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Hierschermännchen

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Tradition: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternative Names: Hierschermännchen
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Hierschermännchen is a little dwarf said to inhabit the Holzer Busch, a wooded area between Bondorf and Holz in Luxembourg. Unlike many frightening supernatural creatures, this small being is known for interacting directly with people. It often speaks to those it encounters and even allows them to carry it.

A similar phenomenon was reported at a place called Misère, where another small supernatural being, the Hedemännchen, was known. Both traditions appear in Nikolaus Gredt’s Treasure of Legends of the Luxembourg Country, published in 1883. The surviving account provides few further details about either creature, leaving their appearance and precise nature largely unknown.

Sources

“Kobolde in Bondorf.” SAGEN.at – Luxemburger Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Kobolde_Bondorf.html

El Sombrerón

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Tradition: Guatemalan Mythology, Mexican Mythology
Alternative Names: Tzipitio, Tzizimite, The Goblin
Category: Goblin

The Myth

El Sombrerón is one of the most famous legendary figures in Guatemala and is also known as a bogeyman in Mexican folklore. He is commonly described as a man dressed entirely in black, wearing a large black hat, a thick, shiny belt, and boots that make a loud noise as he walks. Despite his imposing appearance, some accounts describe him as a short figure. He carries a silver guitar and is often accompanied by a group of mules carrying coal, which he leads through cities and neighborhoods at dusk.

El Sombrerón is particularly known for his fascination with horses and beautiful young women. He enjoys braiding the manes and tails of horses, and when he cannot find horses, he braids the hair of dogs instead. He is especially attracted to women with long hair and large eyes. When he becomes enamored with a particular woman, he follows her, braids her hair, and serenades her with his silver guitar. Yet his courtship brings suffering rather than happiness: he contaminates her food with soil, leaving her unable to eat or sleep. If a woman returns his affection, he may tie his mules to a post outside her house and spend the night singing and dancing.

One of the best-known versions of the legend concerns Susana, a beautiful young woman who lived in the La Recolección neighborhood of Guatemala City. She had long hair and large hazel eyes and was the daughter of a woman who owned a store. One night, while admiring the full moon from her balcony, Susana encountered a short figure wearing a large hat and carrying a guitar. Captivated by her beauty, El Sombrerón began singing to her, but her parents discovered her outside and ordered her back into the house.

From that night onward, Susana could neither sleep nor eat properly. El Sombrerón appeared inside the house or sang to her from the street, while the food served to her was repeatedly contaminated with soil. Desperate to save their daughter, her parents cut her hair and took it to a church, where a priest blessed it with holy water and prayers. A few days later, El Sombrerón ceased his visits, and Susana was finally free of his influence.

The legend of El Sombrerón remains an important part of Guatemalan folklore, alongside stories such as those of La Llorona, Cadejo, and Siguanaba. Traditionally, the tale has also served as a warning directed at young women, encouraging them to observe the social and moral expectations of their community. His nighttime serenades, mysterious appearances, and obsessive pursuit transform what might seem like romantic courtship into a frightening supernatural encounter.

Sources

“El Sombrerón.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Sombrer%C3%B3n

Santenberg Goblin

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Tradition: Swiss Mythology
Alternative Names: Goblins of the Santenberg
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Goblins of Santenberg are mischievous supernatural beings said to inhabit the forests of Santenberg, a hill near Wauwil in the Swiss canton of Lucerne. They served the wild huntsman Türst, who is identified in the legend with the pagan god Wodan. When hunters came to the mountain in pursuit of a legendary unicorn, Türst ordered the goblins to protect it and prevent the hunters from reaching their quarry.

The goblins used a variety of tricks to obstruct the hunters. They threw clubs between their legs to make them stumble and jabbed their calves with sharp sticks. If a hunter managed to get past these obstacles, Türst himself would invisibly position himself before the unicorn, allowing the animal to escape. The goblins also helped Türst protect the finest stags and eagles from hunters, preserving the forest’s strongest breeding animals.

However, the goblins were ultimately excluded from Türst’s supernatural retinue. After a nobleman’s cruel actions led to the death of Türst’s beloved, the wild huntsman gathered his ancient allies and destroyed the knight’s fortress in revenge. Türst and his companions subsequently became associated with the Wild Hunt, which swept across the region during the violent storms of winter. The goblins of Santenberg, however, were not permitted to join this fearsome company.

According to the legend, the rejected goblins eventually transformed into poisonous ticks. These creatures attacked passersby and carried terrible, sometimes deadly diseases. Their transformation serves as the final fate of the goblins who once defended the forests and their wildlife under Türst’s command.

