Goblin

Infobox Paranormalcreatures
Creature_Name = Goblin


Image_Caption =
Grouping = Mythological creature
Fairy
Possibilities =
AKA =
Country =
Region = Europe
Habitat =
First_Reported = In folklore
Last_Sighted =
Status = Unconfirmed

A goblin is an evil, crabby, or mischievous creature of folklore, often described as a grotesquely disfigured or gnome-like , that may range in height from that of a dwarf to that of a human. They are attributed with various (sometimes conflicting) abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constant annoying little creatures somewhat related with the brownie.

Etymology

According to "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English"," the name is probably derived from the Anglo-French "gobelin" (which was rendered, in Medieval Latin, as "gobelinus"), which is probably a diminutive of "Gobel", a name related to the word "kobold" (a German sprite). In addition, there also exist various other alternative spellings of the word goblin, including: "Gobblin", "gobeline", "gobling", "goblyn", "gobelinus" (Medieval Latin).

Dwarfs, hiisi, duende, tengu, Menninkäinen and kallikantzaroi are often translated into English as 'goblins'. The Erlking and Billy Blind are sometimes called goblins. 'Goblin' is often used as a general term to mean any small mischievous being.

According to some traditions, goblin comes from Gob or Ghob, the king of the gnomes , whose inferiors were called Ghob-lings. [ [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037122/gnome Encyclopaedia Britannica - Gnome] ]

Skratta (which means "to laugh" in modern Swedish) is old Scandinavian word for a goblin or monster (modern Icelandic skratti, a devil).Fact|date=April 2007

A creature resembling a goblin, but larger than a human, is often considered an Ogre or a Troll.Fact|date=September 2007

Origins in folklore

One fabled origin for goblins is in France, in a cleft of the Pyrenees, from which they spread rapidly throughout Europe. They hitched a ride with Viking ships to get to Britain. ["The Complete Encyclopedia of Elves, Goblins, and Other Little Creatures" by Pierre Dubois, in English 2005] ["Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were" by Michael Page & Robert Ingpen, 1987] They have no homes, being nomadic, dwelling temporarily in mossy cracks in rocks and tree roots.

Sir Walter Scott in his "Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft" ascribed gnomes, kobolds and goblins, along with Scottish "bogles", to all correspond with a caricature of the Sami people.Fact|date=April 2007

* The Benevolent Goblin, by Gesta Romanorum (England) [ [http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/halloween/kids-short-stories/the-benevolent-goblin.html Apples4theTeacher - short stories] ]
* The Boy Who Drew Cats (Japanese fairy tale)
* Chinese Ghouls and Goblins (England 1928)
* Erlking is a malevolent goblin from German legend.
* "The Goblin of Adachigahara" (Japanese fairy tale) [ [http://www.rickwalton.com/folktale/japan11.htm Rick Walton - folktale] ]
* "The Goblin Pony", from The Grey Fairy Book (French fairy tale)
* "The Goblins at the Bath House" (Estonia), from A Book of Ghosts and Goblins (1969)
* "The Goblins Turned to Stone" (Dutch fairy tale) ["Dutch Fairy Tales for Young Folks", 1918, compiled by William Elliot Griffis]
* Gwyn ap Nudd was ruler over the goblin tribe. (Welsh folklore) [ [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/wfl/wfl01.htm Sacred texts] ]
* Shiva has a cohort of goblins and ghouls (India).
* "Twenty-Two Goblins" (Indian fairy tale) [ [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/ttg/index.htm Sacred texts] ]

Goblin Places

*Bryn y Ellyllon: 'The Hill of the Goblins', Somerset, UK
*'The Gap of Goeblin', a hole and underground tunnel in Mortaine, France. ["Ghosts, Goblins, and Haunted Castles", Aventinum Publishers, 1990 in English, page 51]
*Goblin Combe, in north Somerset, UK
*Goblin Valley State Park, Utah, U.S.

Early Fiction

*"The Goblins", a comedy play by Sir John Suckling (1638 England)
*"Goblin Market", a poem by Christina Rossetti (1859 England)
*"The Princess and the Goblin" by George MacDonald (1872)
*"Davy and the Goblin" by Charles E. Carryl [ [http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/2006/cur0607.htm SF Site] ] (1884)
*"The Hoard of the Gibbelins" in The Book of Wonder by Lord Dunsany (1912)

Video Games

*Gobliins series by Cocktel Vision.

ee also

*Goblin (disambiguation)
*Goblins in modern fiction
*Hobgoblin
*House Energy Rating
*Nilbog
*Redcap
*Ghoul
*Imp
*Gremlin
*Kallikantzaroi
*Kyöpelinvuori
*Kobold
*Orc (Middle-earth)
*Uruk-hai
*Sprite (creature)
*Brownie
*Troll
*Wirry-cow
*Wight
*Halloween
*Vinayakas
*Dwarf
*The Goblin Mirror (novel)
*Magical creatures (Harry Potter)# Goblins

References

Further reading

* "British Goblins: Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions" by Wirt Sikes
* "Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were" by Michael Page & Robert Ingpen
* "The Complete Encyclopedia of Elves, Goblins, and Other Little Creatures" by Pierre Dubois
* "Goblins!" and "The Goblin Companion" by Brian Froud
* "Spirits, Fairies, Gnomes and Goblins: an Encyclopedia of the Little People" by Carol Rose

Online

Text

*Children's Books Online: [http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/Davy_and_the_Goblin/ Davy And The Goblin]

Comic

*Goblins [http://www.goblinscomic.com/]