Mythology

Hob

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Hobgoblin, Hob-thrush, Hob-thrust, Hob-dross
Category: House dweller

The Myth

A hob is a small supernatural being in English folklore, often described in Yorkshire as a hairy, wizened little man. Hobs can live inside houses or outdoors, including in farmyards, caves, and other secluded places. They are generally helpful but mischievous spirits, known for assisting people with their work. They may help farmers in the fields, shopkeepers in their stores, and households with difficult tasks. However, their assistance depends on how they are treated, and an offended hob can become a troublesome presence.

Hobs are particularly associated with nighttime and are not necessarily tied to one location. They come and go as they please, helping people who respect them but retaliating against those who insult them. A farmer who speaks badly of the spirit on his land might find dishes broken and livestock let loose. Despite their helpful nature, hobs can be difficult to get rid of, and some are said to follow people even when they move away.

One famous hob lived in a cave known as Hobhole near Runswick Bay in Yorkshire. People believed that this spirit could cure children suffering from kink-cough, or whooping cough. Parents brought their sick children to the cave and called upon the hob to take the illness away. This tradition portrays the hob not merely as a household helper but also as a spirit capable of healing.

Clothing plays an important role in stories about hobs. Giving a hob new clothes, such as a shirt, cap, or hood, usually causes it to leave permanently. The gesture may be intended as a reward, but the spirit takes offence and withdraws its services. Traditional rhymes mark the moment when the hob departs, warning that it will no longer help. This motif reflects the delicate relationship between humans and these supernatural workers: their assistance cannot simply be bought or controlled.

A story from Farndale in the North York Moors tells of a farmer so troubled by his hob that he decided to move to another farm. He loaded his furniture and equipment onto a cart and set off. When a neighbour asked whether he was moving, a voice called out from inside a churn on the cart: “Aye, lad, we’re flittin!” The farmer realised that the hob had followed him and would remain with him wherever he went, so he turned around and returned to his original farm.

Although many hobs can be dismissed by offering them clothing, the most persistent may be impossible to escape. They embody the uncertain nature of supernatural household assistance: a hob can be a valuable worker and even a healer, but offending it may turn a helpful spirit into a lasting nuisance.

Sources

“Hob (Folklore).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hob_(folklore)

Tonttu

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Tradition: Finnish Mythology
Alternative Names: Tomte, Tomten
Category: House dweller

The Myth

The tonttu is a small, human-like household spirit in Finnish folklore, traditionally described as wearing a red cap and grey clothing. It helps with domestic work and stable chores, acting as a supernatural servant responsible for the well-being of the household and farm. In Finland, the tonttu was sometimes said to have only one eye, a feature also associated with the spirit in Swedish-speaking communities. This gave rise to the expression “Enögd som tomten,” meaning “one-eyed like the tomten.”

The tonttu expects an annual reward for its work, traditionally offered around the winter solstice during the Yuletide season. Its favourite food is porridge, often served with butter or honey. In Finland, offerings could be placed on the grain-drying kiln or in the sauna. The porridge functioned as the spirit’s yearly payment for its services, and neglecting the offering could break the arrangement and cause the tonttu to abandon the house or farm.

Stories from Finland illustrate how important these offerings were believed to be. In one account, a servant eats the tomte’s porridge and milk, bringing misfortune upon his master. When the spirit leaves, the master eventually has to sell his homestead. In another legend from Nyland, two neighbouring families, the Bäckars and the Smeds, compete over the possession of a tomte. A boy from the Bäckars family manages to recover the spirit after it has gone to the rival household by intercepting its offering of milk and porridge. He eats the food and defiles it, prompting the returning spirit to abandon the Smeds and return to its former family.

These tales portray the tonttu as more than a simple helper. Its labour and loyalty are valuable, but the relationship depends on proper treatment and regular payment. As long as the household respects its obligations, the spirit may continue to perform its chores and contribute to the prosperity of the home and farm.

Sources

“Nisse (Folklore).” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nisse_(folklore)

Pok

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Tradition: Dutch Mythology
Alternative Names: De Pok
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Pok is an evil spirit in Frisian folklore associated with the spontaneous heating of hay. When a blackened patch is discovered inside a bale of hay, people say that Pok has been there, attempting to start a fire.

