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Gnome of Wichtelcheslê

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Reckingen Gnome, The Helper of Peter
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In a municipal forest near Mersch, between Reckingen and Hohlfels, there stands a rock grotto about twenty meters above the road from Mersch to Ansemburg. Long ago, gnomes were said to live there, and the rock is still called Wichtelcheslê, the Gnome’s Little Rock.

The people of the nearby villages regularly left food at the entrance to the grotto, though they never saw the gnomes during the day. At night, however, the little beings repaid the kindness. They worked the fields of those who fed them, and those without fields would find piles of firewood placed before their doors in the morning as a sign of gratitude.

At that same time, a hermit lived between Schönfels and Marienthal. He was beloved by the people, for he gave good advice and helped the sick whenever their illness could be cured. The gnomes supplied him with healing herbs, which he boiled in water drawn from the Hunnebur spring, a source believed to possess special healing powers, particularly for ailments of the eyes and skin.

Not far away, at Hohlfels Castle, lived a man named Steinhart. He had once been a servant to the lords of Hohlfels and had saved his master’s life at great risk. As a reward, he had been granted the castle and its lands for his lifetime. Yet he proved as hard as his name implied. Often drunk and violent, he made himself feared by all. He especially resented the hermit and the gnomes, because they were loved and respected throughout the region.

One day he struck the hermit with a stick, and the holy man barely escaped. Realizing he could no longer remain in his hermitage, the hermit fled to a rock grotto near Schönfels that connected by a hidden passage to the gnome cave at Wichtelcheslê. Though many knew he still lived nearby, people pretended he had vanished so Steinhart would not pursue him.

Unable to find the hermit, Steinhart decided instead to hunt the gnomes and drive them away. Although the entrance to their grotto was known, no one except the hermit could reach them, for a rock blocked the passage and could only be opened with a special device. The gnomes also had other secret exits unknown to anyone else.

One evening, Steinhart climbed onto a rock under which he had often seen small tracks. In the moonlight he finally saw the gnomes below, and among them, to his astonishment, the hermit himself. Hoping to crush them, he pushed down a heavy stone he had brought for the purpose. The stone missed its mark. The effort caused him to lose his balance, and he fell from the rock, shattering his body among the gnomes below.

Though mortally wounded, he still cursed them. The hermit urged him to reconcile himself with God, but Steinhart mocked him, declaring that he would rather become as hard as stone, true to his name. The hermit warned him to beware lest his wish be granted. As death approached, Steinhart begged that if he died there, they should carry him back to the rock from which he had fallen, where he would become stone if the hermit’s God truly had such power. After speaking these words, he died.

The gnomes carried his body back to the rock and seated him there with his back against the rise. When they returned the next day, they found only a stone in his place. From that time on, they avoided the spot. No one but the hermit and the gnomes knew what had happened to Steinhart. Years later, as the hermit lay dying, he revealed the story, but he died before he could name the exact place of the fall. In time, the gnomes themselves vanished from the region.

The narrator of the tale later claimed that in the area there still stands a solitary rock resembling a man, with a head, eyes, and a pointed hat. It is said to be Steinhart, turned to stone. Around the mountain, springs run down the slopes, and their waters petrify wood, grass, and moss.

Gallery

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Eterari. In Bestiary.us, from https://www.bestiary.us/eterari/

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Gnome of Rosport

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Rosport Gnomes, Komp Gnomes
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In the district of Rosport, at the northern end of the Girster Forest, there is a place known as “am Komp.” In earlier times, it was said that little gnomes lived there in underground caves and grottoes.

These small beings were known to help the local people with their work. In return for their assistance, the farmers would leave food for them at the entrances to their underground dwellings.

One day, a woman from Rosport went to her field at “am Komp” with her young daughter to pick peas. While the mother worked, the child wandered off while playing among the flowers. As she moved farther away, a few little gnomes came to her. They approached the girl kindly and brought her precious silken cloths woven with threads of gold and silver.

When the mother returned and came near, the little men quickly ran away and vanished.

The gnomes are said to have disappeared forever, yet even today the caves and grottoes where they once lived are still pointed out in the place called “am Komp.”

Gallery

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wichtelcher bei Rosport. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Rosport.html

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Little Gnome of Lulzhausen

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Lulzhausen Gnomes, House Gnomes of Kreschhaus
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In the village of Lulzhausen stood a house known as Kreschhaus, where it was said the little gnomes had their entrance and exit.

Each evening, after supper, the people living in the house would place their leftover food on the kitchen cupboard. As they did so, they would say, “This is for the little gnomes,” and then they would go to bed without clearing the table or washing the dishes.

