The Magical World of Elves
It is hard to imagine that there exist characters more mysterious and bizarre than Gnomes, Fauns, Elves, and Nymphs—those small, invisible representatives of Nature, known in every corner of the world under various names, and whom we, from childhood, come to know as Sprites thanks to our first fairy tales of fairies and witches. Of course, speaking today of these ancient inhabitants of the "Other Realm" might seem more like an homage to "fantasy" than a serious attempt to explore an unknown or little-explored aspect of our culture. But if we reflect for a moment on the undeniable fact that, until a few years ago, especially in the countryside and in some places not completely tainted by the corrosive residues of the "consumer civilization," sprites with their lively and curious eyes spied, hidden among the leaves and behind bushes, on the poor inhabitants of towns and villages, often playing harmless little pranks or bestowing unexpected fortunes—feared, respected, sometimes loved, and often accepted as a natural and almost "familiar" element of everyday life for common folk—one might at least consider the hypothesis, less far-fetched than it may seem, that something more significant than the simplistic conclusion of suggestion or popular imagination is hidden behind the myth of sprites.
The Sprite and the Bishop
The oldest reference we have concerning the exploits of a sprite is found in the "Gesta Karoli Imperatoris," written between 882 and 883 by the Monk of Saint Gall. He recounts the amusing story of a mischievous sprite who, in order to gain permission from a blacksmith to visit his house at night and use the tools, went so far as to strike a sort of deal with him, promising to leave a nice flask of wine on his table each day. The blacksmith, driven by economic hardship due to a severe famine plaguing the country, gladly accepted, unaware that the sprite, to fulfill his end of the bargain, was sourcing the wine from the abundant cellars of a bishop, described as "unmatched in avarice," and leaving, perhaps out of carelessness or spite, the spigots of the barrels open each time! Naturally, the bishop's Dies Irae was not long in coming, and as a good religious man of the era, suspecting a vile diabolic intervention, he retaliated by flooding the cellar with holy water and covering the walls with crosses and "terrible exorcisms"... The poor sprite, unaware of the trap, returned to the cellar as usual, becoming trapped with no possibility of escape, nor any hope of rescue from daring colleagues or alternative deities. The next morning, discovered by the servants in human form, he was captured and condemned "as a thief" to be whipped as punishment, just like a common mortal...
The Tormentor
We learn from Sigebert of Gembloux, the well-known chronicler who lived between the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the detailed story of an extraordinary apparition that in the year 858 threw the entire diocese of Mainz into chaos: "A malignant spirit," he writes, "gave a clear sign of its wickedness that year. It tormented the citizens of Mainz by throwing stones into their homes, banging violently on walls, shouting, and sowing discord among neighbors. Not satisfied, it had turned the citizens against a certain man, as if the whole city suffered these grave troubles because of him. The poor man had his sheaves ready for threshing burned, and wherever he went, the house that hosted him would immediately catch fire, forcing the unfortunate to live under trees outside the city. To put an end to the damage, the clergy of Mainz held a solemn procession, reciting special prayers and sprinkling holy water. This indeed managed to calm the spirit. But as soon as the procession ended, it reappeared, warning that it had hidden under the clothes of a priest, whose name it gave, to avoid being hit by the sprays of holy water. As if this were not enough, it accused that priest of seducing the daughter of the city prosecutor. For another three years, the indomitable spirit remained in Mainz, causing great trouble to the citizens and the poor priest under whose clothes it had found safe refuge. It left only after burning a significant number of houses."
Incubus or Succubus
From these two tales, both highly interesting, emerges the striking contrast between the nature of the French sprite—mischievous, playful, and bizarre, but not evil, content to make noise in the blacksmith's workshop and punish the miserly bishop by ruining his wine—and the much more abrasive character of the German one—extremely resistant to prayers and exorcisms—whose "mad escapades" cause far more serious damage. This already establishes, from the first historical accounts, a fundamental dualism that dominates the lives and characteristics of these beings and, consequently, their world. After all, in an era influenced by the dark presence of Satan, it was not difficult—indeed, in some ways, it was even obligatory—for the "scholars" and leading theologians to associate the image of the Great Enemy with these mysterious beings who gave rise to inexplicable phenomena. For a long time, treatises and dissertations spread, in which the sprite was branded, according to the inspired conclusions of the authors, as a "satellite of the evil one," or even labeled as his true servant, in the form of "incubus" or "succubus," or, at best, classified as an indefinite and abstract character, lacking particular supernatural connotations.