Sources

“Die Rache des Türst.” SAGEN.at – Schweizer Sagen. Reproduced by SAGEN.at. https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/schweiz/luzern/rache_tuerst.html

Kobold

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Tradition: German Mythology
Alternative Names: Kobolt, Kobolde, Cobold
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Kobold is a supernatural household spirit from German folklore, associated with both mischief and helpful service. Kobolds often perform domestic chores in exchange for offerings, washing dishes, cleaning kitchens, sweeping floors, and caring for livestock. They may also assist tradespeople and shopkeepers. However, their helpfulness is conditional: when mistreated or neglected, they can damage property and torment the people they live alongside. Kobolds are generally connected to a particular household, and some traditions claim that every house has its own resident spirit, whether its inhabitants welcome it or not.

Kobolds can inhabit hearths, barns, stables, woodhouses, and the beer cellars of inns. They typically perform their work at night, completing tasks that the human occupants have left unfinished. Some regional spirits have more specialized duties, such as the Wolterken, which grooms horses, feeds pigs, and carries water to livestock. Other kobolds are associated with particular occupations or locations. The Klabautermann, for example, is a shipboard spirit sometimes classified as a type of kobold, while mine spirits known as Kobel or Bergmännlein are associated with underground places. These overlapping traditions make it difficult to draw a strict boundary between kobolds and other household or nature spirits.

The appearance of a kobold varies considerably. It may resemble a small child wearing a fine jacket, a wrinkled old man in a pointed hood, a bearded figure, an animal, or even an object. Some are said to manifest as a shaft of fire with a head-like shape. Red clothing and pointed red caps are characteristic of certain varieties, including the Hütchen, whose name means “little hat.” Other named types include the northern German Niss and Puk, the latter related to the English folkloric Puck. The shapeshifting household spirit Hinzelmann, sometimes depicted as a feather or an animal, is another related figure, distinct from the Heinzelmännchen of Cologne.

Traditions also describe different ways in which a kobold might enter a household. In one account, a person takes pity on a cold, wet supernatural creature and brings it inside to warm up, unintentionally giving it a permanent home. A tradition from Perleberg describes a more deliberate method: on Saint John’s Day, a person must go into the forest between noon and one o’clock and find an anthill with a bird on it. After the correct words are spoken, the bird transforms into a small human figure that jumps into a bag, allowing the person to carry it home. Once settled, the kobold remains even when the household’s servants come and go.

Some accounts give kobolds a more unsettling origin, suggesting that those appearing as children may be the spirits of dead children. In such stories, a knife carried by the spirit represents the means by which the child was killed. Other traditions portray kobolds as mine spirits or beings whose nature overlaps with that of dwarves, wood sprites, and other supernatural inhabitants of the natural world. Across these varied accounts, the kobold remains a flexible figure of German folklore: a spirit that lives close to human communities, capable of useful work, disturbing tricks, and sometimes frightening manifestations.

Sources

“Kobold.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobold#Characteristics

Boezehappert

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: Boesjappert
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Boezehappert, also known as the Boesjappert, is a frightening supernatural creature from the folklore of Friesland and Groningen in the northern Netherlands. In Friesland, it is described as a female necker, or water spirit, that lurks in deep lakes and ditches. It is said to drag children underwater when they play too close to the water’s edge, capturing and devouring them. The creature served as a terrifying warning to children to stay away from dangerous waters, return home when darkness fell, and never linger beside lakes or ditches after sunset.

A poem describes the Boezehappert as an enormous creature measuring four ells in length, with glowing green eyes, large, sharp teeth, horns, scales, and sharp claws. Its monstrous appearance reinforces its role as a predator lurking beneath the water, waiting for unwary children to approach.

In Groningen, the Boezehappert is associated instead with the spirit of a rye field. Despite this difference, it also served as a bogeyman used to frighten children into behaving properly. The creature’s regional variations reflect how local folklore used supernatural threats to warn children of dangers in their surroundings, whether the deep waters of Friesland or the fields of Groningen.

Sources

Van der Veen, Abe. “Van aardmannetje tot zwarte juffer: Een lijst van Nederlandse en Vlaamse elfen en geesten.” Abe de Verteller. https://abedeverteller.nl/van-aardmannetje-tot-zwarte-juffer-een-lijst-van-nederlandse-en-vlaamse-elfen-en-geesten/

Bugul Noz

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Tradition: Breton Mythology, French Mythology
Alternative Names: Bugul-Noz
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Bugul Noz, whose name means “Night Shepherd” or “child of the night,” is a nocturnal supernatural being from the folklore of Morbihan in Brittany, France. It is commonly described as a little man, goblin, or kobold, although some accounts portray it as a tall and foreboding figure that appears at twilight. Its appearance varies between traditions, but it is generally associated with the dangers of remaining outdoors after dark.

