Imp from European mythology.
Originating from Germanic folklore the imp was a small lesser demon. Unlike the Christian faith and stories, demons in Germanic legends were not necessarily always evil. Imps were often mischievous rather than evil or harmful and in some regions they were attendants of the gods.
The attendants of the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.
A legend in Lincolnshire dating to the 14th-century recounts that the devil, being annoyed with the completion of the cathedral, paid a visit, accompanied by two imps who proceeded to wreak havoc in the building. An angel appeared and ordered them to stop. One turned to throw a rock at the angel and was instantly petrified. While his companion fled, the unfortunate imp remains at the Angel Choir at the east end of the cathedral. The imp is also depicted on the emblem of the local football team Lincoln City F.C.. They are also nicknamed The Imps.
Imps are often shown as small in stature and not very attractive. Their behaviour is described as being wild and uncontrollable, much the same as fairies’, and in some cultures they are considered the same beings, both sharing the same sense of free spirit and enjoyment of all things fun. Most of the time these pranks were harmless fun, but some could be upsetting and harmful, such as the switching babies or leading travelers astray in places which they were not familiar. Although imps are often thought of as being immortal, they can be damaged or harmed by certain weapons and enchantments, or be kept out of people’s homes by wards.
Imps were also portrayed as lonely little creatures in search of human attention, using jokes and pranks to attract human friendship. This often backfired when people became annoyed with the imp’s endeavours, usually driving it away. Even if the imp was successful in getting the friendship it sought, it still often played pranks on its friend either out of boredom or simply because this was the nature of the imp.
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