Pagan Deities
For others, however, the sprite, along with its close relatives from the elemental world, such as Sylphs, Undines, and Gnomes, was nothing more than a remnant of pagan cults and deities, blacklisted by the new dominant religion. Thus, it is easy to understand how this harmless spirit, finding itself in a severe "identity crisis" and lacking valid cultural reference points, might have sought consolation and in part revenge by playing pranks and tricks on unfortunate mortals, guilty of yielding to the allure of the new gods... However, as we have partly noted, many sprites could actually prove to be great friends to humans, or at least to certain people, and if by chance they took a particular liking to a person or a family, they devoted themselves to them almost entirely, showing surprising generosity. Setting aside the documented and rich series of legends and folk traditions that every country can boast in this regard, already in the 13th century, in the "Chronicon imaginis mundi" by the Dominican Jacopo da Acqui, the sudden appearance in Pavia of a spirit named Martino is recounted, who lived for three years as a diligent servant in the house of a certain Anselmo de' Boccoselti, tending to the stoves, making beds, caring for horses, and accounting for every expense "with scrupulous honesty."
The Jealous Sprites
It could occasionally happen that a sprite fell in love, as described by Blessed Giovanni Dominici, the celebrated Florentine preacher, in the Lucula Noctis of 1405. In this work, he recounts, calling God as a witness to the truth of the tale, an event that occurred in 1399 involving a poor fourteen-year-old Venetian orphan loved by a sprite “a cubit tall, handsome, and dressed in precious and colorful garments.” Besides playing various pranks on her—something these beings apparently cannot resist—the sprite often and gladly showered her with excellent gifts. However, the kindness, attention, and offerings turned into spiteful and terrible schemes against the girl when she decided one day to marry, thus provoking the anger and jealousy of the betrayed sprite. To vent his fury, the sprite unleashed a series of diabolical acts of revenge that likely were not taken in the right "spirit."
The Reverend Father Sinistrari, in his De daemonialitate, recounts another episode that took place in Pavia—a city evidently favored by sprites in centuries past—where a spirit that had lived for many years in the house of a married couple became madly infatuated with the attractive wife. It appeared to her “in the guise of a handsome young man with blond, curly hair, dressed elegantly,” attempting to kiss her and persuade her to succumb to his love. When the woman repeatedly refused, the rejected and embittered sprite sought revenge by playing countless tricks, culminating in a dramatic assault on her at the doorway of St. Michael’s Church during the saint’s feast day. There, it tore off her clothes, leaving her completely naked in the midst of the crowd.
The Aesthetic Difference of Italian Sprites
A notable element that emerges from these "chronicles" is the aesthetic difference of the Italian sprite—perhaps not unrelated to our proverbial good taste and the myth of Latin charm—which often appears as an attractive, elegant figure, in stark contrast to its counterparts beyond the Alps, who were usually unpleasantly small and unattractive. In Lauro Settizonio’s comedy Roselmina, performed and published in Venice in 1595, a sprite—naturally Venetian and presumably a precursor to the figure of Casanova—presents itself to the audience with these words: “So bold, so ready, so upright, handsome, fair, with this little red cap; I believe everyone knows me, and especially you, beautiful ladies...! I declare myself to be the Sprite you Venetians call the Mazzaruolo.”
Resistance to Exorcism
Another peculiarity that emerges from demonologists’ accounts and chroniclers’ tales is the marked resistance of many sprites to various forms of exorcism. Not only were common people intimidated by the frequent terroristic escapades of sprite gangs wreaking havoc in cities like Mantua and Bologna—so much so that “no one felt safe for their life, even if they had never wronged anyone”—but even clergymen often preferred to stay away from these "ultras" of the god Pan, aware of the futility of exorcisms and terrified of inviting disaster. Fra Gerolamo Menghi, author of the renowned Compendio dell'arte esorcistica of 1617, openly declared his fear of sprites’ tricks, while Father Sinistrari lamented, visibly disconcerted, the inefficacy and danger of using exorcisms against sprites: “It is a marvelous thing,” he writes in De daemonialitate, “and almost incomprehensible, to note that incubi, called in Italian ‘folletti,’ in Spanish ‘duendes,’ and in French ‘follets,’ do not obey exorcists, fear neither exorcisms nor the proximity of sacred objects.”
The authoritative Gervase of Tilbury, author of the Otia Imperialia, echoes this: “There are certain spirits, called sprites by the populace, who dwell in the homes of credulous peasants and are neither banished by holy water nor exorcisms: no one can see them, but their voices, resembling human ones, can be heard.”
