Playing with notions about fairies and other supernatural beings is one of the pleasures of writing paranormal fantasy romance. Like people, fairies come in a wide variety of types, shapes, sizes, and temperaments. Some are beneficial, others malevolent. Some seek human contact, while others prefer their own company. Some fairies would be delightful to have around, helping your flowers bloom, guarding your home and hearth. The subject of today’s post is definitely not one of those. Spriggans are a family of fairies from Cornwall, an area ripe with its own unique brand of Celtic folklore.
Spriggans bobble on the dark side of the good / evil continuum. Treacherous and spiteful, their favorite pastime is playing malicious tricks. They thrive on causing misery and bringing disruption into everyday life. Their powers result in such misfortune as blighted crops, destructive storms, stolen cattle, and illness. The wind is theirs to command. They enjoy leading travelers astray into bogs or over the edges of cliffs. If you’ve ever been lost in the woods, the culprit was likely a Spriggan. One of the worst behaviors of a Spriggan is their penchant for stealing a baby and leaving a fae changeling in its place. “Come away, O, human child, to the waters and the wild, with a fairy hand in hand, for the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand.” William Butler Yeats
These small but dangerous creatures haunt desolate places such as windswept crags, castle ruins, clusters of dead trees, and even certain standing stones. A Spriggan is sometimes mistaken for a sharp rock, but certainly not the kind of harmless boulder you’d want to sit down and rest on. Can you imagine waking one of these things up? When viewed at close range, their appearance is hideously frightening, as befitting their wicked character. They have thin, crooked bodies and wizened features. An odd trait, however, is their ability to puff up and expand at will to giant size. Some folks believe they are really the ghosts of giants that roamed the cliffs and lonely places of Cornwall in times long past. No wonder Spriggans sometimes serve as bodyguards for fellow fairies.
A sculpture of a Spriggan by artist Marilyn Collins is thought to have inspired the Stephen King story, Crouch End.
A Spriggan can be repelled by holy water, iron, and wearing your clothes inside out. So, if you see my tag showing, it’s not that I’m absent minded or can’t see straight, I’m just outwitting a Spriggan.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Fascinating post, Flossie. I think the Spriggan is one creature to try to avoid. I do love all these old legends. Thanks for sharing.
Daisy, I hope I never step on one or see one after dark! Thank you for stopping by and commenting:)
How many interesting and intriguing places all over the world. And legends linked to them. I believe there’s certain truth behind these tales. As the saying goes “There’s no smoke without a fire.” These Spriggans sound really scary. Loved the post. Thank you!
I have a feeling you’re right about some truth behind the old tales. They certainly resonate with me and many others too, even in our modern world. My granny used to tell me stories about a yam potato man. A very scary story! I should blog about that one day. I’ve yet to find more information about its origin. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I really appreciate the feedback.
I have not heard of these, but we all know the boggie man waits, sometimes under you bed. Lol. Things become myths based on something for sure. Today I think it could be stereotyping fairies of unknown origins, just auto correct. Like bookshelf being changed to blah elf. Enjoyed thepost.
The bogeyman does come in various guises, and the ones under the bed are the worst! Thanks for stopping by.
Great post, Flossie! I was familiar with the folklore of Spriggans being the ghosts of giants who haunt standing stones but had no idea they were also fairy sized. They sound like truly malicious creatures best avoided. Thanks for a great post!
Now, Mae, how can we incorporate Spriggans into a paranormal romance novel? Hmmm… Thanks for stopping by!