During the night, the unseen gnomes would come into the house. By morning, the inhabitants would find that the dishes had been carefully scrubbed and set back in their proper places. The house would be clean, and the food left out for them would be gone.

Thus the people knew the little gnomes had come in the night, eaten what was given to them, and repaid the kindness with their quiet work.

Gallery

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Wichtlein zu Lulzhausen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Lulzhausen.html

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Wichtelcher of Feulen

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Freimeieschlesser, Wichtelcher of Feulen
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In the hedges around the village of Feulen, there are places where fragments of old walls still stand. The people of the area call these remains the Freimeieschlesser. Long ago, they were said to have been the castles and dwellings of the Wichtelcher, the little gnomes who once lived there.

These small beings were believed to have lived close to the people of Feulen. When villagers worked to close and maintain the hedges, the gnomes would join them and help with the labor. They worked quietly beside the humans, taking part in the daily tasks of the land.

In return for their help, the villagers shared their food with them. The gnomes were said to be small in stature, no taller than a child of three or four years old.

Though the gnomes are no longer seen, the broken walls in the hedges remain, and the people of Feulen remember them as the old homes of the little helpers who once worked and ate alongside their human neighbors.

Gallery

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Freimeieschlesser zu Feulen. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Freimeieschlesser.html

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Kotern Gnome

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Tradition / Region: Luxembourg Mythology
Alternate Names: Gnomes of the Hangels, Kontern Gnomes
Category: Gnome

The Myth

In the land near the village of Kontern, on the slopes known as the Hangels, there were once small gnomes who lived beneath the earth in hidden grottoes.

They were quiet and unseen by most, dwelling in underground chambers carved into the hills. The people of Kontern believed these little beings were tireless workers, always busy in their hidden world beneath the soil. Wherever they lived, prosperity seemed to follow. Fields grew well, homes prospered, and the land felt blessed.

It was said that their presence brought good fortune and abundance to everything around them. Though they rarely revealed themselves, their work could be felt in the thriving land and the luck enjoyed by the people above.

Even after they were no longer seen, stories of the industrious gnomes of the Hangels continued to be told in Kontern, remembering the time when the hills themselves were said to shelter these small bringers of blessing.

Gallery

Sources

sagen.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Wichtelcher auf der Hangels bei Kontern. In sagen.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/luxemburg/Wichtlein_Hangels.html

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Uto ni Yalo

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Tradition / Region: Fijian Mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the waters surrounding the islands of Fiji there dwells a powerful spirit known as Uto ni Yalo.

He lives in the depths of the ocean, where the tides rise and fall and the currents twist through reefs and channels. Some say he appears as a great sea serpent moving beneath the waves. Others say he rises in the form of a being like a mermaid, half human and half creature of the sea. However he shows himself, his presence is felt in the motion of the water itself.

Uto ni Yalo is said to command the tides and guide the currents. When the sea turns calm, fishermen say it is because he allows it. When the waters grow restless and dangerous, they believe it is his will moving through the ocean.

Sailors and fishermen call upon him before journeys, asking for safe passage across the reefs and open sea. Offerings and prayers are made so that he may guide their canoes, keep storms away, and lead them back to shore unharmed.

Thus Uto ni Yalo is remembered as a spirit of the ocean’s power—
a hidden ruler beneath the waves,
who moves the tides,
and whose favor can mean the difference between safe return and the sea’s depths.

Gallery

Sources

mythicalencyclopedia.com contributors. (n.d.). Fiji mythical creatures. In mythicalencyclopedia.com, from https://mythicalencyclopedia.com/fiji-mythical-creatures/

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Chuchedi

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Teuchedy, Tencheday, Tenchadema
Category: Mermaid, Ghost

The Myth

In old accounts told by travelers to Japan, there was said to be a strange idol worshipped in the eastern lands, known as Chuchedi.

People from every rank of life came to its temple day and night, making offerings and prayers. The idol was feared as a powerful and dangerous spirit, one that demanded a terrible rite. Each month, it was said, the most beautiful maiden in the land would be chosen and brought to the temple.

She would be placed alone inside a private chamber and left there in silence. The doors were shut, and the girl waited through the darkness.

At some point in the night, Chuchedi itself was believed to appear. None saw how it came or what form it took in full, but the spirit would visit the girl and lie with her. When morning came, the spirit had vanished again, leaving behind strange fish-like scales as proof of its presence.

Another maiden would be chosen the following month, yet no one spoke openly about what became of the girls afterward. That remained a mystery whispered among the people.

It was also said that before the ritual, priests could ask Chuchedi questions, and the spirit would give answers to them, as though it possessed knowledge beyond human reach.

Thus Chuchedi was remembered as a hidden temple power—
a being that came in the night,
left scales behind,
and was served by fearful devotion from those who believed in it.

