Tuatha or faeries. They are Irish faeries who are very attracted to beauty and luxurious locales, and detest pennypinchers.

Silent Moving Folk

Sluagh (slooa)- The Host: Scotland. The Host of the Unforgiven Dead, or Pagan anscestors. The most formidable of the Highland faeries. Some account them as being the dead, some think they are fallen angels. But the most popular view is that they are the souls of dead mortals.

Sithein (sheean): Ireland, Scotland. Name for the outside of a faery hill or knowe. The inside is called the brugh.

Solitary Fairies - Never trust a solitary faery, they are usually outcasts and renegades. Solitary faeries include Brownies, who may be the exception to the rule, and Leprechauns, Pookas, Banshees, the Fir Darrig, Bogies, Duergars, Brown Man of the Muirs, Shelleycoat, and Nuckelavee.

Spriggans - They are ill-temepered, and ugly little things . They are very small, but are able to inflate to monstrous proportions. They are thought to be the ghosts of giants. They guard the treasure of hills. They are destructive, dangerous, skilled thieves. They have been known to kidnap babies and leave baby Spriggans instead, which are quite repulsive.
Subterranean Faeries: Scotland. Faeries who live in bochs or hills. They travel from place to place at Imbolc, Beltane, Ludhnassadh, and Samhain in order to change their residences.

Trows:
Shetland faeries. Some are similar to Scandinavian trolls, they live beneath the ground and must take care to avoid sunlight. If a trow is caught above ground when the sun rises he cannot return to his home until the sun sets again. King Trows were exclusively male and would leave their homes to court and marry mortal women, though as soon as her baby was born the mother would die. Other trows could be much like faeries in general, helpful to those they found favorable and offended by any gifts set out for them.
Tuatha de Danann:
The people of the goddess Dana were traditionally an early race of Ireland who were forced to take refuge beneath the hills after the arrival of other people. They were masters of magic, and over time faded in nature and became known as the Daoine Sidh, though they could still be more majestic than mortals.
Tylwyth Teg:
"The Fair Family" of Wales, they have fair hair and dress in white. They are sometimes called Bendith y Mamau, "Mother's blessing". Like other faerie folk they are fond of dancing and singing, and are partial to golden haired mortals. They will give wealth to their favorites, but if this is mentioned to anyone else it will vanish.
Unseelie Court:
The Sluagh, or the Host, are the unsanctified dead who fly above the earth, stealing mortals and take great pleasure in harming humans. Unlike other faeries they are never kindly disposed towards mortals, and many solitary faeries of malicious nature, such as the redcap, are also part of the Unseelie Court.

Urisk: A Water Elemental who appears as half-human, half-goat, associated with waterfalls.
Wee Folk: Scotland, Ireland. A name for faeries.
Wild Hunt: The night hunt by the Slaugh with their terrible hounds. They are said to kidnap humans they encounter during their rides.
Will o' the Wisp: A faery who appears at night in lonely places carrying a lantern. It uses this light to cause travelers to lose their way.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

The above were Celtic fae, here are the fae of other cultures:  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

A
Achachila - From Boliva, an earth fairy resembling a gnome.

Afreet (m), Afreeta (f) - Strong, cunning spirit that may be good or evil, a kind of djinn often found near ruins. They are made of smoke, have wings, can be very large and sometimes marry humans. Magic is the only weapon effective against them.

Ahuitazotl - A Mexican water spirit. It lurks in Mexican lakes and is known to be lethal to fisherman.

Alan - An air fairy from the Phillipines. She is part bird, part human, with toes and fingers reversed, she hangs bat-like from trees and is also said to live in a gold house. She is often mischievous, though not unfriendly to people. Sometimes the Alan appears in folktales as the mother of a human child.

Alfar - In Norse mythology, Alfar are Dark Elves that emerged from the dead body of the giant Ymir. They are beings that are half god, half dwarf. In later mythology it degrades to a demon that only causes nightmares and diseases. In Germany it is pronounced as 'alb'. A reference to the word can be found in the Nibelungen Saga, where the king of the dwarves is called Alberich. See also Liosalfar and Dockalfar.

Als - See daemons

Alp - In Teutonic folklore, a tormenting night-demon, or nightmare.

Alves - In old-Norse folklore, the Alves are the spirits of the dead who live close together in hills and mountains. It was generally believed by inhabitants of farmsteads located in the vicinity of such mounds that the Alves who lived there were their ancestors. Sacrifices were made to them in return for favors. It was also believed that the Alves were the spirits of the deceased, who still live in the house were they died. In later folklore, they became earth spirits.

Anjanas - Las Anjanas are typical fairies of Cantabria, there are small females who sometimes appear to people as part human and part animal, usually as part fish, part human. Kind and peaceful, they can be found in woods, near small streams and other quiet places.

Apuka - Fierce forrest spirits of Dutch Guiana.

Asrai - The Asrai are small, fragile, female beings who turn to a puddle of water when they are captured or exposed to sunlight.

Awabi - Japanese sea demons who live near Nanao. They eat fishermen when they drown and are the guardians of large seashells containing shining jewels.



B
Ballybogs - Small fairies associated with bogs, who may be helpful or harmful.

Banshee - Common name for the Irish Bean Sidhe. In Scotland the banshee is known as caoineag (wailing woman) and, although seldom seen, she is often heard in the hills and glens, by lakes or running water.

Baobhan Sith - The White Women of the Scottish highlands. These women are ghost-like vampires who assume the shape of beautiful women and invite men to dance with them, and drink their blood.

Barbegazi - Small gnomes who live in the mountainous regions of France and Switzerland. They look just like other gnomes except for large feet with which they can easily walk and ski over snow and use for digging tunnels. Their hair is frozen and resembles icicles. Should the need arise, a Barbegazi can cover himself with snow in seconds, and dig himself out no matter how deep he may be buried. They live in a network of caves and tunnels at the summits of high peaks, where they also estivate during the summer. They are rarely seen, and then only in the winter months, when the temperature drops below zero. They never venture below the tree-line.

Bariaua - Shy tree spirit of Melanesian folklore.

Basa-Andre - She is the wife of the Basa-Jaun.

Basa-Jaun - A benign wood spirit of the Basque, whose name means "lord of the woods". He protects the flocks and herds against predators and thunderstorms. He taught mankind the art of agriculture and forging. The spirit is mischievous, but not malignant. His wife is Basa-Andre (Basa Andere). Their characters shift considerably from story to story. In some stories Basa-Jaun is an ogre and his wife a witch (who, paradoxically, often helps her husband's victims escape).

Bean Nighe - The Bean Nighe, the Washer at the Fords, is the Scottish version of the Irish Bean Sidhe (Banshee). She wanders near deserted streams where she washes the blood from the grave-clothes of those who are about to die. It is said that Bean Nighe are the spirits of women who died giving birth and are doomed to do this work until the day their lives would have normally ended. A Bean Nighe is thought to have one nostril, one big protruding tooth, webbed feet and long hanging breasts. A mortal who is bold enough to sneak up to her while she is washing and suck her breast can claim to be her foster-child. The mortal can then gain a wish from her. The Washer of the Fords is sometimes known under the generic name of ban nighechain (little washerwoman) or nigheag na h-ath (little washer at the ford).

Bean Sidhe - In Irish folklore, the Bean Sidhe (woman of the hills) is a spirit or fairy who presage a death by wailing. She is popularly known as the Banshee. She visits a household and by wailing she warns them that a member of their family is about to die. When a Banshee is caught, she is obliged to tell the name of the doomed. The Bean Sidhe has long streaming hair and is dressed in a gray cloak over a green dress. Her eyes are fiery red from the constant weeping. When multiple Banshees wail together, it will herald the death of someone very great or holy. The Scottish version of the Banshee is the Bean Nighe. Aiobhill is the banshee of the Dalcassians of North Munster, and Cliodna is the banshee of the MacCarthys and other families of South Munster.

Bendith Y Mamau - The Bendith Y Mamau ("The Mothers' Blessing") is a rather unpleasant clan of Welsh fairies. They are ugly creatures, and sometimes regarded as the result of interbreeding between goblins and fairies. They steal children and substitute them for their own ugly ones, called Crimbils. Through the intervention of a witch, the parents can regain the stolen child, who will remember nothing of its time with the Bendith Y Mamau, except for a vague recollection of sweet music.

Bertha - A character from German folklore, she is a White Lady who steals softly into nurseries and rocks infants to sleep, but is the terror of all naughty children.

Biersal - A kobold from German folklore who lives down in the cellar. He will clean all the jugs and bottles as long as he receives his own jug of beer daily for his trouble.

