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Brownies
Also known as: Hearth Goblins, Hobgoblins,
Boo-Men, Hob-Men, Hodpokers, Hobbins, Hodgepochers, Lobs,
Lob-Lie-by-the-Fires, Lubber-Fiends, Broonies, Brounies, Bruinidh, Pouques.
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Fenoderee
The Fenoderee was thought to originally have been a member of the Manx Trooping Faeries, the Ferrishyn - however he found himself banished for attempting to woo a human young lady instead of attending the important Fay Festival at the Autumn Equinox. Either due to his exile, or as a direct result of a Faerie curse, the Fenoderee grew increasingly uglier , more dull-witted and quick-tempered. However his strength , stamina and willingness to work were legendary and his presence on farms was invaluable, particularly at harvest time. Some human labourers, perhaps jealous of his prowess in the field, could not resist taking advantage of his simple-mindedness however and would at times send the Fenoderee on fruitless tasks, such as collecting water in a sieve. The Fenordee would take great umbrage upon the realisation of ridicule & exploitation, and also at the offer of clothing. He would either move on to another farm or become a more sinister creature known as a Buggane. It is possible that there have been several Fays who became Fenoderees or Phynnodderees, rather than all the tales being told of a single individual.
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Bwca Also known as: Booka, Bwachod, Bwaganod.
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Bean-Tighe
The Bean-Tighe is most happy when there is work left to be done in a house, as she revels in being helpful. She will most commonly tend to the homes of lone mothers and elderly women, though she is not sexist and will occasionally also assist men in similar situations. She will finish off chores and also check to see that the children and family pets are safe and sound as they sleep. The Bean-Tighe is so efficient in her duties however that in the tense days of the Witch-hunts, some old women would disrupt some of her work on a morning - they feared that a ‘too tidy’ house would indicate a Fay presence, who in turn may be misrepresented as an evil spirit and therefore possibly lead to the old lady being condemned for practising Witchcraft. The Bean-Tighe bears some comparison to the notion of ‘Fairy Godmothers’ - characters generally more familiar to Fairy-tales rather than to the folklore of Britain and Ireland. Bean-Tighe are notoriously fond of strawberries and cream.
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Silkies
The Silkies are strange and solitary Fay women that finish off household chores at night, when the humans are asleep in their beds. They are often contemplative and morose; the only sound usually heard from them is the gentle rustle of their elegant silk gowns. However if the Silky considers that the human servants or keepers of the house are lazily negligent in their efforts and are taking her for granted, then she will harass them at any given opportunity. The melancholic Silkies are sometimes thought not to be a Faerie breed as such, but in fact to be the Ghosts of young women who had died a tragic and untimely death - perhaps even murdered by their own lovers. They are thought to undertake the domestic tasks to distract their minds from their sorrow and pain, and to kill some time in their perhaps eternal wanderings. Occasionally Northumbrian Silkies were to be seen out of doors, especially in the locality of Black Heddon. Sometimes they were observed indulging in pursuits contradictory to their sullen, refined visage, such as felling trees, breaking large rocks or startling horses for mischief. Whether engaged in domestic chores, manual labour or lowly misbehaviour, the activities and appearance of a Silky are intriguingly converse - for when these entities were first apparently encountered, silk was still a material generally adorned only by those privileged enough to be above tasks of drudgery or vulgar pranks. Previously in Scotland, law once prohibited those of a class below aristocracy from wearing such fine attire.
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Grugachs
Also known as: Guagach, Grogachs, Gragon,
Grogans, Gunnas, The Hairy Ones, Herders, Firesitters.
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All artwork and text © Andrew L. Paciorek |
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