Russia Domivye — A small elderly household spirit. So small he hides behind the stove. An old man with a red shirt, white beard, and red eyes. Vily — Flying fairies. Seen in the meadows of Yugoslavia and Hungary. Ruskalki — Water spirits. Green-haired, pale-skinned, dwelling in river currents. Ireland/Scotland Silkies — White ladies. Female ghosts who sit on the crossed branches of ancient trees overhanging waterfalls and play tricks on humans. Stop their mischief when treasure is found. Kelpies — Water spirits in the form of horses. Occasionally appear as young men with hair decorated with shells and seaweed, deceiving humans into drowning. Also giants. Ireland Sidhe — Slender, fine-featured, youthful. Only appear before humans. Soft skin, blindingly white clothing. Gentle nature. Leprechauns — Small people. Wear triangular hats, long cloaks, shoes with large silver buckles. Never without their pipe and leather purse. Live in tree roots and hollow castles. Fir Darrigs — Love sitting by fires, always dressed in red. Scheming, pot-bellied, malicious tricksters. Cause bad dreams. England Fairies — Mysterious spiritual beings with supernatural powers, living in hills, forests, underground, caves, and the seabed. Pixies — Small sprites living beneath rocks, in forests and meadows. Germany Dwarves — Small people wearing black hats, living underground. Often seen beneath elm trees. Skilled goldsmiths and silversmiths who craft weapons for gods and jewelry for goddesses. Witchl — Household spirits about 60cm tall, with long silver beards, sunken eyes, protruding bellies, spindly legs, and penetrating voices. Hütchen — Small people in red hats and green or red clothing, living in stables, behind hearths, and in cellars. Help with or interfere in household tasks. Scotland People O’ Peace — Blonde or red-haired, wearing green pointed hats, living on grassy hills with tall standing stones visible, on full moon nights. Most often seen around May. Trows — Grey people, subjects of the queen. Eat indiscriminately from gold and silver dishes. Fly through the air on cattail stalks. Possess reliable remedies and occasionally share them with favored humans. Brownies — Hairy household sprites living near fireplace hooks. Wrinkled faces, brown skin, ragged clothing. Live in barns. Hobgoblins — Household spirits who grind flour, chop wood, and do servants’ work in exchange for a cup of milk. Boggarts — Mischievous like the poltergeist, making loud noises. Netherlands/Belgium Alven — Nearly transparent, difficult to make out clearly. Nocturnal sprites that travel on wind, water bubbles, and broken eggshells. Klabautermanikins — Live on ships’ figureheads, travelling the North Sea, Baltic, Atlantic, and Mediterranean. Fond of tobacco. Gnomes — Small underground-dwelling people who guard hidden treasures. France Korreds — Live below sea level in Brittany, laugh with abnormally loud voices. Hunchbacked, with black disheveled hair, ruby-like eyes, and cat-like claws. Dames Blanches — “White ladies” — ghosts. Blonde hair, white clothing, living among withered standing grass. Loup Garoux — Believed to be humans transformed into wolves. Nocturnal sorcerers. Greece Centaurs — Mythical creatures, human above the waist, horse below. Educated by Apollo and Artemis, skilled in music, medicine, and prophecy. Nymphs — Spirits of sea, river, spring, mountain, and forest. Personified goddesses in the form of young beautiful women. Not immortal. Love song and dance, bestow blessings on humans. Have prophetic abilities — if they fall in love with a human, that person is carried away from this world. Satyrs — Half-human, half-beast gods of mountains, fields, and forests. Imagined as young men with pointed ears and enormous phalluses. Pleasure-seeking, fond of wine and women, chasing nymphs. Spain/Portugal Hadas — Fairies taking the form of people, moles, or bats. Beautiful but each possessing one flaw — duck’s feet, a snake’s tail, etc. Can become invisible and live among tree leaves. Duende — Found in remote caves, towers, and abandoned buildings. Wear green, red, or grey clothing and small hats. Vanish at dawn. Italy Folletti — Curly-haired with bright eyes and animal feet. Wear a magic red hood that grants the power of invisibility. Farfarelli — Meaning “small butterfly.” Constantly moving, almost never still. Friendly toward humans but simultaneously mischievous and bothersome. Salvani — Human-sized spirits that protect trees. Hairy bodies. Aguane — Protect fruit-bearing trees and keep rivers clean. Take the form of old women. Linchetti — Small sprites that only appear at night. Cause bad dreams. Arabia Djinn — Sorcerers who grant wishes. Aladdin from One Thousand and One Nights is famous. Made from smokeless fire. Peri — Fairies in the form of beautiful maidens. Africa Tree Fairies — Varying in form, shape, and size depending on the tree’s lifespan and climate. The spirits of elm, linden, and oak trees are particularly well known.
