Christine’s Faery List : Goblins

Goblins, Goublins, Gobelin, Goborchind (Goat Head) Coblynau, Kobolds, Coblyn, Tommyknockers (Knock) Blue Caps, Bergmannl (Mountain Men) Powries, Pooaragh (Powerful) Gathorns (Wind) Crooiney Cruagh (Red Caps) Gobha Kerey (Redcombs) Dunters, Dunver (Protection) Nickers, Nuggies (People of the Underground) Bog (God) Bogies, Bocans, Bugganes (Gods) Bogill, Bogle, Bygel Nos, Bugul Noz, Bwgwl, Bugell, Bugil (Night Shepherd) Bo-lol, Bwca, Bwbachod (God) Broonie, Brouny, Brunaidh, Burny, Brownie (Bee)

The Bwbach, like the English bogie, is believed to be identical with the Slavonic ‘bog,’ and the ‘bag’ of the Cuneiform Inscriptions, both of which are names for the Supreme Being, according to Professor Fiske. ‘The ancestral form of these epithets’ is found in ‘the old Aryan “Bhaga,” which reappears unchanged in the Sanskrit of the Vedas... It seems originally to have denoted either the unclouded sun, or the sky of noonday illuminated by the solar rays.’ Sir Bagdemagus and his squire ride past portents (strange notes on crosses and holy Sangreal-related herbs) and had many adventures (such as finding Merlin’s rock and failing to budge it) before returning to Camelot

– Walter Y. Evans Wentz, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries

Crooiney Cruagh: Lowlands, Scotland. Short, stocky, four feet tall old men with long grey hair, red eyes, protruding teeth, and taloned fingers. They wear heavy boots and carry staffs. They live in castle towers and stain their caps red with human blood they get from throwing boulders and wounding people. They can fortell disaster. go, gob, gof, goba, gobha: a smith, a bolt, gobha-dubh Welsh pl. gofion, gobân (33)

(pron. GAHB-luhns, KOH-BLEE-know, BOOKA, boobachad, BROW-NEE) Cousins of the Leprechauns who shapeshift into shadows seen through the keyholes of closets, dark clouds, humans or animals and avoid the light. They look almost human from a distance and may have eyelids that close from the bottom up, seven fingers, no ears, three rows of teeth, or no joints. They may have speech impediments and their voices are weak and whispering Little [vary from two feet tall to near human size], black, and hairy or large-headed, neckless, bony-fingered, toothless, red-haired men with red tongues, skinny legs/arms and squinty eyes who wear red miners clothes, carry pickaxes & collapse mines. They give faerie fruit, eat children, and steal. They live in caves, secret regions of the mountains & forests. Their homes are hidden from mortal vision. They are called knockers because they knock where there is ore. Their other name is goat head [gobhar + ceann]. They were created by the Fomorian giants in year 225 of the Second Age of the Sun. One of their strongholds is Beacon Mountain in Wales. In Germany they guard the salt mines which are the burial places of the dead. They are the servants of the goddess Nessa, The Loch Ness Monster. When seen above ground they dance the Morris dance in circles. The Bogle has the 29th of March as a celebration day in Scotland. The Dancing Place of the Goblin is at Ffridd y Ywen: The Forest of Yew at Mathavarn, Llanwrin, Wales. A magical yew-tree grows exactly in the middle of the forest.

Brownies / Bwcbachod are two feet tall, brown, hairy men with sharp pointed noses and ears who guard bees, transform juices into honey, and perform household chores in exchange for bread and milk. They teach children patience, courage, and trust: the alchemy of feelings into rays of the soul. Evil ones are boggarts or bag, (pron. BAWG-uhrts) and are headless men with rattling chains who live in old houses, halls and deep black holes. (1, 3, 13, 14, 20, 21, 31, 37, 38, 55, 96, 120)