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514
WIGHTS AND ELVES.
(p. 507), likewise the folet in Marie de Fr. 2, 140, who grants
three wishes (oremens). And the captive marmennill (p. 434),
or the sea-wife, does the same.
The unfriendly, racketing and tormenting spirits who take pos
session of a house, are distinguished from the friendly and goodnatured
by their commonly forming a whole gang, who disturb
the householder s rest with their riot and clatter, and throw stones
from the roof at passers by. A French comedy
century, Les Esprits/ l
of the 16th
represents goblins racketing in a house,
singing and playing at night, and aiming tiles at passers by in
the daytime ; they are fond of fire, but make a violent uproar
every time the master spits. 2 In Gervase of Tilbury, cap. 18,
the folleti also pelt with stones, and this of stone-throwing is
what we shall meet with in quite early stories of devils; al
together the racketing sprites have in this respect
more of the
devil or spectre in them than of the elf : it is a darkening and
distortion of their original nature in accordance with Christian
sentiment.
So it becomes clear, at last, how the once familiar and faith
ful friend of the family under heathenism has gradually sunk
into a bugbear or a taunt to children : a lot which he shares with
goddesses and gods of old. As with Holle and Berhte, so people
are threatened with the Lamia, the Omacmica, the manducus and
goblin (pp. 500. 507) : le gobelin vous mangera, le gobelin
vous attrapera ! Little biitzel no more, but a frightful butzemann
or katzenveit, in mask (strawbeard) or with sooty visage
he scares (like the roggenmuhme, p. 477). And ifc is worth
remarking how, in some districts at least, knecht Ruprecht, laiecht
Nicolas, appear at Christmas-time not by themselves, but in
1 Comedies facecieuses de Pierre de 1 Arivey, champenois, Lyon 1597. Kouen,
1611, p. 242 seq.
2 Legenda aurea, cap. 177 : Hujus Ludovici tempore, anno Domini 856, ut in
quadam chronica habetur, in parochia Maguntina malignus spiritus parietes domorum
quasi malleis pulsando et manifesto loquendo et discordias seniinando adeo hominis
infestabat, ut quocumque intrasset, statim ilia domus exurereter. Presbyteris
autem letanias agentibus et aquam benedictam spargentibus inimicus lapides jactabat
et multos cruentabat. Tandem aliquando conquiescens confessus est se, quando
aqua spargebatur, sub capa talis sacerdotis quasi familiaris sui latuisse, accusans
eum quod cum filia procuratoris in peccaium lapsus fuerit. [This incident, said to
have occurred at Capmunti (Kembden) near Bingen, is derived from Kudolfi Fuldensis
Annal. ann. 858, in Pertz 1, 372, where further details are given. Extr.
from SUP PL.