Black dwarves - Name given to the dwarves of Scotland. See Fairy Folklore/Dwarves.

Bogeymen - A malevolent creature from folklore. Some of them are merely troublesome and rather harmless, but others are truly evil. They are shapechangers, who can move objects and cause disruptions. Although a bogeyman usually haunts a family, it in some cases can become friends with them and a playmate for the children. The bogle is a more evil type of bogeyman, although it usually harms only liars and murderers. The bogeymen are vague and amorphous in appearance and they resemble a large puff of dust. A bogeyman can be spotted by quickly looking through a knothole in a wooden partition. If a bogeyman is on the other side, one might catch the dull gleam of his eye before he has time to move away.

Bodach - Scottish brownie.

Boggart - Household spirits from the north of England, and similar to brownies and bogies, although their nature is much more malicious and less helpful. The dark and hairy boggarts are dressed in tattered clothes, with meddling hands and clumsy feet. The presence of a boggart is betrayed by the unusual number of small accidents and strange noises after dark. They tip over milk bottles, frighten cats, pinch little children, blow out candles, and cause many other mishaps. No one has ever found a way to appease them, and often there is no alternative but to quickly and stealthy move to another home. In Manx folklore, it is called a buggane.

Boggie - Mischievous but harmless spirits who live in darkness and semi-darkness. They can be found in cellars, barns, attics, cupboards, hollow trees and caves, besides many other of such places. Favorite are places were people store goods for which they have no use, but are reluctant to discard. Although they try to move with attempted stealth, their clumsiness betrays their presence with thumps, creaks and scuffles. They amuse themselves by hovering behind a person's back and thus creating a vague uneasiness, pulling blankets on cold nights and other uncreative mischief. Also they like to spy on people and listen to their conversations.

Bogles - Goblins who only harm liars and murderers.

Bonga maidens - Beatiful water spirits of India.

Boobrie - A fabulous water-bird of Scottish Highland folk belief. The creature haunts lakes and salt wells.

Bucca - A goblin of the wind, once supposed by Cornish people to foretell shipwrecks. It is also a sprite fabled to live in the tin mines.

Buggane - An evil creature from the Isle of Man, with a great head and body and with long teeth and nails. It is a variant of the boggart.

Bunyip - Water spirit of Australia that lies bellowing at the bottom of lakes.

Bwca - The bwca (or pwca) is the Welsh version of the brownie. It is a helpful creature who, in exchange for a bowl of cream, is willing to perform small labors such as the churning of butter. If he is treated badly, the bwca will pound the walls, throw small objects, pinch people in their sleep, destroy clothes and reveal secrets. He despises teetotalers and people with long noses.

C
Cacce-halde - Water spirits of Lapland.

Carlin - She was the spirit of the eve of Samhain (Halloween), the night the year turned to winter, and the ghosts of the dead roamed the world of the living.

Cluricauns - Drunken leprechauns who come out at night.

Colbronde - The Danish giant slain by Guy of Warwick. By his death the land was delivered from Danish tribute.

Colt-Pixy - A mischievious fairy.

Corrigan - In the folklore of Brittany, a female fairy. She is said to have been one of the ancient druidesses, and therefore malicious towards Christian priests. Corrigan is fond of pretty human children, and is usually blamed for all changeling substitutions.

Cusith - An enormous hound of the Scottish Highlands. It is said to be a dark green in color, with a long braided tail and the size of a bullock. Whenever his baying was heard on the moors, farmers would quickly lock up their women because the hound's mission was to round up women and drive them to a fairy mound so they might supply milk for fairy children.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

D
Daemons - An evil spirit, sometimes thought to be a fallen angel

Dana o'Shee - In Irish folklore, they are small, graceful creatures. The Dana o'Shee live in a realm of eternal beauty and remain eternally young as nobles from the age of chivalry with their own king and queen and royal household. They wear beautiful clothes enriched with precious jewels. They love music, dancing and hunting and can often be seen riding in a procession, led by the king and queen. But even these lovely creatures can be treacherous, and some people say they come from the realm of the dead. A person enchanted by their beauty or music is forever lost. An Irish story tells of a man whose wife was held captive by the Dana o'Shee. To save her, according to tradition, he must stand watch on All Saint's Eve when the Dana o'Shee and his wife would ride past. Then he must empty a jug of milk over her head. However, the man didn't know that the milk was watered. That broke the spell and the woman fell off the horse. The little creatures closed in around her, and she was never seen again. The next day the road was sprinkled with her blood: the Dana o'Shee had taken revenge.

Daoine maite - Literally, the good people. They are the fairies of contemporary Irish folklore.

Dark Queen - In old Spanish myth, she ruled over the Estantiqua, a host of spirits who haunt the roads during the hours of dusk and dark.

Death Coach - In Irish foklore when the Banshee wails and someone dies, a headless man comes down from the skies riding a coach with two black horses and picks up the spirit of the deceased.

Devs - The bad fairies of Persian myth. They were forever at war with the peri whom they had locked away in iron cages hanging high in the trees.

Devas (m), Devis (f) - Plant spirits who manifest as golden auras around healthy plants. They guide humans to medicinal plants.

Djinn - Creatures that are half-human and half-demon from pre-Islamic times. Originally, they were spirits of nature that caused madness in humans. They differ not much from humans: they reproduce, they have the same bodily needs, and they die, although their life span is much longer. The Arabic word jinn, which means "spirit", is neutral--some of the djinn serve Allah, while others do not. The Arabs believed the djinn often took the form of ostriches, or rode them. Dalila, Samson's treacherous mistress, rode and ostrich. They are also called Jinn, Genie, and Genni. They exist in air, in flame, under the earth and in inanimate objects, such as rocks, trees and ruins. In the stories of the "Thousand and One Nights" a djinn often inhabits an old, battered oil lamp. After rubbing the lamp three times, it will appear and grants the holder of the lamp three wishes. A forth wish will undo the previous three.

Dockalfar - In Norse mythology, dockalfar are the dark elves that emerged from the dead body of the giant Ymir. See also liosalfar and alfar.

Dolya - This spirit was said to live behind the stove. When she was in a fine mood, she was called Dolya, the little old lady who brought good luck; when annoyed, she was Nedolya, the shabbily dressed old hag of bad fortune. Occasionally she appeared as a young woman rather than the usual gray-haired granny; in either shape she presided over birth.

Domovik - Russian fire fairy. Known for its brilliance, sense of duty and intensity. It's a typical hearth fairy who will give protection and luck, but will burn one's house down if they are neglected.

Dones d'aigua - Dones d'aigua (Maids of the Water) are typical beings of Cataluña, and they appear in many myths. They live in any place where they can find clean water (wells, springs, fountains, lakes), but they can also be found in woods and caves. They appear as women of incredible beauty, although half of their body can be fish- or bird-like (as for many other faeries of Spanish folklore and Indo-European myths). Dones d'aigua often guard wonderful treasures. They are always good and kind to humans.

Drachen - A fire fairy that travels through the air as fiery sparks, leaving an unpleasant smell of suphur behind to makr their passage.

Dragon - Few creatures of folklore and mythology conjure up the mental images of the dragon. Also known as wurm, wyrm and firedrake, these mercurial creatures pervade almost every pantheon of classical mythology and have become an integral inclusion of an entire genre of fantasy literature. Descriptions of the beast's benevolence vary from the playful Puff (of Peter Yarrow's song) to the sinister Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". Babylonian legends portray the Queen of Darkness as a multi-headed dragon - Tiamat. The Germanic myth "Die Nibelungen" climaxes with the battle between Siegfried and the giant Fafnir, who has transformed himself into a wyrm in an effort to become more frightening.

Draks - See Drachen

Dryads - In Greek mythology, the dryads are female spirits of nature (nymphs), who preside over the groves and forests. Each one is born with a certain tree over which she watches. A dryad either lives in a tree, in which case she is called a hamadryad, or close to it. The lives of the dryads are connected with that of the trees; should the tree perish, then she dies with it. If this is caused by a mortal, the gods will punish him for that deed. The dryads themselves will also punish any thoughtless mortal who would somehow injure the trees.

Dyeduska Vodyanoy - The Russian 'Water-grandfather'. He is a powerful shapechanger and it is believed that he drowns those who swim at twelve o'clock, be it midnight or noon. He often marries drowned or disinherited girls, but he also has a liking for happily married women. Each time a woman is about to give birth to a child of his, he will go to the nearest village to request the services of a midwife, who will be handsomely rewarded in gold and silver. The Watermaster can be recognized by his bald head, large belly, round cheeks and his green clothes. He wears a high, pointed hat made of reed. However, he also appears in the shape of a handsome young man or a well-known person from the village. On the land he has little power, but in his natural element the water he is all-powerful. It is believed that he hibernates during the winter. When he awakens in spring he crushes the ice in the rivers and pushes large chunks up the river banks. He enjoys destroying mill-wheels, but when he is in a benign mood he guides the fish into the nets of the fishermen or warns against floods. His daughters, pale and tall and dressed in green, torture the drowned. They like to sit on tree branches, rocking slightly, while singing beautiful songs.