The spirit’s association with hay reflects the danger of hay heating and potentially catching fire during storage. In the folk belief recorded by Van der Molen, a dark spot in the hay serves as evidence that Pok has tried to kindle a blaze. No further details about the spirit’s appearance or other activities are provided in the available account.

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/

Kuneyusuri

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Tradition: Japanese Mythology
Alternative Names: Kuneyusuri
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Kuneyusuri is a supernatural creature from Nakagawa Village, formerly in Kakunodate Town, Senboku District, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Its name refers to a hedge, and the creature is known for violently shaking hedges, making the vegetation move as though an unseen force were disturbing it.

Little else is recorded about Kuneyusuri in the available account. Its appearance, motives, and whether it causes harm are not described, leaving it known primarily for its unsettling habit of violently shaking hedges.

Sources

“Kuneyusuri.” 新版TYZ 妖怪図鑑 (New TYZ Yokai Encyclopedia). https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010654448.html

Flerus

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Tradition: Belgian Mythology
Alternative Names: –
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Fleurus is a benevolent household spirit in Flemish folklore that can take the form of a person or a domestic animal. He performs heavy household work and helps families with difficult tasks. When a maid cannot manage the cleaning, Fleurus may come to her aid; if a horse is sick, he can appear as a strong, vigorous horse, allowing himself to be harnessed and working in its place. He expects little in return, usually accepting a small amount of fresh milk and sugar as a reward.

Fleurus is generally helpful, but he can also be mischievous. One story tells of a farmer whose business was prosperous and whose household was well cared for by the spirit. When a horse fell ill, Fleurus appeared in the form of a strong horse and willingly performed the work. He never shied away from labour and also helped when a maid was unable to cope with her cleaning duties. In return, he was usually given fresh milk with a little sugar.

One day, however, a pair of young newlyweds decided to play a trick on Fleurus. When he appeared to help with the work, they offered him milk mixed with garlic instead of sugar. Fleurus merely sipped the drink and disappeared, saying:

“Milk and garlic!
Fleurus runs away,
And with him goes the luck.”

After that, nobody heard or saw Fleurus at the farm again. The place became known as Fleurushoff, preserving the memory of the household spirit whose help and good fortune had been lost through the couple’s trick.

Sources

“Flerus.” Encyclopedia Mythica. https://pantheon.org/articles/f/flerus.html

Oy Iyase

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Tradition: Kazakhstan Mythology
Alternative Names: Oy eyhäe, Oy eyäne, Yort iyase, Yortiyase, Yort yeyähä, Oy eyyaho, Uy iesi, Uy nesi, Khert-surt, Khert-surt su, Yuy yesi, Oy iesi, Oy iyase
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Oy Iyase is the spirit-master of the house in the folklore of various Turkic peoples, including the Tatars, Bashkirs, and other communities. It is a household guardian comparable to the Slavic Domovoy and is regarded as a special kind of brownie. The spirit protects the family and is associated with the well-being and prosperity of the household.

Among the Bashkirs and Kazan Tatars, Oy Iyase is traditionally described as an old man with long hair who lives beneath the floor of the house, where three special places are prepared for him. At night, he may emerge from beneath the floor and spin thread, sometimes working at a spinning wheel. This activity is believed to foretell the family’s future. The sound of spinning can therefore be interpreted as an omen concerning the household’s fortunes.

Oy Iyase is also associated with the protection of livestock and the family. In some traditions, the spirit is connected with the abzar iyase, the guardian of the farmyard. It is believed to appear at night, rustling and disturbing people, and it may even frighten those who encounter it inside the house. A person who sees the spirit is said to experience either good or bad fortune, depending on the tradition.

The Oy Iyase has different names among Turkic-speaking peoples. The Tatars and Bashkirs call it yort iyase or yort eyähä, while related household spirits are known as yuy yesi among the Karachays, khert-surt among the Chuvash, ev bekchisi among the Turks, and uy nesi among the Nogais. In Kazakh folklore, the spirit may be represented as a good character in the form of a white snake. These variations reflect the widespread belief that a household has an unseen guardian whose presence can influence the family’s fortunes and domestic harmony.

Sources

“Oi Iyase.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/oi-iyase

Ovinnik

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Tradition: Russian Mythology, Belarusian Mythology
Alternative Names: Joŭnik, Jovnik
Category: House dweller

The Myth

The Ovinnik is a malevolent spirit that inhabits the threshing house, the agricultural building where harvested grain is threshed. Feared for its association with fire, it is notorious for setting grain alight and burning down the buildings in which it lives. Its presence makes it a dangerous guardian of an essential part of rural life, where a single fire could destroy a family’s harvest.

