At night the trow were thought to break into houses to warm themselves around the fire, while the terrified inhabitants cowered in their beds waiting for them to leave. Trow are described as small, ugly, deformed creatures sometimes invisible to humans.

TROW FROM THE ORKNEY AND SHETLAND ISLANDS To appease the knockers, miners would leave food offerings on the floors of the mine and ensured they always spoke respectfully of the little creatures, so as to not provoke their ire.ĭuring the California gold rush Cornish miners were in high demand due to their excellent mining skills, and as a result these legendary creatures spread to the United States, where they were often called TommyKnockers. But like most fairy folk, the knockers were also seen as keen pranksters and blamed every time a piece of equipment went missing or someone got lost down the mine. Many believed the knockers were helpful, alerting miners to rich seams of ore or warning them away from areas liable to collapse. Some think the myth developed from the strange knocking sounds miners heard while down the mine, the mysterious noises being attributed to the dwarf-like creatures thought to inhabit the subterranean world. Image credit: iStockĪre small, mostly benevolent creatures said to inhabit the tin mines of Cornwall Welsh miners had a similar character known as the coblynau. CORNISH KNOCKERS AND WELSH COBLYNAUĬornwall, one location of the knockers. Boggarts are brownies gone bad-they break things, throw things, and are generally terrible house guests. Brownies are either clad in rags or naked, and some folktales say that if you offer clothes to a brownie they will leave your home, either because they now have nice new clothes or because they are affronted by the gift.īe warned, however: Brownies are quick to anger, and if you irritate a brownie you may live to regret it, as these once-helpful household friends can turn into boggarts. They are generally male and reside in the house carrying out useful household tasks such as churning butter or polishing floors. THE BROWNIES OF SCOTLAND AND ENGLANDīrownies are small, usually helpful spirits originating in Scotland and northern England. So next time you break a vase or lose your keys, here are a sampling of miniature mischief-makers to take the blame. Someone drank all your wine? Cellar must be infested with clurichauns.įolklore around the world provides us with a host of these small fairy-like creatures, frequently treading a fine line between the malevolent and benevolent, and worryingly quick to take offense. Humans have always looked for an excuse when something goes wrong, and traditionally, mythical creatures have often provided the perfect scapegoat.

Magical creatures