ABATWA
Said to be the tiniest creatures in human form that are in existence,
these little people coexist peaceably with the ants in the anthills
of Southern Africa and live on their foragings from the roots
of grasses and other plants. Also being the shyest humaniform
creatures on earth, they stay extremely elusive and are hardly
ever seen. However, they may reveal themselves to children under
the age of four, wizards and pregnant women. If a woman in her
seventh month ofpregnancy happens to see a male abatwa, it is
a definite omen that she will give birth to a boy. Abatwa are
perfect miniatures of the members of the African tribes of that
region, and their clan and family structures are similar. However,
their peaceful nature lets them live together with the ants in
perfect harmony, with neither seeking to dominate the other.
ANA
From Gypsy legend, Ana is the extremely beautiful princess of
the Keshalyi and lived in a
palace in the rocky mountains until she was forced to marry the
king of the Loçolico, the undergroud demon people. She
bore him many terrifying children who cause the diseases that
mankind must endure today. Finally, she gave birth to Poreskoro,
the most terrifying of these demons, a horror with four dogs'
heads, four cats' heads and a tail like a snake with a forked
tongue. He causes the worst epidemics such as the plague and cholera,
and all the most deadly parasitical diseases. Upon seeing his
son, the king was so appalled that he granted Ana her freedom,
on condition that all female keshalyi should be sent to the Loçolico
upon reaching the age of 999 years. Now, Ana resides in an inaccessible
castle amid high crags, and only very rarely shows herself, always
in the shape of a golden toad.
ANGIAKS
An angiak was a child of the living dead in Eskimo lore. These
are created during harsh times when an unwanted baby is taken
out into the snow by a tribe's elders to die of exposure. Unless
the tribe moves on to another hunting ground, they may soon find
themselves haunted by this small, miserable ghost. Each night,
it returns to strengthen itself by suckling at its mother's breast,
and when it has gained enough strength, returns to wreak its revenge
on the elders. If it is absolutely necessary to dispose of a child
in this way, one must forego naming him before his death, as a
human acquires a soul only after gaining a name.
ANKOUS
Much like the British Banshee, the ankou
of Brittany in France is a tall, gaunt man who drives a cart drawn
by a pale, bony horse, accompanied by two silent figures who walk
behing him, all with bowed heads. They appear at dusk, and their
footsteps make no sound on the ground as they pass. Their sight
tells the person who sees them will know that either he or one
he loves will soon die.
APSARAS
These predominantly female fairies are also known as sky dancers,
and are much like Western angels. They bless men kindly at important
stages of their lives, and are often seen at weddings. To those
dying on battlefields, they appear as beautiful courtesans, offering
delight in the world to come. They are said to live in fig trees,
and sometimes (though very seldom) appear to scholars or scientists,
seduce them and exhaust them, making sure that man does not venture
into areas that the spirit world deems unfit for them.
ATUA
Polynesian ancestor spirits who are revered like gods, the atua
are also known as the Nuku mai Tore, the People of the Other World
. They fly and live in trees like birds, and have no death or
old age. They are known to wander the island of Otea. A strange
custom of theirs is to deliver children by cutting the child out
of the mother's side, although when mortal men take atua wives,
they usually encourage them to have the babies the human way.
BANNIK
The spirit of the bath house, the bannik flits amongst the dense
steam of the sauna bath perfect cover for one of the typically
elusive fairy folk. It lives in Russia and the Baltic countries,
this being where sauna baths were first invented, and although
sometimes glimpsed through the clouds of vapour, it is more often
felt than seen, and its touch on one's naked back is a signicant
omen: one of good fortune if it is a caressing stroke, but one
of ill luck if he scratches.
BANSHEES
The name of the banshee is derived from the Celtic for "woman
of the Fairies ". According
to the Irish, to see one is to foresee one's own death. Her voice
is usually heard wailing outside a family's ancestral home just
prior to a person's death, and many tales have been told of banshees
wailing outside someone's birthplace just as the person dies,
far across the seas. Her lamentations are in an unintelligible
language, and her cry is a blend of a wild goose's screech, an
abandoned child's cries and a wolf's howl. She may appear with
straggling balck hair, one nostril, protruding teeth and eyes
red from weeping, or as a pale, beautiful young woman wearing
a grey cloak and a green gown, or as a hag in a shroud, but is
usually seen in loose white drapery, mournfully wailing as the
sun sets. A large number of them together omens the death of a
great or holy person.
BAOBAN SITH
An evil female spirit of the Scottish Highlands, her wails pierce
the countryside for miles around and enjoys drinking the blood
of young men abroad at night. She first appears as a raven or
crow, then as a beautiful maid in a green dress and a plaid sash.
