Idyll Dreams & Nonsensical Things

I hope you’ve found the posts interesting so far! Of course, there are many, many, many more goblins which I did not mention (no offence intended!).

This is the final post of The Goblin Host, but next week’s will be about one of my favorite goblins – the phooka – shapeshifting tricksters of which there have been many a tale told.

Until then, here are a few more denizen’s that you might find in the Goblin King’s court…

Gruagach – Fair or haggard, male or female, clothed or naked, gruagachs have been described many different ways, but one thing they all have in common is their long hair. They would often help with work around the farm yard, such as minding cattle or threshing grain. Curiously, female gruagach have sometimes been associated to water, and will appear dripping wet even on the sunniest of days.

Loireag – Found in Scottish lore, this plain, diminutive fairy of the Hebrides is a patroness of spinning; and can be fiercely insistent that all rituals associated with such (spinning, warping, weaving and washing) be followed correctly. Loireag have sweet voices, often singing as they go about their tasks.

Bao Sith – Beautiful fairy women in Scottish lore who are said to have much in common with vampires and succubus. Seducing mortal men who are away from home to dance with them through the night. Only to disappear when the morning comes; leaving their victims to be found drained dry of blood. Much like glastigs, they often wear long flowing green dresses to hide their feet, which are in the shape of deer’s hooves.

Piskies – Cornish fairies who tend to be older, shorter and more wizened looking than the British pixy. They enjoy mischief making, and take great delight in leading people astray. They have also been known to take horses out for wild rides late at night, galloping them around in circles called “gallitraps”. They are not always troublesome and have been known to help those humans that are their favorites. They are most often seen dressed in red or green, clothes of those color being favored by the Good Folk.

Thanks for reading! And if you want to read more about the Good Folk, here are some suggestions…

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore
By Patricia Monaghan

An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures
by Katharine Briggs

Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology
By Theresa Bane

Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee

Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins – an encyclopedia by Carol Rose