From all this, one might deduce that the strong temperament and indomitable, mocking character with which the ancient gods perhaps sought to endow their small but loyal followers have, at the very least, significantly enhanced the sprites’ innate longevity and natural resistance. This allowed them to survive centuries of occult or overt struggles, ultimately enabling them to inhabit various places—be it a farmhouse, a stable, or the freedom of woods, mountains, and meadows.
Refugee Sprites
Medieval legends recount that, with the end of the myths and gods of Paganism, a lament echoed across Europe, crying, “Great Pan is dead!” More than dying, however, the symbolic and eternal Pan had to adapt to a new and vastly different situation. Along with him, the mythical sprites did not disappear but, as skilled shape-shifters accustomed over the centuries to enduring all sorts of trials, including the whims of the Olympian inhabitants, went into hiding. They fled sacred places, camouflaged themselves in an environment that had suddenly become, often forcibly, hostile, adapted to the traumatic demands of the moment, and resigned themselves to the dominant and bitter status quo.
Emigrating in this way from one religious continent to another, these invisible refugees sought peaceful coexistence wherever possible in the regions and countries they chose as their permanent or temporary homes. Judging from folklore, legends, and available documents, it seems that sprites tended to become attached to the places where they decided to settle.
The Marvels of the Munaciello
In Naples, a land long steeped in magic, belief in the sprite, called the Munaciello, remains deeply rooted and assumes the most varied and curious forms. T.C. Dalbono, in his 1845 work Le Tradizioni Popolari, observes that few traditions boast as much diffusion and popularity as that of the Munaciello. "To which elder of our folk," he writes, "could you mention the Munaciello without hearing tales of marvels? Here there is not even the usual diversity of opinions. Everyone will tell you that he is the sprite who inhabits remote homes, announces himself by playing a thousand tricks, delights in smashing the porcelain in cupboards, and knocking to the ground every plate on kitchen shelves."
The Munaciello also features in esoteric studies. G. Kremmerz, the great Neapolitan hermeticist, writes about this spirit in his magazine Il Mondo Secreto. According to Kremmerz, the Munaciello is often confused with other occult manifestations and deserves specific examination in individual cases. However, he concludes that these beings are capable of rendering both harm and aid, depending on their affections or animosities.
The name Munaciello derives from the sprite’s typical appearance: “a little monk dressed as a friar, with silver buckles on his sandals and a red cap (‘scazzetella’) on his head.” It is said that whoever manages to seize the sprite’s cap is guaranteed great fortune, akin to finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow! However, the feat is nearly impossible, as the Munaciello rarely appears, and any failed attempt would result in its unrelenting revenge.
Popular Names and Nicknames
One distinctive feature of the diverse world of sprites is the vast array of popular names and nicknames used to identify them, which vary greatly from place to place. In the region of Otranto, the sprite, known as the laùru, is especially fond of courting beautiful women, whom he appears to love in a harmless way. In Sardinia, the sprite is known among the locals by various names, including pundacciu, ammuntadore, and sa sùrtora. According to popular imagination, this spirit is often depicted wearing seven red caps.
In the provinces of Belluno, Cadore, and Treviso, the sprite typically appears dressed in red, with the inevitable matching red cap, and is often helpful in tending livestock. There, he is known as el massarol. In Abruzzo, the sprite is called mazzemarjielle, and according to a local belief in some areas, he is said to be born on Christmas night to keep the Savior company.
In Trentino, the sprite goes by various names, such as salvanel (derived from "Silvano") and ghignaréul, which translates roughly as "smirking" or "grinning." In the province of Cuneo, there is a terrifying sprite endowed with supernatural strength called servàn (or sirvàn or sarvàn).
In Puglia, folklore tells of a sprite called iscazzamurrieddu who, in exchange for his red cap, is willing to offer anything one might ask for. Similarly, in Lucania, the fearsome monachicchio, and in Sicily, lu fullettu, are said to wear a red cap they are extremely possessive of. If someone manages to steal it, the sprite will fall to their feet in tears, begging for its return. However, tradition advises against giving it back until the sprite reveals the location of a hidden treasure.
In Reggio Calabria, the sprite is called fuddettu, in Catanzaro u munacheddu, and in Crotone scavuseddu. Practically every city, region, and even village has its own “guardian sprite,” often with an unusual name. Strangely, in some cases, these names are also used to describe certain types of wind. For instance, in Romagna, fulet also refers to a gust of wind, just as in Frosinone mazzamuriglio and in Lanciano mazzemarelle do. In Venice and Trento, the term basadòne is used for both the sprite and the breeze.