In descriptions recorded by Émilie Carpentier, the Bugul Noz is a small man with claws, fiery eyes, and a whistling voice. It threatens shepherds and workers who linger outside after nightfall. One legend tells of the creature riding through the darkness until it encounters a crossroads, where it turns back to avoid the shape of the cross. If it captures a person, it is said to drown its prisoner when the cock crows. Other accounts describe the Bugul Noz wearing an animal pelt that allows it to assume a wolf-like form, along with a large hat and cloak. In this version, the creature grows larger as it approaches its victims. It has also been portrayed as an undead spirit or a werewolf that steals children by hiding them beneath its hat.

Not every tradition depicts the Bugul Noz as malicious. Some accounts describe it as a benevolent spirit whose frightening reputation serves to discourage people from remaining outside in unsafe places after dark. Rather than seeking to harm travelers, it may be understood as a supernatural warning to shepherds and workers to return home before nightfall. In this interpretation, the Bugul Noz fulfils a role similar to that of other Breton bogeymen, using fear to encourage caution.

One particularly poignant version describes the Bugul Noz as the last of its kind. Aware of its terrifying appearance, the lonely creature calls out to warn approaching travelers so that they will not be frightened to death when they encounter it. Although it resembles a monster, it does not necessarily wish to harm anyone. This version transforms the Bugul Noz from a simple bogeyman into a tragic, isolated being whose frightening appearance prevents it from approaching others without causing fear.

Sources

“Bugul Noz.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugul_Noz

Kocmeuch

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Tradition: Polish Mythology
Alternative Names: Kocmołuch
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Kocmeuch, also known by the nickname Kocmołuch, meaning “dirty” or “slovenly,” is a malevolent household demon in the traditional beliefs of the Lasowiaks, an ethnographic group in southeastern Poland. It is feared for stealing milk from cows, secretly entering stables and depriving households of an important source of nourishment. Its presence is associated with a gradual decline in milk production, with each milking yielding less than the one before.

The Kocmeuch is described as a small, deformed, naked man with an unusual and grotesque appearance. It has a large, egg-shaped head perched on a thin neck, large drooping ears, slanted eyes, a strongly bulging belly, a protruding navel, and equally prominent buttocks. Its arms and legs are thin, ending in sharp claws resembling those of a bird. Despite its strange appearance, the demon is dangerous to the livelihood of the household it inhabits.

During the day, the Kocmeuch hides beneath the threshold of a stable, remaining concealed from the people who care for the animals. At night, it moves about invisibly and creeps toward a cow’s udder to steal its milk. According to folk belief, this unnatural milking could cause cows to become barren. The gradual reduction in milk yield was therefore regarded as a possible sign that the demon had settled in the stable.

The traditional means of protecting livestock from the Kocmeuch involved the use of blessed objects. These sacred items were believed to frighten the demon away and drive it out of the stable, restoring protection to the household and its animals.

Sources

“Kocmeuch.” Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kocmeuch

Kallikantzaroi

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Tradition: Greek Mythology
Alternative Names: Kallikantzaros, Kalikantzaroi, Skalikántzaros
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Kallikantzaroi are mischievous and frightening supernatural creatures in Greek folklore, believed to emerge from underground during the twelve days of Christmas, from Christmas Day until Epiphany on 6 January. Their appearance varies between regions, but they are commonly described as ugly, black, hairy goblins with horns, burning red eyes, and long black tails. Other accounts portray them with goat-like or donkey-like ears, animal limbs, cloven hooves, protruding tongues, and distorted features. They may be enormous or diminutive, and some traditions describe them as one-eyed, blind, lame, knock-kneed, or reverse-footed. They are generally depicted as male and are sometimes associated with the lustful, animalistic nature of satyrs.

According to a widespread legend, the Kallikantzaroi spend the rest of the year underground, attempting to saw through the trunk of the great tree that supports the Earth. They hope to bring the tree down and destroy the world. Just as they are about to finish their work, however, Christmas arrives, allowing them to emerge onto the surface. They abandon their task and spend the twelve days tormenting humanity. They enter houses through chimneys, urinate on fireplaces, contaminate food and drink, spoil milk, break furniture, devour Christmas pork, and play cruel pranks on people. When Epiphany arrives, the sun begins moving again and the creatures must return underground. They discover that the world tree has healed itself during their absence, forcing them to begin sawing once more. This cycle is believed to repeat every year.

Regional traditions describe the Kallikantzaroi in different ways. In older folklore from Chios, they were said to roam during the Christmas season and attack people with their sharp claws. They might sit on a victim and ask, “Tow or lead?” A person who answered “tow,” meaning a clump of hemp fibre, would be spared, while someone who answered “lead” would be crushed under their enormous weight and beaten. One method of distracting them was to leave a sieve outside. The creatures would attempt to count its holes but could never pronounce the number three, which was considered sacred, and so they repeatedly began counting from one. Another version involved leaving tangled hemp for them to count until the cock crowed and dawn destroyed them.