E
Ellyon - The diminutive ones of the Tylwyth Teg from Wales who feed on toadstools. They are ruled by Mab, their queen.

El numbero - The Tempest, an air fairy from Spain. It rides the wind across the skies, causing changes in the weather.

Erlking - A malevolent goblin from German legend. He haunts forests and lures people, especially children, to destruction. He can also lead the Wild Hunt.

Erreka-Mari - A chieftain among the faeries, this is a Mari siren (Erreka means creek) that lives near small streams. Her name changes according to toponymia, and she's also known as Mari-Arroka or Mari-Muruko.

Estantigua - In Spanish myth, they are a host of spirits who haunt the roads during the hours of dusk and dark. They are ruled by the Dark Queen.



F
Fabián - A good spirit of the forest-covered Brdy hills between Prague and Pilsen in the Czech republic. He was a good knight, turned into a forest spirit by his ex-lover, a sorceress, during their marriage. She wanted to turn him to an evil one, but he stayed good even after his transformation. She also made his castle vanish and turned his new bride into a centaury flower.

Fabián lives on Plesivec hill, a significant dominant of the region, where he has his garden full of healing but invisible plants, but his bed is a lone rock on an other hill named Baba, where was his knight's castle. He guards the Brdy forests and scares thieves and poachers with a loud and fearsome yell. He is also known as Babí Jan (John of Baba) and Hejkal, but the word hejkal is also used for other forest spirits, scaring people by yelling, most of them evil. Small statues of Fabián were made from cones in the country around Brdy, depicting him as an game-keeper.

Fachan - The Fachan is a very ugly creature from the western highlands of Scotland. He is portrayed with one leg, one arm and one eye.

Fairy - See fairy folklore.

Fear Liath More - Fear Liath More, or the Grey Man, is a creature said to have inhabited the vicinity of the summit cairn of Ben MacDhui, one of the six great peaks of the Scottish Cairngorm Mountains, for generations. The Grey Man is identified as a presence encountered both physically and psychically. In its physical form, the Grey Man is most often described as quite large and broad shouldered, standing fully erect and being in excess of 10 feet in height, with long waving arms. He is also reportedly olive complected or, alternatively, covered with short brown hair. More frequently, the Grey Man is encountered in physical sensation, but without a true physical form. Sensations of this type include vast, dark blurs which obscure the sky, strange crunching noises, echoing footsteps which pursue the listener, an icy feeling in the surrounding atmosphere, as well as a physical feeling of a cold grip on, or brush against, the observer's flesh. There is also a high pitched humming sound, or the Singing as it is sometimes called, which is associated with Ben MacDhui and the Grey Man.

Feeorin - The collective word for fairies who are usually friendly towards mankind, or at least neutral. They are depicted as small creatures with a green skin and wearing red hats. They enjoy singing and dancing.

Fenoderee - The Fenoderee lives on the Isle of Man. He is not very intelligent, but he is a hard worker who, with his great strength, has performed many tasks for the farmers of Man. He goes around naked and the offer of clothes will greatly offend him, causing him to stop working. The Fenoderee used to belong to the Ferrishyn, an elfish-tribe on the Isle of Man, until he made the mistake of wooing a mortal girl. He was punished by loosing his good looks, and he turned into the ugly, solitary creature he is now.

Feux follets - Feux follets are little tricky spirits who live in bogs and ponds around Québec. They look like little blue flames and they try to lure travellers into ponds to drown them.

Fir Darrig - The Fir Darrig is a malevolent elf who is fond of playing rather nasty tricks. He is best left alone.

Fire-drakes - See dragon.

Folletti - Nearly invisible weather fairies whose toes point backwards.

Fountain fairies - Water fairies from Spain.

Frau Bercha - German fairy who leads her ghostly dogs in the murderous Wild Hunt, chasing unlucky mortals to their death, as well as gentler fairies.

Frau Welt - The name that was given to the female supernatural paramour or fairy mistress of general European folk belief by medieval clerics; and according to them, the Devil.

Fylgiars - Icelandic guardian fairies of people born with cauls over their faces.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

G
Gabija - A fire spirit from Lithuania. They are typical hearth fairies who give protection, aid and luck, but are liable to burn down one's house if they feel neglected.

Ghillie Dhu - The Ghillie Dhu is a solitary Scottish elf who lives in birches. His clothes are woven from leaves and moss.

Glaistig - A water-spirit who is half a lovely woman and half a goat. The goat part she tries to hide underneath a long green robe. She invites a man to dance with her, before she feeds on his blood. Contrarily, she can also be very friendly towards children and the elderly. Sometimes she also herds the cattle for farmers.

Glashtyn - The Manx version of the water horse, the Phooka.

Gnomes - A type of earth fairy. See Fairy Folklore/Gnomes

Goblin - Goblins are a different, more grotesque variety of gnomes. They are known to be playful, but at other time they are evil and their tricks could seriously harm people. A goblin smile curdles the blood and a laugh sours the milk and causes fruit to fall from the trees. They pester humans in a number of ways, such as hiding small objects, tipping over pails of milk and altering signposts. Goblins originated in France and through a cleft in the Pyrenees they spread rapidly all over Europe. They have no homes and usually live in mossy clefts in rocks and roots of ancient trees, although they never stay very long in the same place. The name 'hobgoblin' is thought to be an abbreviation of 'Robin Goblin', the name Druids gave to the first goblins when they entered Britain.

Gommes - From France, gommes are the equivalent of gnomes, known for their dour humor, and their metalworking skills.

GorgoniyIn Russian folklore the Gorgoniy is a mythical beast who protects Paradise against mortals, similar to Gabriel the Archangel.

Grama-devata - Literally means "village dieties." These spirits from India are the lower dieties, while the higher dieties are referred to as deva.

Green Man - A legendary pagan deity who roams the woodlands of the British Isles and Europe. He usually is depicted as a horned man peering out of a mask of foliage, usually the sacred oak. He represents spirits of trees, plants and foliage. It is believed he has rain making powers to foster livestock with lush meadows. It is also believed by some the Green Man shares an affinity with the forest-dwelling fairies since green is the fairy color.

Gremlin - Little, mischievous spirits of tools and machinery. They are responsible for the little mishaps when working with tools, such as the sudden diversion of a hammer towards your thumb when you are driving a nail. They blunt sharp objects such as saws and chisels, misplace tools, etc. Originally they were friendly towards mankind, and helped them with many inventions. But when those engineers and mechanics claimed all the credit of these inventions for themselves, this insult soured the gremlin attitude towards mankind.

Guaxa - This is an awful witch of the Asturies. An old, ugly woman with many wrinkles and a single tooth, she's a sort of vampire. As soon as there is a fissure in a house where a child or a young adult sleeps (her preferred victims), the guaxa enters to swallow their blood, and she comes back until finally the person dies.

Gwrach y Rhibyn - A Welsh fairy who is the warning of death. Always a woman, her name means "Hag of warning". Once thought to be one of the mother goddesses, she is now hideous woman, with tangled hair, black teeth, withered, out of proportion arms, and bat-like wings. The Gwrach y Rhibyn is usually found at a stream or crossroads. Sometimes the hag of warning will "ride" inside the body of the person she is going to warn, until they get to a crossroads or stream where she will begin shrieking. This type woman is considered the Welsh version of the Washer at Fords.

Gwragedd Annwn - Water-spirits from Wales. These lovely creatures are known to choose mortal men as their husbands. One legend has it that they live in a sunken city in one of the many lakes in Wales. People claim to have seen towers under water and heard the chiming of bells. In earlier times, there used to be a door in a rock and those who dared enter through it came into a beautiful garden situated on an island in the middle of a lake. In this garden there were luscious fruits, beautiful flowers and the most lovely music, besides many other wonders. Those brave enough to enter were welcomed by the Gwragedd Annwn and were invited to stay as long as they wanted, on the condition that they never took anything back from the garden. One visitor ignored the rule and took a flower home with him. As soon as he left the island, the flower disappeared and he fell unconsious to the ground. From that day on, the door has been firmly closed and none has ever passed through it again.

