Although their common names are unrelated, there is a high degree of local variation of names. Very similar analogues exist in closely related Irish ( Aos Sí), Manx ( Mooinjer veggey), Welsh Tylwyth Teg ('Fair Family'), and Breton ( korrigan) culture. The change from b to p can be easily explained by a sandhi that occurs after the use of the old article or a pronoun. Because of its location of origin, one could also argue it comes rather from the Proto-Brythonic *bɨx, which has become bych, little, in Middle Welsh and bihan, in Breton. The term Pobel Vean (Little People) is often used to refer to them collectively. Others have disputed this, given there is no plausible case for Nordic dialectal records in southwest Britain, claiming instead-in view of the Cornish origin of the piskie-that the term is more Celtic in origin, though no clear ancestor of the word is known. It could have came from the Swedish dialectal pyske, meaning 'small fairy'. The origin of the word pixie is uncertain. These, however, are Victorian era conventions and not part of the older mythology. ![]() ![]() In other depictions, their eyes are described as being pointed upwards at the outer end. Traditional stories describe them as wearing dirty, ragged bundles of rags, which they discard for gifts containing new clothes. In the modern era, they are usually depicted with pointed ears, often wearing a green outfit and pointed hat. In traditional regional lore, pixies are generally benign, mischievous, short of stature, and childlike they are fond of dancing and wrestling outdoors, of which they perform through the night. Similar to the Irish and Scottish Aos Sí (also spelled Aos Sidhe), pixies are believed to inhabit ancient underground sites such as stone circles, barrows, dolmens, ringforts, or menhirs. However, the word 'pixie' (under various forms) also appears in Dorset, Somerset and to a lesser extent in Sussex, Wiltshire and Hampshire. Pixies are speculated to be particularly concentrated in the high moorland areas around Devon and Cornwall, suggesting some Celtic origin for the belief and name. A pixie (also called pisky, pixy, pixi, pizkie, piskie, or pigsie in parts of Cornwall and Devon) is a mythical creature of British folklore. WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE, AND NOT A DROP TO DRINK.Generally shorter than humans, they are on average stockier and hairier, usually sporting full beards and wearing armor and carrying axes. Here they have heaped up countless treasures of gold, silver, and precious stones, and pass their time in fabricating costly armor. (Think of the ubiquitous garden gnome.) They are more benevolent than other folkloric creatures such as goblins.Ī dwarf is a short humanoid creature, much like us, but generally living underground or in mountainous areas. Today, gnomes are traditionally thought of as being small bearded men wearing colorful pointed hats. They live in natural areas close to the earth and care for wildlife. The Keebler Elves).Ī gnome is a mythical creature characterized by its short size, taciturn nature and subterranean lifestyle. However, in the modern (or at least American world), elves are depicted and described as being diminutive in size, though both have pointed ears (e.g. This would jive with the interpretation of elves as found in "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. They are portrayed as long-lived or immortal and having magical powers. (a hooley is an Irish evening of song and dance)Įlves are sometimes described as youthful-seeming men and women of great beauty living in forests and underground places or caves, or in wells and springs. This type of faerie is so well known I won't go into detail about them here. ![]() In the modern world we think of faeries as being diminutive, delicate, female creatures with wings and beautiful gossamer clothing. ![]() In this post I am going to try to sort out these various creatures:Ī sprite is a generic-type term that can cover all sorts of small, elusive supernatural beings, especially faeries, pixies and elves. There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the differences between pixies, faeries, elves and other legendary folk like the sidhe, leprechauns, selkies, dwarfs, sprites, brownies, gnomes, goblins/hobgoblins, trolls and leprechauns.
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