Tradition: French Mythology
Alternative Names: Fadets
Category: Demon, Gnome
The Myth
Farfadets are small supernatural creatures, sometimes only half a meter tall. They are described as wrinkled, brown-skinned beings who usually wear tattered brown clothing, although they may also go naked.
They live in woodlands but may attach themselves to a nearby farm or homestead. Farfadets are generally helpful rather than malicious, although they are playful and mischievous.
They are particularly fond of horses. They may secretly tend and groom them or weave ringlets into their manes. At farms, they perform small tasks in the fields during the night in return for a bowl of milk or cream left outside the house.
However, Farfadets can be driven away by excessive kindness. Leaving new clothes out for them, for example, may frighten them away.
In Provence and other parts of Occitania, similar creatures are known as fadets.
Sources
“Farfadet.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed September 9, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farfadet