Gwyllion - The Gwyllion is a mythological creature from Wales. Even though these elfish creatures are mostly harmless you should always invite them into your house and treat them well, because if you don't, it may result in destruction. The female fairy is very hideous and its only job is to cause travelers to become lost. They usually live on mountain trails, but if the weather becomes bad they resort to going to the valley. If you do happen to be threatened by a Gwyllion just take out a knife and point it directly at her.

Gytrash - A spirit from the north of England. It appears in the form of a horse, a mule or a large dog, and haunts solitary ways, and sometimes comes upon belated travelers.



H
Haferboc - A field spirit from German folklore. The name means "oat goat".

Hammerlinge - German gnomes.

Hag - The hag is a fairy from the British Isles. She is said to be the traces of the most ancient goddesses. The hag is regarded as the personification of winter. In the winter months she is usually old and very ugly looking. As the season changes though she becomes more and more beautiful, and younger. Tangles in the manes of horses and ponies are called hag-knots, supposed to be used witches as stirrups.

Hans Heiling - Hans Heiling (Jan Svatos in Czech) is a legendary person from German stories of Loket castle and town in Sokolov county (today's Czech republic). Hans's Heiling was a foundling. His mother, the water nymph Oharka from the Ohre river, gave him the power to command spirits and taught him how to master magic. Hans Heiling became quite rich and powerful and also ordered spirits under his command to build a great city. The granite rocks above the Ohre, named Hans-Heiling-Felsen (Svatosske skaly), were believed to be ruins of this city. When Hans Heiling discovered that he could not achieve common human happiness even with his supernatural powers, he refused them and soon after died fighting a bear.

Hedley Kow - The Hedley Kow was a naughty, shapechanging, playful elf who lived near the village of Hedley. His appearance was not scary and his tricks were usually harmless, which he always ended with a neighing laughter. A typical trick was to change himself into a bunch of straw. When an elderly woman gathering wood picked up the straw, it suddenly became so heavy she had to put it down. Immediately the straw became 'alive' and then it scuttled away laughing. Other tricks included imitating the voice of a lover, feeding cream to cats, and turning over a bowl of soup.

Heinzelmännchen - Friendly dwarfs or elves from German folk belief. They work at night for people whom they like, or to whom they are indebted.

Hobgoblin - An impish, ugly and mischievous sprite, particularly Puck or Robin Goodfellow. The word is a variant of Rob-goblin (or Robin goblin) -- i.e. the goblin Robin.

Hsien - Powerful shape-shifting nature spirits who are harmful and can pass through solid matter. Their elements are air, water and earth.
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Ieles - Malevolent cat fairies who attack humans at crossroads and drain their blood.

Igosha - In Russian folklore an Igosha is a household sprite, a handless and legless monster. Legends say that an Igosha is the spirit of a new-born baby who died without being christened. Igoshas lives here and there and are very fond of cruel pranks. To appease one, people should acknowledge his presence loudly, give him a spoon and a loaf of bread at the table – or a hat and mittens for the winter.

Illes - Hairy trolls who can yake beautiful human forms for short periods.

Imp - A more popular name for this entity is genie. Historically the imp was thought to be a small demon kept in a bottle or ring. When released or awaken the entity served its master in magical, alchemical, or healing purposes. Supposedly there are both good and bad imps. Magicians evoke them in rituals of ceremonial magic and command them with incantations, words and names of power.

Incubus - In medieval European folklore, the incubus is a male demon (or evil spirit) who visits women in their sleep to lie with them in ghostly sexual intercourse. The woman who falls victim to an incubus will not awaken, although may experience it in a dream. Should she get pregnant the child will grow inside her as any normal child, except that it will possess supernatural capabilities. Usually the child grows into a person of evil intent or a powerful wizard. Legend has it that the magician Merlin was the result of the union of an incubus and a nun. A succubus is the female variety, and she concentrates herself on men. According to one legend, the incubus and the succubus were fallen angels.

Itchetiky - In Russian folklore itchetiky are shaggy tiny men, spirits of babies who were drowned by their mothers. They live in water, in whirlpools and close to water-mills. Sometimes one can hear a sound as if someone slapped his hand upon the water, and this sound signifies that itchetiky are around somewhere. To meet an itchetik is an evil omen.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

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Jack Frost - Jack Frost is a figure from folklore, an elfish creature who personifies crisp, cold weather. He is said to leave those beautiful patterns on autumn leaves and windows on frosty mornings. It is thought that he originated in Norse folklore as Jokul ("icicle") or Frosti ("frost"). In Russia, frost is represented as Father Frost, a smith who binds water and earth together with heavy chains. In Germany however, it is an old women who causes it to snow by shaking out her bed of white feathers.

Jack o' the bowl - A house spirit of Switzerland. He is so called from the nightly custom of placing for him a bowl of fresh cream on the cowhouse root. The contents are sure to disappear before morning.

Jack-in-Irons - A very dangerous giant who haunts the deserted roads in Yorkshire. He is covered with chains and the heads of his victims. His weapon is a large club with spikes.

Jenny Greenteeth - An ugly old woman with a green skin, long hair and sharp teeth who inhabits the river Tees. She grabs the ankles of those who stand to close to the water, pulls them under water and drowns them. Swimming or wading in this river is strongly discouraged.

Jinn - Creatures that are half-human and half-demon from pre-Islamic times. Originally, they were spirits of nature that caused madness in humans. They differ not much from humans: they reproduce, they have the same bodily needs, and they die, although their life span is much longer. The Arabic word jinn, which means "spirit", is neutral--some of the jinni serve Allah, while others do not. The Arabs believed the jinni often took the form of ostriches, or rode them. Dalila, Samson's treacherous mistress, rode and ostrich. There are five orders of genies: the Marid (the most powerful), the Afrit, the Shaitan, the Jinn, and the Jann (the least powerful). Jinni can do good or evil, are mischievous and enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done them, even unintentionally. Thus accidents and diseases are considered to be their work. They are composed of fire or air and they can assume both animal and human form. They exist in air, in flame, under the earth and in inanimate objects, such as rocks, trees and ruins. In the stories of the "Thousand and One Nights" a jinn often inhabits an old, battered oil lamp. After rubbing the lamp three times, it will appear and grants the holder of the lamp three wishes. A forth wish will undo the previous three.

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Kabouter - Dutch variant of the leprechaun. They are friendly little beings, about 15 cm. in height.

Kallraden - Swedish water fairy.

Kaukis - The Prussian version of gnomes.

Kelpie - In old Scotland, the Kelpie is a treacherous water devil who lurks in lakes and rivers. It usually assumes the shape of a young horse. When a tired traveler stops by a lake to rest or to have a drink, he would see a horse, apparently peacefully grazing. When he mounts the horse, the Kelpie dives into the water, but besides wet clothes, the rider gets away unharmed.

Kludde - In Belgium folklore, a water spirit which roams the Flemish country side. This creature, called Kludde, hides in the twilight of dawn and sunset and attacks innocent travelers. Warned travelers listen for the only sound which betrays that Kludde is in the vicinity: the rattling of the chains with which the spirit is covered. Kludde usually appears in the shape of a monstrous black dog that walks on his hind legs. The faster one walks, the faster this monster follows, often swinging through the trees like a giant snake. No one can ever hope to outrun or escape this creature. The dog is not the only shape in which it can be seen. It can also assume the shape of a huge, hairy, black cat or a horrible black bird.

Knockers - A diminutive race of fairy miners found across Europe. The knockers are a variety of kobolds. They live in mines and are usually good-natured. With a knocking sound they point out where the rich veins are to be found. Although they are usually friendly towards miners, they can play strange tricks. For a knocker there is nothing funnier than to scare miners by changing its ugly face to something even more horrible, while performing strange dances. A little piece of miners-food must be left for the knockers, or else they became mad and that would bring bad luck. Whistling and cursing they dislike as well and that is usually rewarded by the throwing of (harmless) gravel. In the hundreds of abandoned tin mines in Cornwall, knockers are still waiting for miners to lead them to hidden, rich veins.

Kobolds - See Fairy Folklore/Kobold.

Kornmutter - A German field spirit, the spirit of the growing grain incarnate in the last sheaf.

Korrigans - Water fairies of Brittany. They have the power to make men fall in love with them, most dying when the Korrigan disappears. Korrigans are found in the fountains and wells of the forest of Broceliande. They are known for bright hair and red flashing eyes, and only coming out at night, shunning even half-dark. Some say that she and her kind are pagan princesses of Brittany that rejected Christianity when the holy Apostles brought it to Armorica, and now dwell here under a ban, outcast and abhorred.



