In December 7, 1942, Life Magazine published a series of pictures and a few remarks concerning a theory that had become prevalent in the British Royal Air Force and had then infected the psychology of the American airman during World War II.

The matter was considered under the title of Gremlins, and the Gremlins were described as fantastic imps of both sexes who busied themselves constantly with hideous activities designed to destroy the proper functioning of every machine at hand. Obviously, th...

A representative of Swedish folklore, the Tomte is a well known character in Scandinavia.

The Swedish word Tomte roughly corresponds to gnome or elf.

The Tomte is small, about the size of a seven-year-old boy, has a long grey snowy beard and an old wrinkled face. He wears grey clothes and a pointed red hat, and lives on haylofts and barns, looking after the farm and the animals. Tomtes are shy and often move invisible but it is of utmost importance to treat the Tomte well. If so, he will help the...

The Barbegazi, are small hobgoblins from the French-Swiss folklore.

The name comes from the French barbe-glacée meaning “frozen beard” – probably in honor of their very long beards that are almost always frozen, as these little ones like to live in high mountains and stay outside in the winter enjoying the snow.

They travel around by using their feet, which are extremely long, as skis or snowshoes, depending of the conditions. They are said to have pointy ears and ice-blue eyes, and all their hair...

In Norse mythology, the Nisse are mischievous domestic sprites responsible for the protection and welfare of the farmstead and its buildings.

Similar to the Tomte of Sweden and the Brownies of Great Britain, the Nisse is a small boy or a small man dressed in gray clothes and a red cap; the crown of his head remains always moist, and his hands lack thumbs. Lingering about the farmsteads, he makes himself most useful so long as he is well treated; but if he takes umbrage at his hosts, he is capabl...

The Gandayak (also called Jogah) are little people from the Haudenosaunee tradition—commonly known as Iroquois mythology—a confederation of closely related tribes located in the northeastern United States and adjacent districts in Canada.

Gandayak are similar to fairies but with some of the characteristics of an elemental. Traditionally described as spirits in dwarven form, they have power over living plants of all sorts, and control their growth and health. They have some power over fish as well...

Undines are the elementals for water, the unseen intelligences that allegedly inhabit this element. They are said to have been here since the beginning of time, and to have created the landscape of reality. Their origins can be traced back to Greek mythology. Many ancient Greek texts cite a clan of nymphs called Oceanides (also referred as Nereids) who claimed the oceans of the world as their home. These beings were the daughters of Titan and his wife Tethys. Their presence in the oceans was leg...

Brownies are supernatural beings, dwarf-like in stature but powerfully built, that can be found on the moors or with a particular family. Brownies are vitally important to the Celtic folklore and the Scottish people, and also relevant in English folklore.

Harmless but often mischievous, they tend to amuse themselves by hurling stones at homes and engaging in other ghostly behavior. Although they are by nature troublemakers, their presence is a sign of good fortune and their withdrawal is an omen...

In Mexican folklore, Chaneque or Chanekeh are legendary creatures associated with elemental forces and particular places. These creatures were first described by the Aztec (i.e., Ohuican Chaneque). Mentions of these creatures are common within the Mexica Mythology, while in Mayan folkloric tradition (Yucatán Peninsula), these elementals are known as Aluxob.

Traditionally, they are conceived as small, sprite-like beings, elemental forces, and guardians of nature. However, nowadays, Chaneque are mo...

In Hawaiian mythology, the Menehune are said to be an ancient race of people small in stature and of very dark skin, who lived in Hawaii before the first settlers arrived from Polynesia.

When the first Polynesian arrived to the Hawaiian shores they found monumental structures –fish ponds, heiau (temples), and dams.

Some scholars have attributed these ancient structures to the Menehune, while others have argued that the legends of the Menehune are a post-European contact mythology and that no such...

Bogies, also called Bog, Bogey, and Budge Fur, are short, dark, and furry hobgoblins that live in darkness and semi-darkness and like to scare children, as they are the only ones who can easily see them.

They are a part of the Unseelie Court (i.e., darkly-inclined fairies). As all the other beings that belong to this Court, no offense is necessary to bring down their assaults. The good news is that while they are mischievous, they also relatively harmless. Nonetheless, their frightening skills an...