In some traditions, the Kallikantzaroi are believed to originate from human beings. On Zakynthos, a child conceived by a sinful woman on Christmas Eve was said to become a skalikántzaros in adulthood, gaining the ability to transform into one during the Christmas season. Other communities believed that children born at particular times could become these creatures unless protective measures were taken. In other parts of Greece, however, the Kallikantzaroi are regarded as a separate race of demons rather than transformed humans. They are said to feed on frogs, worms, snakes, and other small creatures, with pork considered a particular delicacy.

People traditionally used a variety of methods to keep the Kallikantzaroi away from their homes. Desserts and honey cakes could be left out to distract or appease them, while households in some regions offered particular foods on New Year’s Eve or Epiphany. Keeping a fire burning in the fireplace was believed to prevent them from entering through the chimney. Other protective measures included burning a Yule log throughout the twelve days, throwing salt or old shoes into the fire, burning incense, marking doors with a black cross on Christmas Eve, and hanging a pig’s lower jaw near the entrance or chimney. These customs reflect the widespread belief that the Kallikantzaroi could be held at bay until Epiphany forced them to return to the underworld.

Sources

“Kallikantzaros.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kallikantzaros#Greek_folklore

Losholich

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Tradition: Romani Mythology, Romanian Mythology
Alternative Names: Losholich, Locsholich, Lobolich, Luca
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Losholich is a terrifying forest spirit in Romani folklore, described as a shaggy, toothy goblin with long, drooping ears. It inhabits remote wildernesses, including deep forests and caves, where careless travelers risk encountering it. Its appearance is grotesque and frightening, with coarse hair, sharp teeth, and an unsettling presence. Some accounts describe its ears hanging down to its shoulders, its arms reaching toward the ground, and its long fingers ending in sharp claws.

The Losholich is portrayed as a dangerous and unpredictable creature that attacks those who enter its territory. It may conceal itself among trees or emerge from the darkness to frighten or assault unsuspecting travelers. One account describes it as having a greenish fire burning inside its body, which it fans with its long arms and legs, using its movements to make the flames burn brighter. Its strange appearance and association with the wilderness make it a fearsome presence in the forest.

Despite its monstrous nature, the Losholich can sometimes be overcome through cleverness. According to one tradition, a person may defeat it by cutting the hair from its feet. If the hair is removed, the creature loses its power and dies. However, it is said to return in another form, suggesting that destroying its physical body does not necessarily end its supernatural existence.

Some stories describe the Losholich as a servant of the devil, while others portray it as a creature that can be compelled to perform tasks. In one account, it helps a cruel countess transplant an enormous oak tree from the forest to her courtyard. Although the spirit accomplishes the seemingly impossible task, its assistance does not make it benevolent. The Losholich remains a dangerous being associated with sinister powers, threatening wilderness, and misfortune.

Sources

“Losholich.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/losholich

Nuno sa Punso

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Tradition: Philippine Mythology
Alternative Names: Nuno, Nuno sa Punso
Category: Goblin

The Myth

The Nuno sa Punso, meaning “old man of the mound,” is a small, dwarf-like nature spirit in Philippine mythology. Also known simply as the Nuno, meaning “old man,” “grandparent,” or “ancestor,” it is believed to be the spirit of an ancestor who dwells in an anthill or termite mound. Nunos may also inhabit places such as the roots of large trees, spaces beneath rocks, riverbanks, caves, and gardens. They are commonly described as tiny old men, although they differ from the dwende, another dwarf-like being in Philippine folklore. Whereas dwendes are often portrayed as playful creatures who reveal themselves to children, Nunos are easily angered and can punish those who disturb their homes.

People traditionally ask permission from a Nuno before cutting down a tree, breaking previously untouched ground, or carrying out other activities that might disturb its dwelling. This precaution is intended to avoid misfortune caused by offending the spirit. Anyone who damages or trespasses upon its mound risks provoking its anger and suffering supernatural retribution. For example, a person who kicks an anthill inhabited by a Nuno may find their foot painfully swollen. The spirit is believed to defend its territory and punish those who show disrespect toward its home.

The Nuno possesses the ability to curse people who come too close and offend it. According to folk belief, it may spit on a trespasser’s body, causing pain or illness in the affected area. Reported afflictions include boils, swelling, bodily aches, stomach pain, vomiting blood, urinating black liquid, and excessive hair growth on the back. Someone who urinates on a Nuno’s mound may suffer swelling of the genitals, while a person who kicks it may experience a swollen foot. These beliefs emphasize the importance of respecting the spirit’s dwelling and avoiding careless disturbance of places where it might reside.

Sources

“Nuno sa Punso.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 17, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuno_sa_punso