It becomes clear, in any case, that to analyze or even merely list the countless and incredible names by which sprites are known—even limiting ourselves to Italy alone—would require an entire volume. In Lucca, for example, paying homage to Tuscany’s mysteries, the sprite is quite popular under four or five different names and variations, the most famous of which is undoubtedly the pagan Linchetto. This fascinating and ancient spirit derives its very etymological origin from Incubus.
The Secret Life of the Fairy Folk
Contrary to popular belief, fairies are not just creatures of legend. There was a time when the little people were encountered far too often in the real world (though they were not the ethereal, winged beings of children's stories). Even today, there is a surprising number of accounts involving elves, nature spirits, sprites, and even gnomes. To illustrate, here are some relatively recent examples from the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Dance of the Fairies
In the summer of 1884, a postal cart driver on the Isle of Man set out one evening to collect the mailbags as usual. He was supposed to return by 1:30 a.m., but he did not appear until around 5:30 a.m. Questioned three years later by William Martin, a collector of local stories, the man explained the reason for his delay, recounting a tale that is both a typical fairy story and reminiscent of poltergeist behavior:
“He solemnly reported that, about ten kilometers from home, he was surrounded by a group of fairies, all dressed in splendid red clothing and carrying lanterns. They stopped his horse and tossed the mailbags onto the road, then began dancing around him in the way fairies usually do. The poor postman struggled in vain with them, for each time he managed to load a bag back onto the cart, it was immediately thrown off again. This went on until dawn.”
Another encounter with dancing fairies occurred on August 10, 1977. This time, the witness was a police officer from Hull, Officer David Swift. While patrolling his beat a couple of hours past midnight, he entered a strange patch of land where the summer mist formed small whirlwinds over a playground. Approaching, he saw three figures dancing in the mist and initially assumed they were drunkards.
One was a man “wearing a sleeveless vest and very tight trousers,” while the other two were women “dressed in bonnets, shawls, and white dresses.” All three held one arm raised, as if dancing around a maypole, someone later suggested. Before Swift could reach them, the figures vanished. When he reported the incident to his sergeant, he realized he was not believed. After the local press covered the story, Officer Swift faced such ridicule that he refused to discuss the case further.
Motorized Gnomes and Elves
The apparent survival of fairies into the 20th century is already remarkable, but perhaps the most intriguing aspect of modern accounts is how they sometimes hint that the little people are adapting to keep up with the times.
One witness, Marina Fry from Cornwall, recounted (many years later) that in 1940, when she was three years old, she and her older sisters heard a buzzing noise at night. Looking out the window, they saw a little man about 45 centimeters tall, with a white beard and a pointed red hat. He was “driving a tiny red car in circles.”
While this could be dismissed as a dream, fantasy, or false memory, a similar incident occurred in September 1979. Several children aged four to eight were playing in Wollaton Park, Nottingham, and described a similar experience. Their accounts were recorded by the school principal, who interviewed them separately but after they had already had time to discuss it amongst themselves.
At twilight, the children saw about 60 little men, half their height. They had long white beards tipped with red (though one child insisted the beard was black) and wrinkled faces. They wore caps resembling old-fashioned nightcaps or sailors’ socks with a pom-pom at the end, blue jackets, and yellow tights. For almost 15 minutes, the little men remained in tiny cars—30 in total, with two men in each. The children reported the cars as green and blue, red, or red and white, depending on the child. The vehicles lacked steering wheels, instead having a round device with a handle to turn. They made no engine noise, traveled quickly, and could leap over obstacles like tree trunks. The little men chased the children but never caught them, though it seemed they could have. The children described it as “a game.”
The Fairy Plane
One case even involves what appears to be a fairy airplane. In 1929, an eight-year-old boy was playing with his five-year-old sister in their garden in Hertford when a tiny aircraft (apparently a biplane, like most planes of the time) with a wingspan of 35 to 40 centimeters flew over the fence. It landed near the trash bin before taking off again.
The pilot was a little man wearing a leather aviator's helmet, who waved at the children as he departed. While such accounts are often dismissed as fantasy, the remarkable consistency and detailed descriptions make them fascinating. For instance, the "go-karts" in Wollaton Park resemble toy cars familiar to children aged four to eight. The fact that mechanized fairy sightings mostly come from children is significant.
Still, one does not need to take these stories literally to find them enlightening. After all, if fairies—who traditionally walked or rode horses—can now drive cars and fly airplanes, perhaps they could also pilot UFOs.
Fairy Kidnappings or Alien Abductions?