Gallery

Sources

tyz-yokai.blog.jp contributors. (n.d.). Chuchedi. In tyz-yokai.blog.jp, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1084115860.html

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Millalobo

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Tradition / Region: Chilean mythology
Alternate Names: none recorded
Category: Mermaid

The Myth

In the mythology of Chiloé, the lord of all waters is Millalobo, ruler of the seas, rivers, and lakes, protector of all creatures that live within them, and father of the sea maidens.

Millalobo was born from the union of a beautiful human woman and a mighty sea lion. Because of this, his form is neither fully human nor fully beast. From the waist up he has the powerful torso of a man, but below he bears the body of a great sea creature, like a pinniped. His face carries both human and animal traits, and his skin and hair shine with a golden color.

Though he cannot speak with human words, Millalobo communicates through deep, roaring sounds like those of a sea lion. Anyone who hears these cries understands his meaning clearly.

From his throne in the waters, Millalobo governs the movement of the tides and the bounty of the sea. When he flaps his great arms, the waves rise and fall. Storms, gales, and calm seas alike answer to his will. He sends fish, shellfish, and all marine riches to humans when he is pleased, and withholds them when angered.

He is also the father of the sea damsels who inhabit the waters around Chiloé, and through them his presence spreads across the coasts and islands.

Thus the people say that whenever the sea roars or the tides shift, it is Millalobo moving in his domain—
the golden lord of the waters,
whose power governs all that lives beneath the waves.

Gallery

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Miialobo. In Bestiary.us, from http://www.bestiary.us/miialobo

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Maupun

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Tradition / Region: Polish Mythology, Ukranian Mythology
Alternate Names: Maoupunu, Maupunu
Category: Mermaid, Zombie

The Myth

In the marshlands and river regions of eastern Polesia, it is said that not only girls become rusalki after death. Sometimes a boy may share their fate.

If a child dies before baptism, his soul cannot rest. Such a boy may return as a wandering spirit, bound to the waters and the fields. One such spirit is known as Maupun.

Maupun was once an unbaptized boy. After death he did not pass into the world of the dead, but instead came to dwell among the rusalki—the restless spirits of girls who died before receiving baptism. Over time, he became their leader and chief, ruling over them as they wandered the wetlands and meadows.

The rusalki under Maupun’s command are said to appear as pale girls with bright, shining eyes and wild, shaggy hair. During Trinity Week they leave the waters and roam the rye fields and grassy places, laughing loudly, singing, and playing together beneath the open sky.

But their laughter is dangerous. Anyone who encounters them must flee at once. If they catch a person, they will tickle and clutch them until they die.

And it is Maupun who leads them—
the boy who never received baptism,
now lord of the wandering mermaids of the marsh.

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Maupun. In Bestiary.us, from https://www.bestiary.us/maupun/

Sedna

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Tradition / Region: Inuit Mythology, Greenlandic Mythology, Canadian Mythology
Alternate Names: Nuliajuk, Sassuma Arnaa, Nerrivik, Arnakuagsak, Arnapkapfaaluk
Category: Mermaid, Goddess

The Myth

Long ago, there lived a young woman named Sedna, daughter of a man who could not find a husband worthy of her—or, in some tellings, a maiden who refused every suitor who came.

At last a stranger arrived, promising riches and plenty of food. Sedna’s father agreed to the marriage, and she went away with the man. But once she reached his home, she discovered the truth: he was not a man at all, but a great bird spirit. She lived in misery among the cliffs and the screaming birds until her father returned to rescue her.

They fled together in his kayak across the sea. But the bird-spirit raised a terrible storm. Waves rose high, and the sea roared around them. Terrified that the boat would sink, Sedna’s father pushed her overboard.

She clung to the side of the kayak, begging for help. In fear for his life, her father took a knife or axe and cut off her fingers one by one. As they fell into the water, her fingers became the creatures of the sea—seals, walruses, whales, and all the animals hunted by humans.

Sedna sank beneath the waves and fell to the bottom of the ocean. There she did not die. Instead she became the great mistress of the deep, ruler of the undersea world and guardian of all marine animals.

From that time on, the people believed that the success of every hunt depended on her will. When she was angered by human wrongdoing, she kept the animals hidden, and famine followed. Shamans would then journey in spirit to her underwater dwelling, where Sedna sat with tangled hair she could not comb because she had no fingers. The shaman would soothe her, wash and braid her hair, and calm her anger so she would release the animals again.

And so Sedna remains beneath the sea, watching over the creatures of the deep and deciding whether the hunters above will live or starve.

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Sedna (mythology). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 14, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedna_(mythology)