Mythology & REAL Goblins!
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Mythology is the study of myths and legends. Many people think that myths and legends aren't real and as a result people living nowadays have forgotten about them or believe they are nothing more than made-up stories.
In reality myths are actually traditional stories. They were the main way that our distant ancestors passed on knowledge to successive generations before they could write. As each story was retold, and over thousands of years, they became more and more fantastical – heroic deeds, supernatural beings, magical powers. But behind these seemingly impossible tales, is there something REAL? There are many kinds of myth and legend, from Inca myths, to those of the ancient tribes of Africa and Asia. One of the most well known is Greek mythology.
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To the left is the winged horse Pegasus from Greek mythology painted by Matania Fortunino, (1881 - 1963).
Or you may know of the Greek myth of Medusa, a Gorgon with a body of a woman and the tail of a serpent. This painting by Caravaggio shows the snakes she had instead of hair!
My books are based on another kind of myth – Teutonic Mythology. These legends came from an ancient group of tribes that lived in Northern Europe called the Anglo-Saxons. The stories that they told formed the basis of Norwegian Mythology – the gods Thor and Odin – the history of elves – and also many English folk tales.
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The Creature Collection
Now you know about where these myths came from, click on the names below to find out more about the creatures – there are more than just elves and goblins to discover in Teutonic Mythology!
COFGODAS
(cof-go-das) A household spirit living alongside humans.
DOKKALFAR
(dock-al-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Dokkr’ meaning ‘dark’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
GOBLINS
An evil demon that lives in dark places, grotesque and malevolent ... or are they?
HULDRUFOLK
(hul-dru-folk) Mischievous woodland spirits that have the fronts of men, but the hollowed out backs of trees.
IDESA (from the Old Norse, Disir)
(i-des-a) (dis-ear) Women of great power that are the guardian spirits of their families.
LANDWIHTA
(land-wi-ta) Nature-spirits that are the guardians of the woods, the forests, and the streams.
LJOSALFAR
(jos-al-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Ljos’ meaning ‘light’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
NIXIES
(nix-ees) A water sprite of German mythology, usually in human form or half-human and half-fish.
SVARTALFAR
(s-var-tal-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Svartr’ meaning ‘black’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
COFGODAS
(cof-go-das) A household spirit living alongside humans.
DOKKALFAR
(dock-al-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Dokkr’ meaning ‘dark’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
GOBLINS
An evil demon that lives in dark places, grotesque and malevolent ... or are they?
HULDRUFOLK
(hul-dru-folk) Mischievous woodland spirits that have the fronts of men, but the hollowed out backs of trees.
IDESA (from the Old Norse, Disir)
(i-des-a) (dis-ear) Women of great power that are the guardian spirits of their families.
LANDWIHTA
(land-wi-ta) Nature-spirits that are the guardians of the woods, the forests, and the streams.
LJOSALFAR
(jos-al-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Ljos’ meaning ‘light’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
NIXIES
(nix-ees) A water sprite of German mythology, usually in human form or half-human and half-fish.
SVARTALFAR
(s-var-tal-far) From the Old Norse, ‘Svartr’ meaning ‘black’, ‘alfar’ meaning ‘elf’