Some prominent ufologists have hypothesized that close encounters, particularly abductions, might be closely linked to fairy folklore. The fairies in traditional tales were notorious for kidnapping humans. The motif of the "changeling," a troublesome fairy child left in the cradle in place of a golden-haired human baby taken to the fairy world, reflects this tendency.
This is reminiscent of modern theories, such as David Jacobs’ idea of alien hybrid-breeding programs, suggesting that these stories may share a common psychological or cultural root.
The Fairy Circle and Time Slips
Numerous stories involve humans entering a "fairy circle" and becoming trapped in a dance or gaining permission to visit the fairies' underground realm but finding it difficult to leave. Such tales often involve a "time slip": humans believe they have spent only a day or week with the fairies, only to discover years have passed in the human world.
The Invisible Barrier
A recurring theme in fairy folklore is the "invisible barrier" that prevents escape, much like UFO accounts of vehicles being disabled. For instance, around 1955 in Lis Ard, County Mayo, a girl found herself unable to leave a fairy fort. Whenever she approached the exit, an invisible force turned her back toward the center.
As night fell, she felt increasing hostility from the fairies and was unable to signal a search party equipped with flashlights. She could only escape when the invisible barrier mysteriously dissipated. This experience parallels modern abduction accounts involving immobilization by alien forces.
Fairies or Alien Abductors?
Some researchers suggest these stories might be remnants of real encounters with alien abductors, filtered through the cultural lens of a pre-technological society. Others, like French ufologist Jacques Vallée, argue that fairies and alien abductors are manifestations of the same fundamental phenomenon, presented in culturally specific forms.
Whether this phenomenon is internal—a form of fantasy or hallucination produced by the human brain—or external, perhaps part of a mysterious extraterrestrial control system, remains a matter of debate. Alternatively, 20th-century encounters could simply be modern folklore, expressing universal fears of being abducted.
Haitian Zobop and Motorized Witchcraft
The motif of abduction appears in diverse cultures. In Haiti, people believe in the zobop, powerful voodoo sorcerers who regularly abduct victims for frightening magical rituals. In the early 1940s in Port-au-Prince, there were rumors of a ghostly car driven by sorcerers (motor-zobop) that roamed the island at night, carrying victims for their ceremonies.
The car could be recognized by the otherworldly blue light emitted from its headlights. One man, Divione Joseph, claimed to have encountered the motor-zobop. After being blinded by an intense blue light, he lost consciousness and found himself inside the spectral car, surrounded by semi-human, masked figures. After being persuaded not to speak of the incident, he was thrown from the vehicle and found himself back in his bed.
Whether these accounts are rooted in cultural imagination or reflect genuine phenomena, they suggest intriguing parallels between folklore and modern narratives of abduction and unexplained encounters.
“THE LITTLE PEOPLE”: A MINIATURE WORLD AND ITS LEGENDS
For centuries, the presence of fairies was revealed by signs almost invisible to our eyes, such as a trembling leaf or a sudden tiny light near the ground. If a mortal dared to investigate, the fairy folk would vanish to protect themselves from prying eyes. A kind-hearted person who approached without disturbing them, however, might hear the faint notes of tiny flutes and catch a glimpse of the splendor of a radiant miniature procession.
These tiny forest and field elves continued living in the same way as their ancestors did long ago. In a realm where a leaf becomes a sarcophagus, a thorn can kill, and even a beetle becomes a fearsome beast, they spent their time at feasts, music, agility contests, and wars.
Though still marvelous in their petal garments and glittering scale armor, they were a race in decline. Occasionally, a fortunate mortal might witness fairy ceremonies, though the last reported sightings were almost exclusively funerals. It has always been said that members of the fairy folk lived very long lives—especially compared to humans—but they were not immortal.
1. A PARADISE FOR SPRITE CLANS
When a powerful magical aura still pervaded Europe’s forests, no tree was more revered than the mighty oak known as the Monarch of the Forest. In the rustling of its majestic leaves, one could perceive the voice of a Dryad, the tree’s soul, whose face occasionally appeared among the patterns of its gnarled trunk, distorted as if seen through thick, dirty glass.
Other spirits from distant places dwelled in its branches or roots. The most visible were the sylvan elves—tiny men and beautiful women who danced joyfully on the branches to the music of frogs and crickets during sunny summer days.
More elusive were the Moss Maidens of Germany, benevolent fairies with expert knowledge of plants’ medicinal properties. They disguised their tiny, furry faces to resemble moss emerging among the old tree roots. Germany’s trees also housed mischievous Cobolds, malevolent sprites who made unlucky travelers ill if they failed to offer them food and gifts.
