LEGENDS & FOLKLORE – THE WHO’S WHO…

DRAGONS

Dragon, in the mythologies, legends, and folktales of various cultures, is a large lizard- or serpent-like creature, conceived in some traditions as evil and in others as beneficent. In medieval Europe, dragons were usually depicted with wings and a barbed tail and as breathing fire. In Greece the word drakōn, from which the English word was derived, was used originally for any large serpent (see sea serpent), and the dragon of mythology, whatever shape it later assumed, remained essentially a snake.

In general, in the Middle Eastern world, where snakes are large and deadly, the serpent or dragon was symbolic of the principle of evil. Thus, the Egyptian god Apepi, for example, was the great serpent of the world of darkness. But the Greeks and Romans, though accepting the Middle Eastern idea of the serpent as an evil power, also at times conceived the drakontes as beneficent—sharp-eyed dwellers in the inner parts of Earth.

GOBLINS

It is understood that stories of Goblins emerged in Europe in the middle-ages, especially Britain and Germany. They are usually mischievous creatures but can also be malicious. They usually live in Grottos but can also be found to cause havoc in households. They are believed to bang upon pots and pans, snatch nightclothes off the bodies of sleeping people, move furniture at night, and flee after rapping on walls and doors.

PIXIES

Pixies come from the folklore of southwest England. Tiny elflike spirit or mischievous fairy dressed in green who dances in the moonlight to the music of frogs and crickets. Its favourite pastimes are leading travelLers astray and frightening young maidens. Pixies also delight in rapping on walls, blowing out candles, and playing in water. Their prank of leading people astray gave rise to the terms pixie-led and pixilated to describe a person who becomes lost on a familiar road. It was later extended to mean any state of bewilderment or confusion.

TROLLS

From early Scandinavian folklore. They are a giant and monstrous being, sometimes possessing magic powers. Hostile to men, trolls lived in castles and haunted the surrounding districts after dark. If exposed to sunlight, they burst or turn to stone. In later tales trolls often are man-sized or smaller beings similar to dwarfs and elves. Trolls in modern tales for children often live under bridges, menacing travellers.

FAIRIES

Fairy, also spelled faerie or faery. Nobody knows the true origin as there are folklore tales of Celtic, Germanic, Gaellic, Arabic and Ancient Greek origin. A mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans. It can appear as a dwarf creature typically having green clothes and hair, living underground or in stone heaps, and characteristically exercising magic powers to benevolent ends.

PHOENIX

Phoenix, in ancient Egypt and in Classical antiquity, a fabulous bird associated with the worship of the sun. The Egyptian phoenix was said to be as large as an eagle, with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage and a melodious cry. Only one phoenix existed at any time, and it was very long-lived—no ancient authority gave it a life span of less than 500 years. As its end approached, the phoenix fashioned a nest of aromatic boughs and spices, set it on fire, and was consumed in the flames. From the pyre miraculously sprang a new phoenix.

LEPRECHAUNS

According to some scholars, the word leprechaun comes from the ancient Irish-Celtic god and cultural hero Lugh. Lugh was originally the god of the sun and light, and then he became a great warrior ruler of ancient Ireland. In more recent folklore the Leprechaun is a cobbler by trade, but he has a secret stash of gold that he must reveal if you can capture him. But by his nature the Leprechaun is cunning and mischievous and will try anything not to hand over his gold.

GRIFFIN

Griffin, also spelled griffon or gryphon, composite mythological creature with a lion’s body (winged or wingless) and a bird’s head, usually that of an eagle. The griffin was a favourite decorative motif in the ancient Middle Eastern and Mediterranean lands. Probably originating in the Levant in the 2nd millennium bce, the griffin had spread throughout western Asia and into Greece by the 14th century bce. The Asiatic griffin had a crested head, whereas the Minoan and Greek griffin usually had a mane of spiral curls. It was shown either recumbent or seated on its haunches, often paired with the sphinx; its function may have been protective.

Sources of information: Britannica and The World history Encyclopedia