Фэйри

Bwca. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Bwca [booka]

The Welsh brownie (but see also Bwbachod). A story collected by John Rhys (Celtic Folk-Lore, pp.593-596) shows how close the connection can be between the Brownie and Boggart, or the Bwca and Bugan.

Long ago a Monmouthshire farm was haunted by a spirit of whom everyone was afraid until a young maid came, merry and strong and reputed to be of the stock of the bendith y mamau, and she struck up a great friendship with the creature, who turned out to be a bwca, who washed, ironed and spun for her and did all manner of household work in return for a nightly bowl of sweet milk and wheat bread or flummery. This was left at the bottom of the stairs every night and was gone in the morning; but she never saw him, for all his work was done at night.

One evening for sheer wantonness she put some of the stale urine used for a mordant in his bowl instead of milk. She had reason to regret it, for when she got up next morning the bwca attacked her and kicked her all over the house, yelling:

The idea that the thick-buttocked lass

Should give barley-bread and piss

To the bogle!

Oberon. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Oberon

Оберон

Обероном именовали короля эльфов гораздо чаще, чем королеву эльфов — Титанией, даже если приравнять к Титании шотландскую Диану. Обероном звали короля эльфов во французском романе XV века. «Гюон Бордоский», который перевел на английский в 1548 году лорд Бернерс. Этот король являет собой пример эльфика ростом с трехлетнего ребенка, но малый рост его — следствие проклятия, наложенного на него злой феей при крещении. Оберон Шекспира — типичный эльфийский король во всем, включая и шашни со смертными, и следует отметить, что Дрейтон называет короля своих эльфов Обероном, хотя вместо Титании у него королева Маб. В эпоху раннего Возрождения духов-прислужников звали Ауберон и Обериком. Некоторые производят «Ауберон» от того же корня, что и имя немецкого карлика Альбериха.

[Мотив: F252.1]

Ogres. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Ogres

The word 'ogres' is used sometimes to describe man-eating giants, monstrous both in shape and habits, but it may also be taken to mean a race of creatures of mortal size who are anthropophagous.

George MacDonald in Phantastes uses the word in this sense to describe the sinister woman with the pointed teeth who sits quietly reading and looks up from her book to advise the hero not to look in a certain cupboard, advice that has more the effect of a temptation than a warning. It is possible that the giant in 'Mallie Whuppie', the Scottish version of 'Hop O' My Thumb', was an ogre rather than a giant, for his children were certainly of ordinary mortal size, though they would have grown up with a hereditary taste for human flesh.

[Motif: G312]

Ossian. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Ossian [isheen]

'Ossian' has been the usual Highland spelling of the Irish Oisin since the time of James Macpherson's poem Ossian, loosely founded on the Highland Ossianic legends. J.F.Campbell, in his discussion of the Scottish Ossianic legends in his Popular Tales of the West Highlands (Vol.IV), well establishes the widespread knowledge of the Ossianic poems and ballads in 18th-century Scotland and of the Fingalian legends. All over the Highlands, Ossian was known as the great poet and singer of the Feinn, who survived them all and kept the memory of them alive by his songs. Many of the Fenian legends survived in these songs, and in such early manuscripts as The Book of Leinster. 'The Death of Diarmid' and other tragic stories of the last days of the Feinn were deeply remembered and the tragic plight of Ossian, old, blind and mighty, is the most vivid of all. What is not recorded in the Highlands is his visit to Tir Nan Og and the happy centuries he passed with Niam of the golden hair.

Оссиан

Caillagh Ny Groamagh, or the 'Old Woman of Gloominess'. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Caillagh Ny Groamagh, or the 'Old Woman of Gloominess'

Caillagh ny Groamagh, or the 'Old Woman of Gloominess'. This is the Manx version of the Highland Cailleach Bheur and the Irish Cailleach Bera (Cally Berry in Ulster). The Manx Caillagh, as Gill tells us in A Manx Scrapbook (pp.347-349), seems to be particularly unlucky, for she fell into the crevice called after her in trying to step from the top of Barrule to the top of Cronk yn Irree Lhaa. The mark of her heel is still to be seen.

The Manx Caillagh, like all the rest, is a weather spirit. In Scotland winter and bad weather belong to her, but in Man she seems to operate all through the year. If St Bride's Day (1 February) is fine, she comes out to gather sticks to warm her through the summer; if it is wet, she stays in, and has to make the rest of the year fine in her own interests. A fine St Bride's Day is therefore a bad omen for the rest of the year.

She is said to have been seen on St Bride's Day in the form of a gigantic bird, carrying sticks in her beak. Cronk yn Irree Lhaa is supposed to be the usual home of the 'Old Woman of Gloominess'.

[Motif: A1135]

Lobs and Hobs. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Lobs and Hobs

Лобы и хобы

Хотя словом «хобгоблин» порою именуют дьявола — как у Баньяна в »ни хобгоблин, ни злой дух меня не устрашат» — а Лоба-что-лежит-у-огня Жена Горожанина в «Рыцаре огненного песта» называет «Великаном, чья мать была ведьма», обыкновенно словами «хоб» и «лоб» называют духа дружелюбного, с сельским оттенком. Оба имени принадлежат эльфам типа брауни, и лишь пуритане, считавшие всех эльфов чертями, под этими названиями имели в виду бесов. См. также Хоб или хобтраст; «хобмены».

[Мотив: F475]

Hobgoblin. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Hobgoblin

Used by the Puritans and in later times for wicked goblin spirits, as in Bunyan's 'Hobgoblin nor foul fiend', but its more correct use is for the friendly spirits of the brownie type. In a Midsummer Night's Dream a fairy says to Shakespeare's puck:

‘Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,

You do their work, and they shall have good luck:

Are you not he?'

and obviously Puck would not wish to be called a hobgoblin if that was an ill-omened word. 'Hob' and 'Lob' are words meaning the same kind of creature as the Hobgoblin, and more information will be found about these under hob, or hobthrust and lobs and hobs.

Hobgoblins and their kind do not strictly belong to the trooping fairies, nor yet to demons and goblins, though will o' the wisps and other tricksy spirits can be included in this category. They are, on the whole, good-humoured and ready to be helpful, but fond of practical joking, and like most of the fairies rather nasty people to annoy. Boggarts hover on the verge of hobgoblindom. Bogles are just over the edge.

[Motif: F470]

Old People. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Old People, the

Старый народ

Одно из корнуолльских Иносказательных названий эльфов. Оно основывалось на поверье, что Малый народец Корнуолла был душами язычников былых времён, которые умерли до прихода христианства и были слишком хорошими для ада, но слишком плохими для рая. Так они и остались подвешенными между преисподней и небесами до самого Страшного Суда. В начале 1900-х годов Эванс Вентц обнаружил, что это поверье разделяет значительная часть населения кельтских стран, которые он исследовал.

[Мотив: C433]

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