In Italy, oak cavities were inhabited by playful Salvanelli, whose main pastime was stealing milk from farmers’ cows and riding livestock until it collapsed from exhaustion.
In Sweden, the Great Horned Owls that flew through forests at dusk and roosted among oak branches were considered dangerous shapeshifters, a race of elves called Skogsra.
In England, wildflowers like foxglove and bluebells growing near an old oak’s roots were believed to house a Pillywiggin, a tiny fairy that could live only where bees could fly.
2. THE SOVEREIGN OF THE GOLDEN COMPANY
The Great King of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the fairy folk who inhabited ancient Ireland, was an individual honored with many titles and featured in numerous legends. Known as the Father of All, the Lord of Knowledge, and the Sun of All Sciences, his name—Dagda—means "Benevolent God."
Despite this, legends describe him as a wild and gluttonous figure. In reality, these tales suggest he was wise, skilled in all fields of knowledge and human behavior, and the most powerful of his kind. His war club could kill nine men with a single blow, his magical cauldron was never empty and could feed entire armies, and the music of his harp could bring joy, sorrow, or deep sleep.
When his fairy host retreated beneath the Irish hills, Dagda created four realms, entrusting one to each of his children.
3. A BLESSING FROM THE JOYOUS COURT
Though their interactions with humans were ambiguous and unpredictable, there were times when fairies bestowed great favors upon mortals. One such exception is recounted in the following legend:
A Scottish knight rejected the romantic advances of a woman skilled in dark arts. Enraged by his refusal, she transformed him into a giant, cold, scaly lizard. Devastated, the knight hid under a tree for three months.
On Samhain night, under the full moon’s pale light, he heard the sound of flutes and trumpets. He lifted his heavy head to see the splendor of the Joyous Court, Scotland’s heroic fairy folk, processing through the hills to bless the farmers’ crops.
The fairy queen stopped her horse near the cursed knight, dismounted, and approached him, commanding her court to continue. She placed his scaly head on her lap, singing a soft, mysterious lullaby as she gently rubbed his scales. As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight appeared, the knight’s scaly armor tore away, leaving him human again. He tried to thank the queen, but she vanished into the light, returning to her underground realm.
4. ARIEL: THE SONG OF THE WIND
On a remote island, amid sea breezes and sweet melodies, lived Ariel, a Sylph embodying the air itself. She slept among bellflower petals, rode joyfully on the back of a black bat, and watched humans toil from the clouds. Her voice, a delicate song, could enchant or even drive humans mad.
She mastered controlling the winds and summoning rain or fiery lightning. However, Ariel could not live in air tainted by human presence. Eventually, she disappeared, returning to the ethereal element from which she had long ago materialized.
5. PUCK: THE MISCHIEVOUS ENGLISH TROUBLEMAKER
“I am the merry wanderer of the night!” cried Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck. Among Faerie’s inhabitants, he was a jester who lured humans into marshes, meddled with virtuous girls, and spread gossip to sow discord.
Entranced by his magical panpipe, humans danced like circus-trained bears, while Puck delighted in the chaos and madness he caused.
6. RUSALKY: THE LAST EMBRACE OF LOVE
The Rusalky of Russia were graceful enchantresses of rivers, springs, and wells, known for luring men to their deaths. Some Rusalky, however, fell in love with humans.
One Rusalka left her lake to marry a prince, on the condition that he remain faithful. When the prince betrayed her, she returned to her watery home. The remorseful prince followed her and called out. She emerged, warning that her embrace now meant death. Undeterred, the prince embraced and kissed her, dying instantly. The grieving Rusalka returned forever to her mournful life in the depths.
7. ETAIN: THE LADY OF THE ELF KING
Etain, a beautiful Irish noblewoman, caught the attention of Midhir, a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Midhir secretly met her and promised to bring her to his invisible kingdom. She agreed, but only with her husband’s consent.
A year later, Midhir challenged her husband, Eochaid, to fidchell, an ancient chess-like game. After winning, Midhir claimed his prize: a kiss from Etain. As Eochaid watched helplessly, Midhir embraced Etain, and the pair transformed into birds, flying away to Midhir’s glowing realm.
8. THE COLD EMBRACE OF A WOODLAND SPRING
In ancient Greece, it was said that no mortal could look into a nymph’s eyes without consequence. Hylas, an adventurer, found this out when he stumbled upon a spring inhabited by nymphs. Captivated by their beauty, he was pulled into the dark waters, never to be seen again.
