Jan 27, 2013
Kobalos
The kobalos (pl. kobaloi) was a sprite from Greek mythology, a mischievous creature fond of tricking and frightening mortals.
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Kobalos
The kobalos (pl. kobaloi) was a sprite from Greek mythology, a mischievous creature fond of tricking and frightening mortals.
KOBALOS
Origin: Greek Mythology. Thought to live in Euboea or near Thermopylai.
Description: sprites, mischievous creatures fond of tricking and frightening mortals. Greek myths depict the Kobaloi as “impudent, thieving, droll, idle, mischievous, gnome-dwarfs” and as “funny, little tricksy elves” of a phallic nature.
Myths:
They were companions of Dionysus and could shape-shift as Dionysus in the guise of Choroimanes-Aiolomorphos. According to one myth, they robbed Heracles while he slept. He captured them in revenge but took pity on them when he found them amusing. In one version of the myth, Heracles gave them to the Lydian queen Omphale as a gift.
Parents used tales of the kobaloi to frighten children into behaving. Term also means “impudent knave, arrant rogue” in ancient Greek, and such individuals were thought to invoke kobaloi spirits.
Other European sprites may derive from belief in kobaloi. This includes spirits such as the Lancashire boggart, Scottish bogle, French goblin, Medieval gobdinus, German kobold, and English Puck.