Who Are the Goblins?

It has been said that goblins are somewhat malicious little creatures. That they can appear unexpectedly as animals. That they are generally known to be thieves and villains. And that they like to tempt people with faerie fruits*. Not all goblins are considered evil however. Mine goblins make knocking noises where they know there are rich deposits of ore. To avoid the Knockers' wrath, a pastie (traditional miner meal) should be left for them. The term hobgoblin is a general name for small grotesque but friendly brownie-type creatures. They have a bad reputation since the Puritans used their name to refer to wicked Goblin spirits, but they're really a sort of friendly Brownie. They can be helpful at times, but like practical jokes. But don't annoy them or they can become nasty.
According to some reports told to Dr. Evan-Wentz, author of The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, goblins can be mistaken for The Tylwyth Teg. The Twylwyth Teg is a kind of spirit race having some human characteristics. They live underground in the Hollow Hills and come out at night to dance in the moonlight. Thay are know for their gaudy dress and wild circle dancing. They are considered to be of a good nature but can take revenge if they are not well treated. Although the Tylwyth Teg have been accused of stealing unsupervised babies it is generally believed that they have been falsely accused.
Goblins has been used as a gerneral term for any faery gone wrong, or bogey man. So we will use the term loosely here to include any number of greenies, brownies, bogeys, or wayward sprites. The one thing that these creatures have in common is this: they WILL git you if you don't watch out! And also "git" your baby and replace it with a hunp back or ugly changeling.

*We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits;
Who knows upon what soil they fed,
Their hungry thirsty roots?

Goblin Market
CHRISTINA GIORGINA ROSSETTI

 

(raven on left ©Edward Gorey) 

Ways to prevent goblin abduction and harrassment.

 1. Offer libations to the faeries. Put out cups of milk, mead, or a bowl of barley for the faeries each night. Or better still, some left over dinner. Perhaps it would even be best to keep from washing the dishes so that the faeries can lick the plates if they wish. Here is a story from Scotland. "An Elder in my church knew a woman who was accustomed, in milking her cows, to offer libations to the fairies. The woman was later converted to Christ and gave up the practice., and as a result one of her cows was taken by the fairies. Then she revived the practice."

2. Never refuse Fairy Hospitality.

If you should ever find yourself in the curious predicament of being offered a token from strange fairy folk DON'T refuse. Refusal of a fairies offerings could lead to disastrous consequences. A tale from the Isle of Skye: "Two women were walking when one of them heard a churning sound and expressed aloud the desire for buttermilk. No sooner had she spoken than a very small figure of a woman came out with a bowlful and offered it to her, but the thirsty woman, ignorant of fairy customs, declined the kind offer and immediately found herself a prisoner in a hillock.

3. NEVER call a faery a faery.

Faeries do not like to be called by name, they prefer "good neighbors", or "the old ones" or "the wee folk".

4. To protect yourself from the faeries befriend them. Most faeries take to kindness with great favor. They will become helpful household companions if they are treated with respect and kindness. Also be kind to the Earth. Faeries are after all Nature spirits. If they see that you are aligned with the health and well-being of the planet you will be their honored companion.

5. Invoke "Bendith Y Mamau", which is The Mother's Blessing. This is a saying that pleases the Little People and aligns you with faeries everywhere.