9. DENMARK: THE QUEEN OF THE FROZEN REALM
The Snow Queen, enchanting as an ice crystal, was beloved yet dangerous. One winter, she lured a boy onto her sleigh, whisking him away to her icy palace in Lapland. A girl who loved him braved countless dangers to rescue him, convincing him to return to the human world. Alone in her palace, the Snow Queen wept frozen tears, awaiting another captive.
10) A GREAT SEDUCTRESS
Among the beings of the enchanted realm, Morgana the Fairy was particularly renowned. Many stories recount her deeds, and one of the most credible reveals that Morgana ruled Avalon, the Isle of Enchanted Apples. Some legends claim she took King Arthur there after he was mortally wounded in his final battle. Another tale tells of a brave knight who went to live with her on the fairy island.
A queen of Denmark once gave birth to a child, and six fairies, including Morgana, were invited to his baptism. Each bestowed a gift upon the baby: courage, opportunities to prove his valor, invincibility, charm, a pleasant demeanor, and kindness. Morgana fell in love with the boy and gifted herself to him, vowing to take him to her island when the time came.
The child grew up to be Ogier the Dane, a famous knight of France. When Ogier grew old, Morgana intervened: she caused his ship to wreck near Avalon. There, she gave him a magic ring that restored his youth and crowned him as her companion. According to legend, Ogier willingly became a prisoner of her love and lived on Avalon for centuries.
11) HARSH JUSTICE FOR A THIEF
In western Britain, tales of encounters between mortals and the fairy folk often include a story about a greedy old man who valued money above all else. Like the villagers of St. Just, Cornwall, he knew the region’s fairies possessed unimaginable riches, displayed during their full-moon festivals on a nearby hill.
Despite warnings that approaching the hill could cost a mortal’s life, the man decided to investigate. On a moonlit night, he crept up the hill. The hill trembled and opened, revealing a procession of fairies with musicians, golden dishes, and treasures. Overcome by greed, the man crawled forward to steal gold.
He was quickly discovered by the tiny Spriggans, the fairies’ guards, who tied his legs with fine cords and toppled him. They mocked him throughout the night, pricking him with tiny weapons. At dawn, the fairies released him, leaving him to return home in shame. The tale of his misdeeds spread, likely by the Spriggans themselves, as further punishment.
12) THE FORBIDDEN FOOD
Eating fairy food was one of the greatest dangers for mortals, as it bound them to the fairy realm forever. According to an English poet, two sisters encountered a magical night market run by fairies selling luscious fruits. The elder sister fled in fear, but the younger stayed and exchanged a lock of her golden hair for the chance to eat.
She became addicted to the magical fruit, but the market disappeared, leaving her desperately ill. The elder sister returned to the valley, resisting the fairies’ temptations despite their attempts to force-feed her. The juice left on her lips saved her sister, who recovered upon tasting it.
13) THE COILS OF A SERPENT-WIFE
Ancient chronicles tell of Lamia, fairy beings who could appear as terrifying serpents or alluring women. In Corinth, a young man named Licius fell for a beautiful woman, unaware she was a Lamia. During their wedding feast, his mentor recognized her true nature. At his revelation, the bride transformed into a massive serpent, killing Licius instantly.
14) THE CHAMPION OF THE ELVES
Some legends tell of elves aiding vulnerable mortals. One such story recounts the Swan Knight, who defended Elsam, a young heiress, from a villainous guardian. After defeating him in a divine trial by combat, the knight married Elsam under the condition that she never question his origins. When curiosity overtook her, he sorrowfully returned to his homeland, leaving her forever.
15) THE FAIRY OF DEATH
In Irish folklore, the Banshee foretells death in a family, appearing as either a radiant beauty or a ghastly hag. In Scotland, the Bean-Nighe ("Little Washerwoman") is seen washing the bloody clothes of the soon-to-die.
16) THE FAIRIES OF THE MOUNTAIN
On Mount Oc in Sardinia, the "Palace of Fairies" is said to appear, inhabited by winged women. They tempt visitors with treasures but often leave the greedy with only coal. Those who resist temptation are granted wisdom, wealth, and long life.
17) CIALCIUT, THE VAMPIRE SPRITE
In Veneto and Friuli, the Cialciut roams at night, sitting on sleeping humans’ chests to drink their blood without killing them. Victims wake feeling short of breath and weak.
18) THE SECRETS OF THE LAKES
Many lakes conceal mysterious tales. Near Lake Maggiore, a century-old enchanted cliff is said to open, revealing a treasure room beneath the lake with riches and a sleeping maiden. Visitors must choose wisely between riches, cattle, or the maiden.
19) THE WATERFALL SPRITES
At Marmore Falls near Terni, the Gnefro sprite is often spotted. This guardian spirit, 25 cm tall, can change shape and is described as either deformed or childlike with a charming smile.
