Untitled - Centrostudirpinia.it

508
WIGHTS AND ELVES.
butzenhiinsel, there is also a hanselmann used for spiritus
familiaris (Phil. v. Sittew. 5, 328, ed. hampelmann
Lugd.), and the similar
for goblin, puppet and mannequin
= ( manneke,
mannikin). Bavar. liampel, haimpel, both devil and simpleton
(Schm. 2, 197), Austr. henparl (Hofer 2, 46).
The Fr. follet, It. foletto, is a diminuitive of fol, fou ; which,
like follis (bellows), seems to be derived from an obsolete follere
(to move hither and thither), and brings us to a fresh contact
of the home- sprite with the fool. 1 Then lutin, also luton, perhaps
from the Lat. luctus : a sprite who wails and forebodes sorrow ?
Lithuan. bildukkas, bildunas, bildziuhs (noisy sprite), from
bildenti (to racket, rattle) ; grozdunas from grodzia (there is a
racket made). Sloven, ztrazhnik, Serv. strashilo, Boh. strasidlo,
Pol. straszydlo, from strasiti (terrere) ; Boh. bubdk (noisy sprite) .
Somewhat stronger is the Pol. dzieciqjad, child-eater, like the
Lat. manducus. Irish home-sprites are called Oluricauns (Elfenm.
p. 85-114), Leprechaun, Logheriman (Keightley 2, 179; and see
Suppl.).
But enough of these names : no doubt many more could be
added. It is time to consider the nature and functions of these
Home-sprites.
In stature, appearance and apparel they come very near to
elves and dwarfs ; legend loves to give them red hair or a
red beard, and the pointed red hat is rarely missing. Hutchen
(Hodeke, Hoidike), the Hildesheim goblin, and Hopfenhutel*
Eisenhiitel take their names from it. A broad-topped mushroom
is in Dan. called nissehat. The Norwegian Nissen is imagined
small like a child, but strong, clothed in grey, with a red peaky
cap, and carrying a blue light at night. 2 So they can make
themselves visible or invisible to men, as they please. Their fairy
shoes or boots have been noticed, p. 503 ;
with these they can get
over the most difficult roads with the greatest speed : it was just
over mountains and forests that Hiitchen s rennpfad extended
(Deut. sag. 1, 100), and the schratweg (p. 479) means much the
\ Katherius, ed. Ballerini, p. 314 : merito ergo follis latiali rusticitate vocaris,
quomam veritate vacuus. Wilhelm. metens. ep. 3: follem me rustico verbo
appellasti.
w v J ^ N ^ ilse S Beskrivelse over Spydeberg, Christiana 1779, p. 418. Conf. the
blue light of the black maunikin, Kinderiu. no. 116.