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Lamiñas - Lamiñas are evil faeries of the País Vasco. They live in the woods and in the shores of streams and rivers. They usually appear as women (they can also appear as men, but that is rare). The only means to distinguish them from normal people is to see that part of their body which is fish or bird. Of course, usually it is easy beacuase it is fifty-fifty, but the animal detail can sometimes be as small as a goat leg or a chicken foot.

Lares - Roman guardian spirits of house and fields. It was believed that he blessed the house and brought fertility to the fields. Just like the Penates, the Lares were worshipped in small sanctuaries or shrines, called Lararium, which could be found in every Roman house. Here people sacrificed food to the Lares on holidays. In contrast to their malignant counterparts the Lemures, the Lares are beneficent and friendly spirits.

There were many different types of guardians. The most important are the Lares Familiares (guardians of the family), Lares Domestici (guardians of the house), Lares Patrii and Lares Privati. Other guardians were the Lares Permarini (guardians of the sea), Lares Rurales (guardians of the land), Lares Compitales (guardians of crossroads), Lares Viales (guardians of travelers) and Lares Praestitis (guardians of the state). The Lares are usually depicted as dancing youths, with a horn cup in one hand and a bowl in the other. As progenitors of the family, they were accompanied by symbolic phallic serpents.

Leanan Sidhe - On the Isle of Man, the Leanan Sidhe is a vampiric female spirit, while on in Ireland she is the muse of poetry. Those who are inspired by her usually live a glorious, but short life.

Lemures - The Roman equivalent of bogeymen. They are Roman spirits of deceased family members. These malignant spirits dwell throughout the house and frighten the inhabitants. People tried to reconcile or avert the Lemures with strange ceremonies which took place on May 9, 11, and 13; this was called the "Feast of the Lemures." Their counterparts are the Lares, friendly and beneficent house spirits.

Leprechaun - Very small sprites who sometimes live in farmhouses or wine cellars. They are known to aid humans and perform small labors for them. Sometimes they ask humans for supplies and furniture, in return they give objects which bring luck and fortune. Leprechauns are called fairy cobblers, because they make shoes for elves (but always one shoe, never a pair). They are seen quite often by humans and are described as merry little fellows gaily dressed in old-fashioned clothes; green, with a red cap, leather apron, and buckled shoes. When they finish their daily tasks, leprechauns like to organize wild feast, during which time they are referred to as cluricauns. These (often drunk) cluricauns can then be seen riding in moonlight on the back of a dog or a sheep. According to popular belief, a leprechaun possesses a treasure (usually a pot of gold) which a human may obtain if he succeeds in capturing one, which is extremely difficult. Even after capture, a person may not take his eyes off of him for an instant, for then he will vanish. Leprechauns are mainly found in Irish folklore.

Little people - Collective name for earth fairies. They can be found living in rocks, caves, quarries, mineshafts, under rivers, and inside burial mounds. They are found in stories in many cultures and are called many names, including gnomes, knockers, and dwarves.

Liosalfar - In Norse mythology, liosalfar are the light elves that emerged from the dead body of the giant Ymir. See also Dockalfar and alfar.

Lliannan-She - In the Isle of Man, a spirit friend, a female fairy who waited to encounter men. If one spoke to her she followed him always, but remained invisible to everyone else.

Lorelei - According to German legend, there was once a beautiful young maiden, named Lorelei, who threw herself headlong into the river in despair over a faithless lover. Upon her death she was transformed into a siren and could from that time on be heard singing on a rock along the Rhine River, near St. Goar. Her hypnotic music lured sailors to their death. The legend is based on an echoing rock with that name near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany.

Lunantishee - The Lunantishee, or Lunantishess, are a tribe of fairies who guard blackthorn bushes (one of the Fairy Trees). They will not allow a blackthorn stick to be cut on May 11th (originally May Day) or November 11 (originally All Hallows Eve). Should a person manage to cut a stick, some misfortune will surely befall him or her.

Lutin - In the folklore of Normandy, a goblin, similar to the house-spirits of Germany. The name was formerly netun and is said to be derived from Neptune. When the lutin assumes the form of a horse ready equipped, it is called Le Cheval Bayard.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

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Mab - Mab is the Queen of the Faeries. She is often portrayed as a trickster who robs dairies and steals babies. Mab first appeared in post-sixteenth century English literature, in the poems Nimphidia, and Entertainment at Althorpe by Ben Jonson. The origin of Queen Mab is most likely Celtic, either from Mabb of Welsh Mythology or Maeve (Maebhe) of the Cuchullain tales.

Makara - Just as the mermaid is half human half fish the Makara is half animal half fish. For example, he is sometimes described as having the head of an elephant and the body of a fish. He is generally large and lives in the ocean rather than in lakes or streams.

Mamur - El Mamur. Of the family of imps, it is a small dwarf, sometimes horned, that wears a red, pointed hat (as all imps) and red chausses. Mamures have many names: diablillo ("little devil") in Galicia, familiar in most parts of Spain, maridillo, maneiró in Cataluña, pauto in Asturias, mengue ("small") in Cantabria, carmeno in Andalucía. In fact, marmeños appear as black beetles, and not dwarves. Mamures are so small they can dwell in a pin's box. They belong to a human, not to a house, and they work hard, and help and obey their master. This one can sell them or give them to one of his children or other relative. Mamures and pautos also protect the human they serve. They are so good, that they will never be evil and they will work hard, without ever expecting anything in return.

Manitou - Fairy folk in Algonquin Indian legend. These fairies of eastern North America are tricksters with antlers or horns who make magic by drumming.

Manes - Fairy spirits of the dead in Roman mythology. See also lares and lemures.

Mara - A goblin from Scandinavian folklore who seizes men in their beds and takes away all speech and motion.

Margot-la-fee - A treacherous water spirit from France, found in the bodies of salt water .

Meigas - Meigas are the Galician witches. They are women, but that is nearly the only thing that is defined. They can be good or evil, ugly or of incredible beauty.

Mekumwasuck - According to Passamaquoddy Indians they are little people of the woods with ugly, hairy faces. They dress outlandishly and bring sickness or death to anyone they look directly at.

Mermaids - A marine creature with the head and upper body of a beautiful young maiden and with the lower body of a fish. She can be found in seas and lakes, or lying on a rock and combing her hair with one hand while holding a mirror in the other. Mermaids sometimes foretell the future and are often accompanied by seals. According to myth, they lure sailors by singing and with lovely music. They live in a kingdom on the bottom of the sea, and it is here they take their prisoners to. From this story, the fear amongst the sailor grew and they thought that seeing a mermaid would cause bad luck: it could predict death by drowning. The belief in mermaids is not limited to a few countries, but there are tales from all over the world.

Merrow - The Irish mere-folk distinguish themselves from other sea-elves by wearing red feathered hats which they use to find their homes. Should such a hat be stolen, the Merrow would be unable to return to his home. Although the males are ugly, they are very friendly and cheerful. The females are gentle and beautiful creatures who often fall in love with fishermen. Merrows appear as portents of oncoming storms. Sometimes they come ashore in the shape of small, hornless cattle.

Mimis - The Mimis are rock spirits of Arnhem Land in northern Australia. They are very thin creatures, for they live in the tiny crevices of rocks. Because they are so thin and fragile, they keep a close watch on the weather for a strong wind might blow them away, or even break their bones if they emerge from their hiding places. Mimis only leave their homes to seek food, usually roots, but a man passing by might be eaten by them.


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Naecken - In Swedish folklore, a naked fiddle playing man that comes up on to rocks within rivers to play.

Nagas - Beautiful earth and water spirits of India who have magical powers and live in underground cities. They are shape-shifters who often take the hybrid form of snakes and humans, sometimes with many heads.

Nain Rouge - "Red dwarf". A lutin of house spirit of Normandy, kind to fishermen. There is another called le petit homme rouge (the little red man).

Nats - The generic name for the spirits of indigenous Burmese religion and folk belief. They are spirits of the wind, air, rain, sky, earth, forest, rivers and streams, hills, etc., and also of the house and the cultivated fields. The ghosts of the dead are nats, as well as the supernaturals of Buddhism. The nats can be harmful unless constantly appeases and propitiated. The Buddhist monks propitiate them as zealously as any nat-cult priest; there is a natsin (nat house or spirit shrine) in the shade of every pagoda, as well as one at the end of every village, where periodic ceremonies are performed. The nats serve as guardians of the house, village, tribe, and personal property. The eleven nat maidens who guard the eleven royal umbrellas in Mandalay are called nat-thami. They also protect boats and treasure. The Burmese have a specific list of Thirty-Seven Nats who, with two exceptions, are national heroes and heroines of five groups of pseudo-historical tales. There were originally thirty-three of them, but their number was expanded with four more in modern times. Their images can be found in the Shwe Zigon pagoda at Pagan.