Peasants sought to placate the Ovinnik with offerings of roosters and bliny, traditional pancakes. These gifts were intended to appease the spirit and protect the threshing house and its stores of grain from destruction. Its behaviour reflects the dangers surrounding the storage and processing of crops, particularly the risk of fire in agricultural buildings.

The Ovinnik also played a role in New Year’s Eve divination. According to folk belief, the spirit’s touch could reveal a person’s fortune for the coming year. A warm touch was considered a favourable sign, promising good luck and prosperity, while a cold touch foretold unhappiness. Thus, despite its destructive reputation, the Ovinnik could also be consulted as a supernatural indicator of future fortune.

Sources

“Ovinnik.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/ovinnik/ru

Zhirovik

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Tradition: Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zhiroviy, Lizen, Lizun, Fat Devil
Category: House dweller

The Myth

The Zhirovik is a small household spirit in Slavic folklore, known for its mischievous behaviour and love of warmth. It prefers warm, enclosed places around the home, especially near the stove, in chimneys, or in underground spaces. Although it can cause trouble, it is not necessarily malicious: its pranks often arise from boredom or an unusual nature rather than a desire to harm people.

The Zhirovik is particularly fond of food and domestic comfort. It may linger around food being prepared, lick pancakes and fritters left unattended, and poke around unwashed dishes at night. It is also associated with underground corners of the household, including the golbets, a partition or space behind the stove. Its love of warmth and food makes it a familiar presence in the domestic world, where it can be both an amusing nuisance and an unsettling companion.

Like other Slavic household spirits, the Zhirovik resembles a brownie: an invisible guardian of the home that can influence the household’s comfort and prosperity. In some traditions, a brownie may be described as a permanent inhabitant of a house who enjoys contentment and abundance, while in others it can bring misfortune when neglected or living in unsuitable conditions. The Zhirovik’s violent or troublesome nature is said to emerge particularly when it inhabits empty mansions.

Despite its reputation as a troublemaker, the Zhirovik is also a spirit of warmth and domestic life. Its fondness for food, hot places, and the quiet corners of a house reflects the belief that homes are inhabited by unseen beings whose habits and moods can affect the people living there.

Sources

“Zhirovik.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/zhirovik

Zharenitsa

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Tradition: Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: None recorded
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Zharenitsa is an evil spirit in the folklore of the Russian North, believed to live in the hearth near the bottom of the stove. It appears as a fiery glow, described as blazing and glowing within the hearth. Its exact shape and other physical features are not described in the available accounts.

Zharenitsa was used to frighten small children and keep them away from the stove. Adults warned children about the spirit to prevent them from climbing into the hearth and getting burned. Its association with fire made it a threatening presence in the home, turning the dangerous heat of the stove into a supernatural warning.

Unlike the Zharenik and Zharenitsa figures associated with midday heat in the Vologda region’s fields and gardens, this Zharenitsa belongs to the domestic folklore of the Russian North. Here, the spirit is specifically connected with the stove and the danger of household fires.

Sources

“Zharenitsa.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/zharenitsa

Zharenik

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Tradition: Russian Mythology
Alternative Names: Zharenitsa
Category: House dweller

The Myth

Zharenik is a spirit associated with pea fields and vegetable gardens in the Vologda region of Russia. Its female counterpart, Zharenitsa, is believed to inhabit the same places. Both spirits personify the intense midday heat during the summer, particularly when peas and other crops are ripening. Their appearance is not described in the available folklore accounts.

Zharenik and Zharenitsa belong to the category of midday spirits believed to inhabit fields during the hottest part of the day. Their presence was associated with the summer heat, when the ripening crops required protection and fieldwork could be uncomfortable. Although little is known about their nature, they formed part of the supernatural beliefs surrounding rural life and agriculture.

According to a local tradition, these spirits were used to frighten children away from pea fields. A flying pan and a frying pan were employed to scare children so that they would not pick peas from the crops. Another belief tells of a girl weeding a vegetable garden who sees a fried egg between the garden beds. Such stories reflect the association of these spirits with gardens, fieldwork, and the dangers or peculiarities of the summer midday heat.

Sources

“Zharenik.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). https://www.bestiary.us/zharenik/ru