TAPAIRUS
Their name means without equal . This race of Polyneisan nymphs
may ascend from limpid pools on moonlit nights to join dancers,
only to disappear at dawn. They chiefly inhabit the pool that
leads to the Avaiki, the underworld, being the daughters of the
fearsome goddess of the underworld, Miru. The tapairus lure seducible
men to Miru s palace, where Miru serves them alcohol, then, after
roasting them lightly, eats them. Ngaru, the hero of Polynesia
and the god of the waves, was once taken below, but when Miru
tried to roast him, a deluge cam down, extinguishing the fires
of hell.
TARANS
In Scotland, these are pathetic little spirits of babies who died
before baptism, doomed to wander until Judgement Day. They are
heard bewailing their fate as they flit among the woods, and can
only be saved if a mortal douses them with holy water and gives
them a name, saying "I baptise thee in the name of the Father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost." However, this happens rarely
as it is said that conversing with one brings misfortune or even
death.
TENGUS
Mischievous supernatural beings of Japan, the tengus were sometimes
thought to be reincarnations of those who were proud and arrogant
in life. They make their homes in trees in mountainous areas,
and are renowned swordsmen, sometimes lowering themselves to teach
this skill to mortal heroes. A tengu is a small winged ceature
with a long red nose or a beaklike mouth, and their tribes are
usually headed by chieves, larger creatures with prominent noses,
angry, threatening expressions, red robes and feather fans.
TIPUA
Like Indian Rakshasas, these demon goblins of Maori myth have
the ability to take any shape that they desire.
TITANIA
Wife of Oberon, King of the Fairies, Titania has more grace than
the bawdy Queen Mab in ruling her subjects, and is certainly more
morally upright than her rather adulterous husband. She may have
descended from the Greek goddess of the moon, Diana.
TOKOLOSH
A South African version of a poltergeist, Tokolosh is a sullen
spirit that lives beside streams, throwing stones into the water
on still nights. Rarely found indoors, he prefers to frighten
lone travellers on the road, usually by jumping on a small animal
or bird and strangling it, the poor thing's panicked cry scaring
the traveller out of his wits. He is described as being something
like a baboon, but smaller and without a tail. He is covered with
black hair and has hands and feet like humans. He has never been
heard to speak, but has been known to perform other cruel deeds.
TROLLS
Scandinavian trolls live in hills, mounds and hillocks,sometimes
in single families and sometimes in whle societies. they have
no kings or classes, but are very rich, decorating their homes
with silver and crystal from the stocks of buried treasure which
they find. They marry, have children, bake and brew like the peasants,
but hate noise, and can be sent away by the sound of churchbells
if they plunder parties. They have the abilities to turn themselves
into any shape, to foresee the future, to confer prosperity or
poverty on any families they choose, to bestow bodily bodily strength,
and to perform numerous feats beyond man. One can recognise the
males by their large humps on their backs, their long crooked
noses, their grey jackets, and red caps, though the females are
comely enough.
TROWS
These small, green clothed people of Shetland are divided into
land trows and sea trows. Land trows can travel by mounting bulrushes,
and love music and dancing, the places where their feet touch
forming fairy rings where toadstools grow. They are susceptible
to disease, but have wonderful cures for them which they may give
to humans. They sometimes steal milk from cows, and when they
are in need of meat, they shoot a cow with their tiny arrows and
leave a simulacrum of the cow in its place, the meat of which
is unadvisable to eat. They often invite mortals into their homes,
using prostitutes as their wet nurses. Sea trows inhabit a region
at the bottom of the sea, in beautiful buildings, and may possess
the bodies of animals when going to the surface, usually large
seals. When going onto land itself, they will leave behind their
skins, but if they lose these, will have to stay on earth forever,
rather like British Selkies.
TUATHA DÉ DANAAN
Majestic Irish fairies, immortal and born of the goddess Dana.
They are said to have come from heaven, endowed with gifts of
science and craftsmanship, especially in the area of metalworking.
One of their works was the Cauldron of Dagda, fashioned by the
elder knights and able to feed an entire army and still remain
full. Dagda himself was the generous chief deity of theTuatha
dé Danaan. Originally a gigantic race, they were defeated
by the Milesians and drew cloaks of invisibility around themselves,
retreating to their palaces beneath the ocean or in the Hollow
Hills, where they remain eternally young and fair.
TUREHU
These fair haired fairies of Polynesia have Uetonga as their King.
He is the grandson of Ruaua Moko, the god of earthquakes. A prince,
Mataora, once fell in love with Niwareka, daughter of Uetonga.
