Goblins in Human Folklore
This is a little list of goblins and goblin-like creatures that appear in folklore and mythology. I am making my own world of goblins as well, but these are the ones that come ‘from Earth’ so to speak.
Also, I’m not an expert on most of these, this is just little pieces of information about each one I could find. If anyone knows some more information about a specific goblin (especially the non-European varieties, though any other fun facts would be appreciated) then feel free to add them in the comments or let me know!
Goblins appear in many human cultures, though this is often to the great embarrassment of the goblin community as a whole. The goblins who reached Earth were not really the best ambassadors for their culture, and so their names have mostly been scrubbed from the memories of goblinkind.
European Goblins:
European goblins are often depicted as small, grotesque, almost monstrous creatures. Goblins sighted in these areas were vengeful tricksters, kidnapping humans or even cursing them.
Redcaps; murderous and malevolent, these goblins inhabit ruined castles in Scotland, and are known for soaking their caps in the blood of their victims. They are short, thickset little men with long teeth, skinny fingers, large red eyes and hairy shoulders. The way most humans deterred these folk was to read out Bible Scripture to them. The Redcap was so horrified by the fancy words and crucifix that he burst into flames and left behind a large tooth.
Hobgoblins; possibly the only good-natured goblin to set foot on Earth, the Hobgoblin was once considered very helpful and there was once one that resided in most European households. They were small, hairy little men, and did helpful household chores in return for protecting the home and being fed some table scraps by the human dwellers. They are very fond of practical jokes and could shapeshift (given this fact we can assume the Hobgoblin was a descendant of some Marsh Goblin community). Attempts to give them clothing would banish them forever, as goblins pride themselves on their unique style and efficient DIY skills.
Boggarts; the malicious cousin of the Hobgoblin, Boggarts are house-dwelling goblins that have been angered by the humanfolk and wish to do them harm. Sometimes thought to be a Hobgoblin transformed by the disrespect of the humanfolk living in the house, other times an upset Hobgoblin may hire a Boggart to replace them. Boggarts cause mischief by making things disappear, souring milk, abducting children, placing its clammy hands on sleeping faces, pull peoples ears, and pulling the bedsheets off people. Salt and horseshoe at the door of the house can stop a Boggart from entering.
Erlking; not actually a goblin at all, but an elf from Germany. The poor creature was probably devastated to be called a goblin by the humanfolk.
Kobold; the true German goblin, Kobolds can transform into non-human animals, fire, candles, and some may even have a human-form. In human-form they often look like small children. There seem to be three types of Kobold; ones that live in human homes, those that live in the mines, and ones that live on ships and smoke pipes. There are some stories where Kobolds can only enter and exit a home via the chimney. House Kobolds look like four-year-old children, wear peasant clothes, some have red hair and even a beards, and some still may have small tails. Mine Kobolds are short with bent ‘ugly features’ and have black skin and instead of a heart that have a glowing orb which is seen when these Kobolds are invisible (which is most the time). Ship Kobolds have thin hands like frogs, and have no body heat. These Kobolds are invisible almost always, and do not like being tricked into being seen by humans.
Trasgu; a goblin (possibly a gnome) who lived in Northern Spain, and has stories in a few mythologies. It was a mischievous goblin that tended to have a nervous character. Often appearing as a tiny man who limps with his right leg, has dark skin, wears red clothes and a pointy hat. He also has a hole in his left hand, horns, a tail, sheep's ears, and long legs. The female is smaller, with very thin long legs, and wears a tight dark brown dress. If treated well, this goblin would do household chores, if badly they would break kitchen vessels and scare the animals of the house. Either way though, they like moving objects around to prank sleeping humans, and any nocturnal noises are often attributed to the Trasgu.
Possible Other Goblinfolk;
Pukwudgie; a goblin-like creature found in Native American stories. Described as ‘little wild man of the woods that vanishes’ they had the ability to appear and disappear at will, shapeshift, lure people to their deaths, use magic, launch poison arrows, and create fire. They often look like a porcupine from the back and a half-troll/half-human being from the front. They used to be friendly with the humanfolk but not wish to be left alone, and could kidnap, push people off cliffs, attack them with knives, or use sand to blind them.
Muki; a goblin found in the caves of the Andes mountains. It is said he is a pale goblin that mines in underground spaces. He does not have a neck, his voice is deep, his hair is bright blonde and very long, and has a white beard. His eyes seem to reflect light like the metal he mines, and he wears a helmet, miner’s outfit, and studded boots. Unbaptised children were said to become Muki’s if they were kidnapped by the goblins. These goblins do not age, whistle loudly, and warn miner’s of danger. He is partial to cocoa, alcohol, and female company, and will aid the miner’s in their work if presented with one of these things.
Dokkaebi; known as ‘Korean goblins’. These folk were believed to possess inanimate objects, old household tools, or objects stained with human blood. They are often depicted as fearsome and awe-inspiring. They are often seen as mostly harmless but mischievous, and like to challenge travellers to a wrestling match. They make their own fire, tall and light blue flames, that herald their arrival. They have hats which grant invisibility, a magic club that acts like a magic wand, and they like red bean rice cakes. It is said that they brought good harvest, big catches of fish and good fortunes for humans, and defended them against evil spirits.
UPDATE: I am collecting my goblin posts on a masterpost here!