If she appears at your fireside, you will recognise her from her
feet: they will be hooves.
BARBEGAZI
The gnomes of a mountainous region from France to Switzerland,
their name means "frozen beards" and tend to hibernate
during the warmer months, emerging only after the first heavy
snowfalls of winter and only seen when the temperature is below
zero dgrees. They never venture beyond the tree line of the mountains,
and those brought below by mountaineers only survive a few hours.
Their feet are large, and their hair and beards resemble thick
clumps of icicles, though beneath the ice real hair is present.
Their large feet give them the advantages of both skis and the
snowshoes, allowing them to run at great speeds across the snow,
and can be used as spades if they are stuck and need to dig their
way out. They are generally thought to be beneficient towards
humans, and will help those dying of cold and hoot to warn mountaineers
of avalanches, although they quite enjoy these, and ride them
down the mountainside.
BARGUESTS
Fanged, clawed, and with pointed fangs and blood red eyes, the
barguest enjoys frightening naughty children; a well behaved one
is less at risk. They are most common in the north of England,
where they pass along the streets at night scaring people awake
with their horrible shrieks.
BEAN-NIGHES
Ghosts of women who died in childbirth, these Scottish Banshees
eternally wash the grave-clothes of one who is about to die. Anyone
brave enough to approach one and suckle from her wizened breast
will gain a wish, although he is more likely to be struck down
with terror.
BELAS
In Indonesia, very old and big trees are said to house spirits,
and before chopping a tree down, a farmer should politely ask
it to move to another tree, bringing it food. If displeased, belas
can cause illness or appear in dreams. in such a case, a priestess
can be asked to indicate the bela who is causing this.
BENDITH Y YAMAU
A stunted and ugly clan of Welsh fairies who steal not only newborn
babies, but walking, talking children as well, substituting one
of their ugly children, the crimbils, for the child. It is possible
to get one's child back from the bendith y mamau with the help
of a witch. However, when the child returns he remembers nothing
of the experience except a notion of sweet music.
BERGMONCKS
Rather like South European Moniacellos ,
these large, pale monks of Germany ward off travellers venturing
too close to mines rich with lodes of gold. They are thought to
be the ghosts of good friars who hid golden candlesticks and chalices
from marauders during the religious wars.
BODACHS
These malicious house spirits of the Scottish Highlands have the
form of a shrivelled old man who lives up the chimney in the daytime
and comes out at night to punish naughty children, tweaking their
toes, ears and noses, pulling their eyelids open and staring into
their eyes, and inflicting horrid nightmares. If the child's behaviour
improves the bodach will leave him alone, but it is wise to put
a pinch of salt in the fire as well, to keep the bodach in his
lair.
BOGEYMEN
These mischievous but fairly harmless spirits of the earth like
to live in dark, cluttered places such as cupboards, cellars,
barns, lofts, hollow trees, abandoned mine workings, hillside
caves and crevices, and old houses. They cause all the creaks
and thumps in these houses, and also pull bedclothes off sleepers
at night or cause uneasiness by hovering behind someone's back.
It is useless to try to turn round in time to see one, and not
really worth one's while, either, as all he looks like is a large
puff of dust. However, looking through a knothole in a wooden
partition, one may catch the dull fleeting gleam of the bogeyman's
eye before he has time to slip away.
BOGGARTS
Malicious household spirits of Scotland and Lanchashire, these
little creatures are dark and hairy with meddling fingers, clumsy
feet and simple minds; they have long yellow teeth and dress in
tattered clothing. After dark, they may tip over milk jugs, break
the cords of window sashes, put hens off laying, frighten cats,
cause dogs to bark senselessly, slam doors, leave taps running,
block gutters, blow out candles, and awaken sleeping babies by
tweaking their noses. Attempts to try and escape from a boggart
infested home are usually fruitless, as the creature tends to
hear about it and will travel along with the family to the new
house.
BOGIES
Mischievous, evil natured who
are thought to steal infants for the Devil to torment in Hell.
The Scots say one can repel them only by holding an open bible
in their faces. They can change shape at will, most assuming icy
fingers and yellow, glowing eyes, or black dogs lurking by lonely
roads or tree trunks. They like to leap on a victim's back clasping
their hard hands over the person's eyes, or play similar practical
jokes, and may be even more malicious towards thieves, liars and
murderers, as they hate to see injustice.
BOKWUS
A fearsome spirit in the great North Western American forests
of spruce, larch and fir. Although his evil, aquiline face with
totemic warpaint is only glimpsed as he peeps quickly behind the
trunk of a tree, Native American unters are very conscious of
his presence. He is most dangerous on the tree lined edges of
rivers, as he will push fishermen off the banks into the water
here. After this, he takes the soul of the drowned person to his
home in the forest. What he does with him there is uncertain.
