NAME Ayalgas
FORM supernatural humans
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Ayalgas were women of great beauty who were
under the spell of a winged dragon called Cuelebres. The
dragon kept the Ayalgas as part of its treasure.
During the summer solstice when the dragon fell
asleep, the Ayalgas used tiny blue lights to lure men to
them. If a male touched an Ayalgas with a green willow
branch, it would break the dragon's spell and the Ayalgas
would fall in love with him.
NAME Brownie
FORM tiny humans
COUNTRY Scotland / England
REMARKS Brownies were a nocturnal mischievous race who
were easily angered. They were referred to as Brownies
because of their habit of wearing brown clothing.
Brownies would move uninvited into a home where they
felt comfortable. They could be helpful and very valiant
but if they worked for a person they then felt that they
could take whatever they wanted as payment. The best way
to get rid of a Brownie was to offer a new set of clothing
for it. A bad-tempered Brownie was called a Boggard or
Boggart.
NAME Cughtagh
FORM sea monster
COUNTRY Isle of Man
REMARKS Cughtaghs were very shy creatures which lived in
caves by the sea. They were never seen but during storms
they could be heard making incredible noises. When the
weather was calm, Cughtaghs could sometimes be heard
breathing.
NAME Dwarf
ALTERNATIVE Dactyl (Scotland) / Cluricaune (Ireland)
FORM short human
COUNTRY Ireland / Scotland
REMARKS A dwarf was a person with a normal-size head and
body but with a short neck and limbs. Although dwarves
were best known for their metalwork and mining activities,
they also raised goats and cattle. In Ireland there were
evil old men of the race who guard treasures and were
referred to as Cluricaunes.
NAME Elfin
ALTERNATIVE The Little People / Fay folk / Clashtyn
FORM small mystical human (4 - 5 ft) (1.5 m)
COUNTRY Scotland / Ireland / England / Isle of Man
REMARKS Elfin were tiny, delicate beautiful people of
good proportion. At one time they were ruled by the Queen
of Elphame who had a different male consort every seven
years. During this time there were many tribes and a
famous one-eyed smith.
Many people on the Isle of Man wished the Elfin a good
day when they crossed over the Fairy Bridge at Ballalona.
There the Elfin were known to dress in red caps and green
capes.
On hot days, Elfin were known to splash around under
waterfalls or in the pools of slow-moving rivers. It was
important never to call them fairies. They disliked the
name and became very angry.
NAME Glashten / Glashen
ALTERNATIVE Gabbal-ushtey (water horse) / Tarroo-ushtey
(water bull)
FORM horse or bull
COUNTRY Isle of Man
REMARKS The Glashten was a creature which often
disguised itself as a horse in a herd. It would often
entice a beautiful maiden to ride it so it could whisk her
away.
NAME Goblin
FORM human ghosts
COUNTRY England
REMARKS Goblins were the spirits of malignant dead
humans and lived in hills and knolls.
NAME Hobyah
ALTERNATIVE Hobgoblin / Hobyal
FORM ghosts of deities
COUNTRY England
REMARKS Hobyahs were the spirits of malignant dead gods.
NAME Huestia
FORM human ghosts
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS The Huestia were ghostly white apparations who
carried torches and a platform with the image of a person
who was about to die.
NAME Keimach (prancer)
FORM creature
COUNTRY Isle of Man
REMARKS The Keimach was a forerunner of death who
appeared to those who were about to die.
NAME Kelpie
ALTERNATIVE Each Uisge (Highlands) / Tangie (Orkneys) /
Shoopiltee (Shetland) / Kow (England)
FORM water spirit / water horse
COUNTRY Scotland / England
REMARKS Kelpies were evil ill-tempered one-eyed monsters
who burst out of the water with a paralyzing roar and
dragged their victim under. A Kelpie sometimes disguised
itself as a horse but could be recognized by its backwards-
facing hooves. Kelpies could also disguise themselves as
young humans but were detected by the bits of seaweed in
their wet hair.