20) THE GREEN PIXIES
In Dartmoor, Cornwall, the green Pixies are mischievous but hardworking. Legends say they finish abandoned tasks overnight and inspire names for local landmarks like Pixie’s Cave and Pixie’s Stone.
21) THE GREEN GOBLIN
Relatives of the sprites, goblins have green skin and are known as "Knockers" for their habit of tapping to guide miners to rich veins of ore. They are said to inhabit Cornwall's abandoned tin mines.
22) THE MYSTERY OF MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms, with their sudden appearance and strange shapes, are often linked to fairies. The Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric), toxic and hallucinogenic, is associated with fairy magic. Some believe it allows mortals to enter the fairy realm, where other magical fungi, like the Pixie Shield and Druid’s Star, are also found.
23) CHILDREN STOLEN FOR VITALITY
It is said that fairies needed the blood of mortals, and country folk often reported that children were kidnapped and replaced with weak and elderly members of the fairy tribe. According to the wise, the most vulnerable child was an unbaptized infant whose cradle lacked protection from iron or bread—two well-known defenses against fairy folk—and whose sleep was not closely watched by its parents.
A fairy woman, often accompanied by an elderly member of her kind, might sneak into the child’s room at night. In an instant, the baby would be spirited away to the fairy realm, replaced by a grotesque, whiny impostor. This changeling would not speak but would constantly complain, trapping the mortal mother in her care. The only way to resolve the situation was to scare or threaten the creature into revealing its true nature. If the changeling spoke, it was forced to return to its people and restore the stolen mortal child to its rightful mother.
24) NIGHT WORKERS
Russian farms were home to more than just farmers and animals. Even the humblest dwelling was frequented by domoviye, shy yet strong-willed little helpers. Each of these hairy assistants fiercely guarded their domain.
- The vasily took care of horses, even having hooves themselves for the task. The jingling of sleigh bells at night signaled a vasily training horses in the snow.
- The ovinnik lived in granaries and tended livestock, favoring animals of a specific color while ignoring others. Farmers lit fires in the granary to appease the ovinnik, as fires he started were disastrous.
- The grumpy bannik ruled the bathhouse, warming humans who bathed late at night during his turn. After bathing, humans left him water and brushes to share with visiting forest spirits.
- Most important was the domovoi, the loyal household spirit who performed chores, alerted families to fires, moaned before epidemics, and wept bitterly before a death. If neglected or insulted, the domovoi wreaked havoc in the kitchen or, worse, abandoned the household, leaving it unprotected.
25) A CATALOG OF FAIRIES, GNOMES, ELVES, AND DWARVES
Despite their diversity, dwarves can be categorized by their roles and relationships with humans.
- Brownies of Britain and massarioli of Italy were industrious yet temperamental servants.
- Irish leprechauns, known for their treasure hoards, were pursued by humans but never successfully robbed.
- The violent "redcaps" of Scotland terrorized humans and dyed their hats in victims’ blood.
Some dwarves, like the shy pitykoi of Greek islands, lived far from humans. These one-foot-tall farmers defended their livestock from migratory cranes, fighting them off with tiny weapons.
In Italy, the cheerful massariolo cared for livestock, feeding them the finest grain and braiding their manes. A notorious flirt, the massariolo charmed young women and gladly helped humans who treated him well.
In northern Europe, the kobold was a cheerful domestic helper who caused chaos if neglected. The solitary Irish cluricaune spent most of its time drinking alone in the wine cellar, elegantly dressed despite perpetual drunkenness.
Irish leprechauns, cobblers and treasure hoarders, could be identified by the sound of their hammers. Although some humans captured them, they never managed to steal their gold, as the clever fairies always distracted them before vanishing.
The monaciello of Naples, or “little monk,” guarded hidden treasures but mischievously pinched people and stole their clothing. However, stealing the monaciello’s red cap could earn one great wealth, as he would trade his treasure to reclaim it.
The wichtlein, dwelling in German mines, rolled stones onto workers for fun and mimicked noisy labor to warn of impending disasters.
The typically peaceful Scottish brownie could become a malicious boggart if mistreated, destroying homes and terrorizing entire neighborhoods. Attempts to escape a boggart by moving were futile, as it would follow the family.
The terrifying "redcap," or powrie, haunted abandoned Scottish castles, attacking unsuspecting travelers and dipping its hat in their warm blood. However, redcaps could be defeated by the sight of a cross, causing them to vanish and leave behind a claw-like nail as their only trace.