BRAGS
These mischievous Goblins from
the north of England can change their shape, and though usually
equine, also take the form of a cow with a white flag around its
neck, an ass, or if it suits their mood, a naked man flapping
a white sheet, a chanting girl, or a giant, white singing cat.
They live in rivers and lakes, and the aim of their transmutations
is to lure passers by into the water for amusement.
BRAHMADAITYAS
Like Brahma, the Hindu creator of the universe, these benign ghosts
of Brahmin priests had four faces and four hands. They guard their
master against Shiva the destroyer, and although they are kind
towards humans, should one chop down the palm in which one of
them lives, the offender's neck will be snapped like a twig.
BROLLACHANS
These Scottish brownies are gentle natured and helpful around
the house. They are very dark with long, strong arms and shapeless
bodies covered with hair, and occasionally, goats' shanks and
hooves. They rarely speak, but when frightened may bleat like
a goat.
BROWNIES
These cheerful and helpful house spirits of Scotland are devoid
of mischief and prefer to live in harmony with mortals, doing
their housework, guiding their cows back to the farmyard and ushering
their hens back to their roosts. Although small and hairy with
flat faces and pinhole nostrils, their happy smiles and extrovert
characters soon create a feeling of goodwill for mortals, and
only people with similar natures will be able to see brownies.
As these are mostly children, brownies love to play with children,
telling them stories and teaching them to make daisy chains and
wildflower posies. The presence of brownies is enough to reverse
the negative effects of any Goblins around. Still, leaving gifts
out for them is unwise, as they dislike this and may not return
to help the family again.
CAIRN MAIDEN
Appearing at harvest time, this beautiful, golden haired girl
watches the harvesters swinging their scythes through the open
corn and, towards the close of day, appears in the path of the
lad who looks the most handsome and virile. On and on she lures
him, enticing him to cut every sheaf left in the meadow until
midnight, when he becomes faint with exhaustion. then, she faces
him, and saying that her own sickle needs sharpening, neatly slices
off his head.
CAO GUO JIU
Always shown in court dress with his emblem, the castanets, Cao
Guo Jiu loved secret learnings and spurned his honours and riches.
One of the Chinese Ba Xian , he
is also the patron saint of actors and actresses.
CENTAURS
These Greek beings each with the head, torsos and arms of a man
and the body of a horse descend from the first king of Thessaly
and the cloud Nephele, and hold allegiance only to Eros, god of
love, and Dionysius, god of wine. They are handsome and sensual,
delighting in drunken brawls, and are often warlike, using clubs
made from young pine trees, spears and arrows. An exception is
Chiron, a studious, wise centaur who tutored many Greek heroes
and can now be seen in the heavens as the constellation Sagittarius.
CHANG ER
In ancient China, Chang Er was the wife of the archer Hou Yi,
who received the herb of immortality from the gods after shooting
down nine of the ten suns that were stifling the world with their
heat. She consumed the herb and ascended to the moon, where she
still lives in the Palace of the Far Reaching Cold, accompanied
by her maids, two children, and a hare which grinds cinnamon tree
bark, which confers immortality
CLURICAUNS
These Irish fairies look after inns, keeping mainly to the wine
cellars and resembling miniature innkeepers with their of stockings,
silver buckled shoes, white shirts and aprons, and red caps. In
a well run establishment, the cluricaun will only take his fair
share of food and drink, but in a badly run inn, he will gobble
the food and swallow the drink in such quantities that the landlord
will soon be put out of business. A cluricaun may also steal from
the cellar of man who is fond of wine, and if he drinks too much
the house will never be free of the sound of breaking bottles,
drunken shouts and songs, and general tumult as he blunders around
the cellar. If this should happen, the homeowner should simply
cut off the cluricaun's supply of drink. After a while, he will
seek more hospitable quarters, and become another drinker's problem.
In England, they are known as buttery spirits.
CURURIPUR
A powerful South American spirit who owned the jungle and, being
a great friend of the tortoises, would not hesitate to bring destruction
upon a tortoise hunter. With red eyes, swollen knees and feet
turned back to front to fool people who sought to escape him by
looking at his footprints, he could also be identified by the
calabashes he wore around his neck and on his legs, producing
a "te wo yi' sound when clashing.
CYOERAETHS
The Welsh counterparts of Banshees, these
horrible weeping women with emaciated faces and black teeth announce
the approach of death. Their groans are like those of sick people
about to die, only much louder. One may amble along a beach on
lonely, stormy nights carrying an inextinguishable candle and
crying into the wind before a shipwreck, her candle lighting the
way for pallbearers. At night, they may also splash in streams
and lakes at night in order to warn passers by of the danger.