Neriads - The Neriads are the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris who dwell in the Mediterranean Sea. These beautiful women were always friendly and helpful towards sailors fighting perilous storms. They are believed to be able to prophesize. They belong to the retinue of Poseidon. Also spelled Nerieds.

Nicnivin - In Scottish folklore, the spirits who haunted the roeads during hours of dusk and dark. They were ruled over by the Unseelie Court.

Nippel - Nippel is guardian spirit of the Czech part of Ceský les/Bayerische Wald forest range. According to the stories of local German villagers, Nippel guards the forest and kills poachers in the same way as they have killed an animal, but also helps poor but good people, either by giving them some treasures or warning them if a dangerous situation will occur. He lives on Niklasberg, a hill between Bela nad Radbuzou and Tremesna and usually looks like a noble count (when helping)or a little cruel dwarf (when punishing). There is a simillar spirit on the Bavarian part of the hills, who is named Tyllenberger, but in other characteristics is equal to Nippel. Nippel and Tyllenberger were not believed to be the same; there is a story about the time when they first met and celebrated it.

Nixies - In Norse folklore, they are water spirits who try to lure people into the water. The males can assume many different shapes, including that of a human, fish, and snake. The females are beautiful women with the tail of a fish. When they are in human forms they can be recognized by the wet hem of their clothes. The Nixes are considered as malignant in some quarters, but as harmless and friendly in others.

Noggle - The noggle a mischievous creature in the British isles that isn't really a horse. It looks like a little gray horse with a saddle, but if someone gets on, it dashes into the water where it turns into a burning, blue cloud. The Noggle is also a pest if there are mills around, because it keeps the mills wheels from turning. Sticking a long knife into a hole in the wheel should start it turning again.

Nuberu - El nuberu is described as small, dark skinned, with big ears and bright eyes. He wears furs, a large hat and a cloak. In northern Spain, but specially in Asturias, he is a spirit of the wind, a "Lord of Tempest". He acts depending on how he is treated. If farmers are good to him, he will send that rain which helps the crops to grow strong and abundant. But if he believes he is badly treated, he becomes vindictive and sends ice, heavy, destructive rain and storms. To those he particularly hates, he sends a rain of frogs.

Nuckelavee - The Nuckelavee is the most horrible of all the Scottish elves. He lives mainly in the sea, but was also held responsible for ruined crops, epidemics, and drought. His breath could wilt the crops and sicken the livestock. He looks like a horse whose legs are part fin; he has an enormous snout-like mouth, and a single, fiery eye. His arms reach to the ground, his body is distorted and his huge head sways on a small neck, as if it is to weak to hold the head. The most gruesome about his appearance is the fact that he has no skin. Black blood courses through yellow veins and the pale sinews and powerful muscles are clear to see. He has an aversion of running water and those who are chased by him have only to cross a stream to get rid of him.

Nunus - They are little creatures or dwarfs. They live in a rock with two holes. They are helpful or kind to anyone who passes them; and will even offer to let someone live in their rock.
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Ogre - In folklore and fairy tales Ogres are creatures of very malignant disposition, who live on human flesh. They are larger and broader than a man but somewhat shorter than a giant.

Orc - A sea-monster fabled by Ariosto, Drayton, and Sylvester to devour men and women. According to Pliny, it was a huge creature 'armed with teeth'.

Owl-spirits - Air fairies of West Africa that take on the forms of birds.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

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Pechs (also pehts) - Scottish fairies who build castles.

Penates - In Roman mythology, the Penates ("the inner ones") are the patron gods of the storeroom. Later they gradually changed into patron gods for the entire household. Their cult is closely related to that of Vesta and the Lares. They were worshipped at the hearth and were given their part of the daily meals.

Peg Powler - An ugly old woman with a green skin, long hair and sharp teeth who inhabits the river Tees. She grabs the ankles of those who stand to close to the water, pulls them under water and drowns them. Swimming or wading in this river is strongly discouraged.

Peri - In Persia, the peri were fairy creatures formed out of fire, existing on a diet of perfume and other odors. The peri where captured and locked awayin iron cages haning high in the trees by the devs.

Portunes - Portunes are tiny medieval fairies, described by Gervase of Tilbury as being the size of a finger. They are very old men with wrinkled faces who work on human farms. Friendly and helpful they may be, at night they cannot resist grabbing the bridle of a horse and leading the horse and its rider into ponds. They are among the earliest fairies recorded in English manuscripts.

Pey - In Tamil folklore, the Pey is a demonic being that drinks the blood of fallen or wounded warriors. The female counterpart of this vampiric creature is the Peymakilir, who devours corpses while dancing frenziedly.

Phooka - The Phooka is a harmless Irish kobold who appears in a great diversity of animal shapes. He can be seen in the shape of a dog or horse, usually pitch-black with fiery eyes. As an apparently tame and shabby pony, the Phooka offers careless travelers a ride on its back. But as soon as the traveler mounts the horse, he is in for a hell-ride through marshes and thorn-bushes. Then suddenly, he is thrown into a ditch or mudpool and the chuckling he hears is the Phooka galloping away. Sometimes he appears in the form of an eagle and carries people away on his back.

Phynnodderee - A Manx hobgoblin combining the properties of the Scandinavian troll, the Scottish brownie and the Irish leprechaun. The phynnodderee drives home sheep and helps in the harvesting if a storm is brewing. He possesses great strength.

Pigwidgin - A fairy or dwarf; anything very small.

Pixy - See Fairy Folklore/Pixies.

Plaksy - The night-hag of Russian folklore.

Plant Rhys Dwfen - The Plant Rhys Dwfen ("children of Deep Rhys") are a tribe of fairies who inhabit a small land which is invisible because of a special herb that grows there. They are handsome, less than average in height, and grateful to those who treat them fairly. They often visit markets in Cardigan where they pay such high prices for goods that ordinary buyers can not compete with them. When visiting the main land, they assume human form.

Portunes - Portunes are tiny medieval fairies, described by Gervase of Tilbury as being the size of a finger. They are very old men with wrinkled faces who work on human farms. Friendly and helpful they may be, at night they cannot resist grabbing the bridle of a horse and leading the horse and its rider into ponds.

Puck - Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is a character from Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream". With his flute, made from a willow twig, he accompanies fairies on their moonlight dances. He is closely related to the Irish Phooka and the Bwca from Wales.
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There are no Q enteries at this time.



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Red Cap - Red Cap is a thoroughly evil creature. He is a short, stocky old man with long gray hair and claws in stead of hands. He lives on the Scottish Border in ancient ruins of castles, especially in those with a bloody history of war and murder. He owes his name to the fact that he wears a red hat, which is colored by the blood of his victims. Red Cap moves with remarkable speed, despite the fact that he wears iron boots. He can overcome even the strongest man, unless the intended victim remembers to quote a few words from the bible.

Roane - Irish seal fairies.

Rübenzahl - Rübenzahl is called Krakonos (pronounce Krakonosh, "a" like in "mark") in Czech, as the Giant mountains' Czech name is Krkonose. Older stories about him (P.J.Preatorius) reflect him as an evil spirit with a bit harsh sense for humor, later focus on his help to poor local people.

Rübezahl - A mountain spirit from German folklore, the ruler of the wind. He lives in the Riesengebirge (Giant Mountains), the mountain range which separates Poland (Prussian Silesia) and Czechoslovakia (Bohemia). He is also called Herr Johannes.

Rusalka - According to east-Slavic folklore, a Rusalka is a water spirit or water nymph. They are the souls of young women or girls who died an unnatural or violent death. If the girl was murdered in or close to a lake, she would became a Rusalka and inhabit that particular lake. Rusalkas appear as beautiful young women who try to lure men into the water, where they will drown them. Rusalki can also be found on nights when there is a new moon; dancing on meadows or open places in the woods. They are capable of killing humans with their shrill laughter. A Rusalka's fate can be undone by avenging her death.
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Saci - Spirits who haunt the forests of Brazil.

Sea Witches - For centuries stories of sea witches have predominately enhanced British folklore. The tales are believed by many in the sea faring trade. Allegedly these beings, which have been described as phantoms, or ghosts of the dead supposedly have the supernatural powers to control seamen's fate on the waves. Sea witches are still believed to lurk up and down the coast ready to scuttle ships upon the rocks, and cause them to founder in storms.

Seelie Court - The Court of the kind and benign fairy host, usually seen around twilight in long solemn processions. These fairies help the poor with gifts of corn and bread. The opposite of the Seelie Court ("Blessed Court") is the evil Unseelie Court.