They were married for a few years before Mataora lost his temper
with Niwareka and she left him for her realm, and he was forced
to go through Pou Tere Rangi, the gate of heaven, to fairyland
to get her back. He persuaded her to return by singing a love
song, but as they left, Kuwatawata, the gatekeeper, told them
that he was closing the gate, so that no one would ever be able
to return to earth from fairyland again. Uetonga gave Mataora
a cloak called Rangi Haupapa, and its designs are still coied
by artisans today. He also taught him the arts of tattooing, weaving
cloaks and carving leather.
TYLWETH TEG
Also known as the Fair Family, this master race of Welsh elves
have blond hair and live beneath the waters, their lands reached
via secret passages in caves and under river banks. Visitors should
be wary of the time distortion that occurs when spending time
in their realm: one of their days is in reality a hundred mortal
years. Visitors may also be given gifts, although these may well
turn worthless upon reaching the surface. The chief vice of the
tylweth teg is their habit of stealing blond babies and young
blonde girls.
ULDRA
These little people of Lapland live underground but often come
up to the surface, especially in winter when they feed sleeping
bears and other hibernating animals. The Lapps are nomadic, and
when they pitch their tents on a new area, the sound of the uldra
moving about beneath may warn them that they are blocking their
access to the surface, and if they do not move the uldra may punish
them by poisoning their reindeer or exchanging an uldra baby for
one of theirs. Uldra babies have long teeth and faces covered
with black hair. To regain one's child, it has been advised to
beat the baby with a burning tree branch until its mother, hearing
its screams, comes to rescue it. Alternatively, some say it is
best to treat him kindly, so that the mother will be touched and
return restore the human baby to its cradle.
URISK
A rough, solitary Scottish fairy who, being half human and half
goat, resembles the South European Satyr. He is very lucky to
have around the house, and his great strength makes him suited
for farm work. Rather wistful, he sometimes loiters around pools
at night seeking to befriend stray travellers who are usually
terrified by his appearance.
URISTORY
Perhaps comparable to the Southern European Fatae or the Northern
European nornir, these male fairies of the Roumanian Gypsies appear
to a child on the the third night after his birth to decide his
future. At this time, no one can see them save the child himself,
his mother and a sorceress. It is impossible to annul the life
they have chosen for the infant.
UTBURDS
Vengeful infant ghosts rather like American Angiaks, Norse children
who were left to die because their families could not feed them
or their mothers were unwed became spirits burning for revenge,
and each would gather its strength only after its mother's death,
then prey on solitary travellers, often in the form of a white
owl. Though its cry might warn the victim, escape was unlikely
as the utburd could expand to the size of a small house and totally
overcome him.
VILAS
The Southern Slavs believe in these female spirits who appear
young and beautiful with long flying hair and white garments but
who have the voices of woodpeckers. Sometimes they are seen riding
seven year old harts with bridles made of snakes. They are thought
to be the spirits of maidens who perished before baptism or marriage,
and are generally malign in nature, sporting habits such as shooting
deadly arrows at men and carrying off children whose parents have
been consigned to the devil by their parents in fits of anger.
They enjoy dancing in roundels under trees, and may also spend
time comforting lovesick deer and collecting storms in the heavens.
They may appear to a hero to foretell his impending death. If
a fortress is being built, they may knock down its rising walls
each night, and can only be appeased by immuring a young, lovely
female within its walls.
VIRIKAS
Never more than eighteeen inches tall, these unpleasant spectral
entities can be recognised from their flaming red colour and their
horribly pointed, bloodstained teeth. When a person is to die
soon, they gibber excitedly outside his house, and although they
can be repelled by a shaycana or medicine man, prevention is better
than cure so it is advisable to erect a small shrine in their
honour and burn daily gifts of flowers and spices for them.
VODAYANIOI
These water imps of Russia dwell at the bottoms of millponds and
lakes in palaces illuminated by magic crystals which glow with
a green light, which, on still nights, can be glimpsd in the depths
of the water. One can also hear their threshing and snarling at
when a millwheel turns. People bathing at night without a crucifix
around their necks are said to be likely to be drowned by them,
and made their slaves. Villagers have tried to appease them with
sacrifices of lambs or horses, but they persist on preying on
humans, often taking the guise of a floating log and snatching
unwary passers by. The vodyanioi are extremely ugly, with long
green hair, ed eyes and bloated faces. Their skin is spongy and
moist with the pallor of a corpse, and where they sit, puddles
of water remain. They age according to the cycles of the moon,
becoming young, vigorous and hungry with the new moon. The men's
beards also change colour with the moon's phases.