LL-L "Folklore" 2004.08.11 (04) [E]

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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
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From: Kevin Caldwell <kcaldwell31 at comcast.net>
Subject: LL-L "Folklore" 2004.08.10 (07) [E]

> From: Frank Verhoft <frank.verhoft at skynet.be>
> Subject: Folklore
>
> Hi all,
>
> How would you call a 15 centimeter long being, with a white beard, a long
> pointed red hat, traditionally clad in a blue coat and brown pants, which
> lives in the woods and which features a lot of (German, Dutch, ?)
> folktales?
> Next links lead to a few images of the little chaps
> <http://www.fantasylibrary.net/book.php/176>,
> <http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2261891946#ebayphotohos
> ti
> ng>.
>
> In Dutch it's "kabouter", which is also the title of a lovely old fantasy
> history book on the life and being of these fantastic creatures. In this
> book, several translations are given, but i'm afraid that a few of them do
> not really match completely.
>
> Quote from the book:
> "Irish: imp, goblin
> English: imp, goblin

...

> Anyway, a few questions:
> * What would be the word that pops up in your mind when looking at
> <http://www.fantasylibrary.net/book.php/176>,
> <http://cgi.ebay.nl/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2261891946#ebayphotohos
> ti
> ng>?

English: gnome, possibly dwarf (as in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs").  I
wouldn't call that particular one an imp or goblin (which I think of as more
malevolent than gnomes).

> * Any comments on the list given above?
> * Any other names of small fantasy people, with a basically human-like
> anatomy, but smaller (yep, seize matters)?

Fairy, brownie, sprite, pixie, nixie, dryad, elf (though I agree that
Tolkien has influenced our concept of elves), goblin, kobold, hobgoblin,
gnoll (which I've only seen in the game Dungeons & Dragons, where they are a
cross between gnomes and trolls), troll (but fantasy role-playing games,
such as Dungeons & Dragons, have tended to depict trolls as larger than
humans), orc

I dare say that, especially for younger Americans, a lot of our ideas about
these have been shaped by Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy games of that
sort (as well as fantasy literature such as "Lord of the Rings"), where, for
instance, gnomes, dwarves, elves, and trolls are depicted as being much
larger than in folk tradition.  And Dungeons & Dragons in particular has
probably also influenced our ideas about which ones are good (elves, gnomes,
dwarves), which ones are evil (goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, gnolls, trolls,
orcs), and which ones are merely mischievous (fairies, brownies, sprites,
pixies, nixies, dryads).

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Folklore
>
> Hello, Frank!
>
> Thanks for opening another interesting thread.

...

> Other derivations of bog were Scotish _bogle_, Yorkshire _boggart_,
> English Pug, Pouke and Puck; Icelandic _Puki_; the _Puk_ of Friesland;
> the German _Putz_ or _Butz_; Irisk _Pooka_ and Welsh _Pwcca_; Danish
> _Spoge_ and Swedish _Spoka_ with their English offshoot of "spook." The
> old English _puca_, a fairy, was applied to the old gods of Beltain. So
> Puck was the same as the witches' god Robin. A.G.H.
> </quote>

Anyone who has seen the Jimmy Stewart film "Harvey" knows that a pooka is a
six-foot tall invisible rabbit!

Kevin Caldwell (kcaldwell31 at comcast.net)

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