Selkies - The shy Selkies are marine creatures in the shape of a seal. They can be found near the islands of Orkney and Shetland. A female can shed her skin and come ashore as a beautiful woman. When a man finds the skin, he can force the Selkie to be a good, if somewhat sad, wife. Should she ever recover the skin, she will immediately return to sea, leaving her husband behind. The male Selkies are responsible for storms and also for the sinking of ships, which is their way of avenging the hunting of seals.

Shellycoat - The Shellycoat is a Scottish bogeyman who haunts the rivers and streams. He is covered with shells, which rattle when he moves, announcing his presence. He enjoys misleading wanderers and often puts them on the wrong track. The Shellycoat is playful, but rather harmless. Generally, the creatures who inhabit rivers are less dangerous than those who live in lakes and seas.

Shivering Boy - At Triermain Castle, in Northumberland, it is not so much a sight as a touch that is to be feared .... the touch of tiny, icy fingers, and a little boy's voice whispering, "Cold, cold, forever more." The boy, legend has it, lived in the fifteenth century, and had inherited the castle when his father died. The uncle who was made the boy's ward wanted the castle for himself, so he starved the boy until he was barely alive, then abandoned him on Thirwell Common in the midst of a winter storm. The boy perished in the snow. But he returned to the castle in death, and walks the halls, teeth chattering, a spectral six-year-old shivering with the cold. If he enters the room of someone asleep, he may simply stand whimpering by the bed ... or he may reach out and lay an ice-cold hand on the sleepers brow. To feel his touch, or see his sad little figure, is a portent of trouble to come.

Sidhe - Sidhe (pronounced 'shee') literally means "people of the (fairy) hills". It is the Gaelic name for the fairies in both Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Usually these fairies are attracted to those who are beautiful as well as wealthy.

Si'la - Harmful spirits from the Middle East, a kind of djinn who cannot change their shape.

Silvanes - Nearly invisible Italian weather fairies whose toes point backwards. They mate with the silvani to produce little baby silvanes called folletti.

Sirens - In Greek mythology, the Sirens are creatures with the head of a female and the body of a bird. They lived on an island (Sirenum scopuli; three small rocky islands) and with the irresistible charm of their song they lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks surrounding their island.

Skogsnufa - Forest spirit of Denmark, a wild-natured woodwife.

Skrat - One of the many creatures that are said to move into the farmhouses from time to time is the skrat. He usually lives in a beech tree or a cave and looks like a chicken that has been caught in a downpour. His wingtips and tail drag on the ground. He may also transform himself into a small bird, a goose, a dog or cat, or even a hair-covered man. Any family he lives with becomes rich.

Sluagh of the Highlands -A horde of evil spirits in Scotland, who fly in groups like birds. According to Irish legends, they are the souls of deceased sinners and they try to take other souls with them. They come flying from the west and therefore, when someone is dying, people keep the windows on the west-side closed. This way, the soul of the deceased can not be intercepted before it reaches heaven.

Solitary Fairies - The Solitary Fairies, who exist as individuals and are often associated with a certain place or region, are most likely illustrated as spiteful, mischievous, and hostile if provoked. Solitary Fairies, while said to be good, do not share nearly the same degree of goodness with the Trooping Fairies. In fact, Solitary Fairies have only been given the title of a good fairy because the human inhabitants of the place where they dwell are too scared to say otherwise. The Solitary Fairies are known for their malicious and sometimes cruel games and only seem to exercise these practices when they find the actions of a person unsuitable to their liking. Apparently it is not hard to get on the bad side of Solitary Fairies because they are said to have a double morality, which means that they think they are entitled to whatever they want of a human. They have been known to steal human babies and replace them with changelings, bestow bad luck upon humans, take mortals as slaves, and even have a feast at which the main course was a human woman. One well known example of a Solitary Fairy's playfulness with the lives of humans is the Strangers. The story tells of a town who stopped believing in the fairies, which made the fairies unhappy, so to punish the townsfolk, the fairies made the crops fail, allowed illness to the children, and sent the town into economic turmoil. These examples do more than just show the cruel actions of Solitary Fairies, but show the personality as well.

Spriggan - Spriggans are ugly, grotesque creatures and although there are very small, they can enlarge themselves to the size of a giant. They are the guardians of treasure mounds. Spriggans are clever and dangerous thieves who are capable of robbing the homes of humans and stealing their children. Often they would leave a Spriggan-baby in the child's place. They control whirlwinds with which they destroy corn-fields, and they scorch the crops, besides other unpleasantness.

Squant - Squant was a mermaid who loved a land giant whose pipe puffed white clouds over the water. One day she lured him down into the sea, but as soon as she wound her hair around him he fell asleep, and she has never been able to awaken him.

Stray Sod - A Stray Sod is an enchanted clump of grass. When one steps on the clump, it triggers a magic spell and under the influence of this spell, all the familiar landmarks have disappeared. The road you walked upon is suddenly gone and no matter how hard you look, it can not be seen again. In other cases, a traveler can suddenly notice that he is walking in a completely different direction, and no matter which way he turns, he cannot find the right direction again. The spell can be lifted by wearing the clothes inside out (a well tested method).

Succubus - In medieval European folklore, a female demon (or evil spirit) who visits men in their sleep to lie with them in ghostly sexual intercourse. The man who falls victim to a succubus will not awaken, although may experience it in a dream. The male counterpart is the incubus.

Swan May - According to the mythology of pre-Roman Britain, if you can get the feather of the Swan May, you can perform great feats of magic, including turning yourself into a swan. But beware the Swan May, if she should get her feather back, she can escape.

Swar skogsfru - Swedish equivalent of the skognufa of Denmark, also called a woodwife.

Sylph - See Fairy Folklore/Sylph.

Szepasszony - In Hungarian folklore, the Szepasszony is a taboo word. It is the name of the Fair Lady, a beautiful woman with long hair and a white dress. She is a female demon who seduces young men and comes out to dance in storms and hail-showers. Noon is the hour when she is the most powerful. Several expressions are associated with her. To "step into the platter of the Fair Lady" means to fall under a spell or one can describe a sick child as being "suckled by the Fair Lady." Water dripping from the eaves forming a puddle constitutes a platter by which the Fair Lady can cast a spell on someone. It is considered dangerous to step into a circle of short grass surrounded by taller grass or no grass at all, since it may be the circle where the Fair Lady dances.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

T
Tangie - A water-spirit of the Orkneys appearing as a man covered with seaweed or as a little sea-horse.

Tarbh uisge - The water bull, a supernatural creature from the highlands of Scotland.

Tengu - Tormenting spirits from Japanese folklore. These bogeymen, with their long noses and beaks, live in mountains and forests and are especially after children. Their leader is Sojo-bo.

Thayè - In Burmese folk believe, the disembodied spirit of a person who has died a violent death: inimical to mankind. In folktales these spirits are represented with hideous, giant bodies and long, slimy fingers or tongues.

Tiddy Ones - These are usually groups of influential spirits, rather than individuals. They are generally helpful. Tiddy Mun was often invoked to withdraw flood waters. However, if they are hurt (physically or emotionally), they throw tantrums and cast pestilence on cattle and children.

Tokolush - Small, baboon-like spirit from South Africa who is covered by black hair. He lives near streams and frightens travelers.

Tomte - A tomte (tomten) usually lives at farms in Sweden. If he is treated with respect he can be very helpful. Tomten is very proud and sensitive. If you make fun of him or in any other way treat him disrespectfully, he will most certainly punish you. An "accident" can happen to you, the cows will give sour milk or the harvest will fail. In fairly modern times people are suposed to give him a white porridge made of rice on a plate outdoors. Closely related to tomten is vätter and huldra, but they usually do not live that close to humans.

Tomtra - Male brownie from Finland who plays the fiddle and will only live in a tidy human home.

Trasgu - El Trasgu. Trasgus are typical from Asturian folklore, but in fact they are known in all the country (Spain) under the less regional appellative of "trasgos". In others parts of Europe, they are known as "lutin", "follet", "kobold" or "puck". Trasgos are horned and have a tail; they also walk with a limp. Trasgos live in old houses, and are specially fond on those with a big garret or lumber room. They are not sentimentally attached to the building, but to the family that inhabits there, and the trasgo will follow the family if it moves to another place. Trasgos love any kind of domestic work, but they must be repaid with food and warmth, otherwise they can become very angry. They will then awake sleeping people, displace any object in the house or break dishes. Most of all, they are very greedy, and will steal any sweet that can be found in the house.