NAME Korriganes
ALTERNATIVE Elfin / Darlings / Bretange (Brittany)
FORM very slight and tiny humans (2-3 in / 5-7 cm)
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Korriganes were the smallest of the Little
People, delicate in appearance but incredibly strong. They
were friendly but were also quite sensitive and easily
offended.
Korriganes hibernated during the cold weather but were
awake at the first sign of spring. They could make
themselves invisible at will and wield phenomenal magical
power. Korrigan women often sat by springs combing their
hair and if a human male happen to see one he had to marry
her right away or he would die within three days.
NAME Lavanderas
FORM river goddess
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Lavanderas appeared as white-haired hags. They
made an awful racket at rivers when they used wooden
shovels to beat the surface of the water. The Lavanderas
also used their shovels to throw water on fires.
NAME Leprechauns
FORM supernatural little people
COUNTRY Ireland
REMARKS Leprechauns were young and energetic but liked
to disguise themselves as old people. The men always grew
beards and wore red caps.
Leprechauns worked as goat-herders, were excellent
shoemakers and did fine leather work. The shoemakers also
made magical shoes with a higher-than-normal heel for the
sacred foot. Leprechauns were great hoarders of wealth and
kept their treasure hidden at the end of rainbows. If an
ordinary human could lock eyes with one, the Leprechaun
could be forced to give up its treasure.
NAME Llorono
FORM spirit
COUNTRY Spain (north western)
REMARKS Lloronos were female spirits who lived in the
bogs and swamps. They would imitate the weeping and crying
of a child in order to lure people to their deaths in the
swamp.
NAME Mermaids
ALTERNATIVE Ben-varrey (Gaelic) / Moruodh / Moruogh
FORM human
COUNTRY Isle of Man
REMARKS Mermaids were human-like creatures who lived
beneath the water but were sometimes seen lying on beaches
or rocks combing their long hair. Their hair and teeth
were green. Mermen were rarely seen.
NAME Nuberos
ALTERNATIVE Nuberu [si]
FORM human dwarfs
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Nuberos were deformed dwarves who travelled in
the clouds and fell to earth during storms. They punished
people by taking reptiles and hailstones from their pouches
and dropping them on their crops or by causing rough water
for fishermen. They could be driven off by the ringing of
bells.
NAME Phynnodderee
FORM small humans
COUNTRY Isle of Man
REMARKS Phynnodderee were evil little people who had
hairy faces and shining eyes. They were believed to be the
cause of most troubles but could be driven away by singing,
of which they were afraid.
NAME Redcap
FORM human
COUNTRY England (northern)
REMARKS Redcaps were little old men who frequented
ruins. They had claw-like hands, always wore a red cap and
if they caught a person, they would kill them.
NAME Roane
FORM human / seal
COUNTRY Scotland
REMARKS Roanes could adopt the form of a seal in the
water and that of a human on land. They were quite
friendly and there was no reason to fear them.
NAME Spriggans
FORM ghosts
COUNTRY England (Cornwall)
REMARKS Spriggans were the ghosts of giants. They had
the ability to vary their size and they spent their time
haunting old ruins and guarding buried treasures.
NAME Trasgos
ALTERNATIVE Trasgu (si)
FORM goblin
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Trasgos were a race of goblins who infested
people's homes where they caused mischief by hiding shoes,
spilling flour on the kitchen floor, etc. The males were
very naughty but could be helpful around the house if
treated well. Trasgos had big ears, a tail, and horns on
their head which they covered with a red pointed hat. They
walked with a limp and had a hole in their hands, which was
the sign of a spendthrift.
NAME Ventolines
FORM small human
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias)
REMARKS Ventolines were a peaceful and romantic race of
people who brought the dew and the light drizzle that they
carried on the light night winds. Ventolines also carried
the last goodbyes of those who had died far from home.
NAME Xanas
ALTERNATIVE Xamas
FORM human / changling
COUNTRY Spain (Asturias / Galicia)
REMARKS Xanas were young, beautiful women of slight
build who lived in caves under springs. At night they used
their hypnotic gaze to put spells on men and led them to
their underworld. A water-flower gathered on the morning
of the summer solstice would break their gaze.
Xanas were known to slip unwanted children into the
cradle of a human or even to exchange babies.