Trenti - Imp or spirit of moss, typical of Cantabria, he is also known as "musgoso" or "simiot". He is very difficult to see, because he is covered by moss, mushrooms, leaves and fern, and you can only distinguish his green eyes and black face. He dwells in the only poor remnants of forest that are still rid of human beings. In summer, he sleeps under trees, in winter he prefers shelter. His incessant jokes can be very annoying. Especially, he likes to ambush walkers to frighten them, but his preferred joke is pulling maid's skirts. Nevertheless, the trenti is never evil.

Troll - In Scandinavian myth, trolls are ugly, malicious creatures and the enemies of mankind. They are much bigger and stronger than humans, and leave their caves only after dark to hunt. If they are exposed to sunlight they will instantly turn to stone. Trolls are very fond of human flesh. In later myths they are roughly the size of humans or elves, and thought to be the owners of buried treasures. They are sometimes, although very rarely, portrayed as friendly, less ugly creatures.

Trooping fairies - Trooping Fairies, who dwell in communities, kingdoms, and monarchies, are portrayed in the fairytales dealing with them as being less spiteful and malevolent and more eager to welcome humans and help them. In fact, in some cases mortal men actually married fairy women as is the case in several of the fairytales of Wales and Ireland, one of which is the story of the Seal Maidens. In another account of fairy intervention, commonly told in Ireland, a man with a humped back is cured of his disfigurement by fairies after merely singing a song with the fairies. Although Trooping Fairies, like almost all fairies, do not enjoy uninvited guests, they typically help anyone who finds their way into trouble.

Trow - The Trows from the Shetland Islands are related to the Scandinavian Trolls. Like their Nordic relatives, they hate sunlight, for this turns them into stone. Trows were observed many times performing a strange dance, which the islanders call 'Henking'. There are land-trows and sea-trows. A common phrase used by mother who were angry with their children was 'Trow take thee'.

Tylwyth Teg - The Tylwyth Teg ("the fair people") are Welsh fairies who live in lakes or streams or in hollows of the hills. The females are called y mamau (the mothers), a title which links them to the pagan Celtic deities, the Matres. Associated with them are the usual traditions of moonlight dance, the supernatural passage of time, the stealing of children, and the substitution of changelings. They are especially interested in children with golden hair. Their favorites they enrich with precious gifts, which disappear when these gifts are spoken of.
U
Underhill people - A type of fairy creature in Cherokee folklore, divided into those who are benevolent to human kind and those who harm humans.

Undines - See Fairy Folklore/Undines.

Unseelie Court - The evil counterpart of the Seelie Court is always unfavorable towards mankind. The part which flies through the sky at night is called the 'Horde'. Mortals unfortunate enough to cross the Horde's path are taken along for a hell-ride. These poor victims are beaten and pinched and forced to participate in the bizarre nocturnal activities of these creatures. The Unseelie Court ("Unholy Court") solely consists of those of the fairy-like beings which are the most ugly and evil.

Urisk - The Urisk is a solitary Scottish elf who lives in remote pools and rivers. He is friendly and likes the company of humans, but his curious appearance usually scares away those he approaches.

Uttuku - Assyrian banshees.



V
Vadleany - In Hungarian folklore, the Vadleany (Forest Girl) is a forest girl who seduces shepherds, takes away their strength and makes the forest rustle. She is usually naked and her hair is so long it touches the ground. She can be caught with a pair of boots.

Vardogls - Small fairies from Iceland who dance when the moon is full.

Vättar - Vättar are smallish guardians, distantly related to the tomte. In Finland they are called maahinen.

Venusleute - Venusleute (people of Venus) were in German tales little people living in rocks near Zulova (Sumperk county, Czech republic). They were very small, but pretty, and used to help and give food to lost children. They also bathed, cooked and washed their clothes in rock "bowls" often found in local rocks. Venusleute also sometimes used a cap of invisibility.

Vitore - A good Albanian household spirit who, in the shape of a small snake, lives in the walls of the house. With a soft whistling it announces both pleasant as well as sad events.

Vodnik - In Slavic folklore, a Vodnik is a water demon who comes into existence when a child is drowned. He lures people into the water and hold them under until they suffocate. He appears as a fish or as a human with green hair. In Russia he is called Vodjanoj.

Vodyanoi - The vodyanoi is an unfriendly creature who lives in a crystal palace at the bottom of a river, lake or sea. He decorates his home with treasures from sunken ships, and he dislikes human beings so much that he drowns them or makes them his slaves, giving them the ability to live underwater too. It is said that he is only seen or heard at night. He sometimes looks like a large fish and sometimes like an enormous frog, as large as a seal, with a human face. He is blamed for breaking dams to let the waters flow.  

[Deadly Nyghtshade]

W
Walpurgis Night - The day of the Saint Walburga (8th century CE) is celebrated on May 1. But the night before, April 30 or May Day Eve (Beltane Eve), is called Walpurgis Night; formerly the date of the pagan festival marking the beginning of summer. According to German legend, this festival has been associated with a witches' carnival, and on this night it was believed that witches met with the devil. In these nights there were usually large bonfires in certain places in the Harz Mountains, Germany, with the purpose to dispel witches.

Water Leaper - The Water Leaper (Llamhigyn Y Dwr) is a tailed, winged, toad-like creature which lurks in Welsh lakes and preys on fishermen.

Weisse Frau - German water fairy who protects children.

Wild Hunt - In Germany, this murderous hunt is lead by Frau Berchta with her ghostly dogs, chasing unlucky mortals to their death.

Will-o'-the-wisp - Will-o'-the-wisps are the faint lights seen on marshes and bogs on still nights after sunset. Usually a soft bluish light, but also reddish or greenish in appearance. In folklore, they are thought to be imps or pixies leading victims to danger in swamps and heaths. Sometimes they are believed to be the spirits of stillborn children flitting between heaven and hell. It is also known as Jack O'Lantern, Peg-a-Lantern, Friar's Lantern, Spunkie, Fox Fire, and Walking Fire. The classical name for this phenomena is Ignus Fatuus ("fools fire").

Witte Wieven - In Germanic folklore, women dressed in white who possessed the gift of prophecy. It was believed they roamed near swamps and mounds.

Woodwives - Typical name for the wild-natured forest spirits of Europe.

Wyvern - A creature very similar to a dragon except it only has four limbs (2 wings, 2 hind legs) and is smaller in size. Usually the other aspects are the same, although wyverns are generally not characterized as breathing flame.



X
Xanas - A kind of nymphs or faeries of Asturias, they are derived from Celtic mythology. They live near streams, and spend their day singing beautiful tunes and combing their wonderful hair.

Xindhi - The Xindhi are, in Albanian folklore, elves or elfish creatures. Their approaching is accompanied by the creaking of a door or the flickering of a flame. The Xindhi are the male spirits and the Xindha are the female spirits. They are known to be sometimes friendly and helpful, but more often they are cruel to humans.



Y
Yali - In Indian legend, the Yali is a creature with the body of a lion and the trunk and tusks of an elephant.

Yakishi - Protective tree spirits of India.

Ymir - In Norse mythology, Ymir is the primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants. He was created from the melting ice of Niflheim, when it came in contact with the hot air from Muspell. From Ymir's sleeping body the first giants sprang forth: one of his legs fathered a son on his other leg while from under his armpit a man and women grew out. The frost kept melting and from the drops the divine cow Audumla was created. From her udder flowed four rivers of milk, on which Ymir fed. The cow itself got nourishment by licking hoar frost and salt from the ice. On the evening on the first day the hair of a man appeared, on the second day the whole head and on the third day it became a man, Buri, the first god. His grandchildren are Odin, Ve and Vili. Odin and his brothers had no liking for Ymir, nor for the growing number of giants, and killed him. In the huge amount of blood that flowed from Ymir's wounds all the giants, except two, drowned. From the slain body the brothers created heaven and earth. They used the flesh to fill the Ginnungagap; his blood to create the lakes and the seas; from his unbroken bones they made the mountains; the giant's teeth and the fragments of his shattered bones became rocks and boulders and stones; trees were made from his hair, and the clouds from his brains. Odin and his brothers raised Ymir's skull and made the sky from it and beneath its four corners they placed a dwarf. Finally, from Ymir's eyebrow they shaped Midgard, the realm of man. The maggots which swarmed in Ymir's flesh they gave wits and the shape of men, but they live under the hills and mountains. They are called dwarfs. See liosalfar and dockalfar.

Yorkshire hob - Solitary fairy of England who is usually hostile to humans.

Yumboes - Small, silver-haired people of Senegal who dance in the moonlight.



Z
Zips - Shy, thin male fairies from Mexico and Central America.