English Mythology

Boggart

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Boggard, Baggard, Bogle, Buggerd, Boggert
Category: Goblin

The Myth

A boggart is a solitary supernatural being whose appearance varies greatly from place to place. Many are described as squat, hairy, ugly humanoids with uncouth or bestial features, sometimes possessing enormous arms and great physical strength. Others take entirely animal-like forms. The Boggart of Longar Hede in Yorkshire was said to be the size of a calf, covered in long shaggy hair, with enormous saucer-like eyes and a long chain trailing behind it that sounded like baying hounds. The boggart of Hackensall Hall in Lancashire appeared as a huge horse, while another Lancashire boggart called Nut-Nan was said to flit through hazel bushes with a shrill scream. Some could change their form into animals or more frightening creatures, while the Lancashire boggarts were said to have a master called Owd Hob, who appeared as a horned, cloven-hoofed, tailed creature resembling a satyr or devil.

Boggarts could inhabit houses, farms, roads, hills, caves, fields, and other isolated places, becoming spirits closely associated with the places where they lived. Household boggarts were particularly troublesome, disturbing families at night by making noises, banging doors, frightening horses, overturning carts, pulling away bedclothes, or crawling into people’s beds and pressing clammy hands against their faces. One Lancashire tradition warned that a household boggart should never be given a name, because naming it made the creature impossible to reason with and caused it to become uncontrollable and destructive. At Grizlehurst, an old couple claimed that their local boggart had been buried beneath an ash tree together with a cockerel pierced by a stake, yet it continued to cause disturbances. A farmer’s wife later heard doors banging and terrible laughter at night, then saw three blue-burning candles and a creature with red glowing eyes leaping outside the house. The following morning, cloven hoofprints were found around the building.

Boggarts could also be encountered in the countryside, where they sometimes behaved more like troublesome land spirits. In the tale of the Farmer and the Boggart, a squat, hairy, foul-smelling boggart inhabits a farmer’s land and agrees to divide each harvest with him. The boggart first chooses everything growing beneath the ground, so the farmer plants barley and leaves the creature with nothing but roots and stubble. The next year the boggart chooses everything above ground, so the farmer plants potatoes and again defeats him. Enraged by being tricked, the boggart eventually abandons the land. Another version has the two agreeing to harvest a wheat field from opposite sides, but the farmer secretly plants iron rods throughout the boggart’s portion. The creature’s scythe is repeatedly blunted against them, allowing the farmer to harvest almost the entire crop.

Sources

“Boggart.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boggart

Pillywiggins

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Tradition: English Mythology, Irish Mythology
Alternative Names: Pillywiggin
Category: Fairy

The Myth

The Pillywiggins are extraordinarily tiny fairies and goblin-like nature spirits, usually only about a centimetre tall, though they are said to possess the ability to change their size. They have delicate wings and antennae resembling those of butterflies or dragonflies, and their appearance is often described as wonderfully beautiful. They live in groups and feed on dew and pollen. Their small size and winged appearance allow them to move easily among flowers, and they are sometimes imagined riding bees from blossom to blossom or appearing themselves as tiny as bees.

The Pillywiggins are guardians of small plants and flowers, living according to the rhythms of the vegetation they protect. They are particularly fond of gardens, parks, and wildflower meadows, especially places shaded by great oak trees. They spend their time dancing, playing, and moving among the flowers, largely ignoring human beings. Unlike many British fairies, they are not known for deliberately playing tricks on people, although they may occasionally appear at human celebrations such as weddings. Their strongest association is with spring flowers, and English gardening folklore particularly connects them with tulips.

The Pillywiggins are said to disappear during the colder part of the year, remaining dormant from November until spring, when the call of the cuckoo announces their return. They then resume their life among the plants, protecting the smallest flowers and celebrating the return of warmer weather. Their world is therefore closely tied to the seasonal life of the garden and forest: when the plants awaken, so do the tiny fairies that live among them.

Sources

“Pillywiggin.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillywiggin

Lazy Laurence

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Laurence, Touch of Laurence
Category: Fairy

The Myth

Lazy Laurence is a mischievous pixie and nature spirit associated with the New Forest of Hampshire and Dorset. He is particularly connected with orchards and apple trees, and is believed to protect orchards and the cider made from their fruit. His presence is felt through strange spells of sleepiness and confusion: he may send people dreaming beneath fruit trees, make them lazy or dithering, or give them stomach cramps. Apple gatherers and careless visitors to the forest are especially liable to feel his influence.

People once spoke of laziness as a sign that Laurence had taken hold of someone. A person who suddenly became idle might be said to have “Laurence upon him” or to have “a touch of Laurence.” He was treated with enough respect and fear that his name became attached to the local landscape, including Laurence’s Barrow, a small ancient burial mound on Beaulieu Heath. The barrow stands near other places associated with pixie lore, including Watt’s Parlour and Cold Pixies’ Cave.

Laurence’s reputation was not confined to the New Forest. Stories of him were also known in neighboring Sussex and Somerset, where he could serve as a frightening bogeyman for children, while traditions from Devon and Cornwall emphasized his laziness. In the New Forest, however, he remained especially associated with fruit trees, cider, and the strange drowsiness that could overcome people beneath their branches. His mischievous influence turned ordinary tiredness, indecision, and indigestion into signs that the elusive forest pixie had been at work.

Sources

“Lazy Laurence.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_Laurence

Bluecap

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Bluecap
Category: Fairy

The Myth

The Bluecap is a small supernatural mine spirit that appears as a flickering blue flame deep within the workings of a mine. Associated particularly with the Anglo-Scottish Borderlands, Bluecaps were generally regarded as helpful beings when treated with respect. They could lead miners toward rich deposits of valuable minerals and, like other mining spirits, could warn them of impending cave-ins and other dangers underground.

Bluecaps were also believed to be extraordinarily hard workers. Miners said that they could move heavy loads of coal through the mine, sometimes appearing as a small blue flame that settled onto a full tub of coal and carried it away with tremendous strength. Their supernatural labour was nevertheless expected to be paid like that of an ordinary mine worker. A Bluecap was owed the wages of a normal putter, the worker responsible for pushing mine wagons, and the payment had to be left for it in a secluded corner of the mine. The spirit would accept neither more nor less than what it was owed.

Not every mine spirit was so helpful. Cutty Soames, also called Old Cutty Soames, was regarded as a more troublesome being of the same general kind. Rather than assisting miners, he was known for cutting the rope or trace by which an assistant putter was attached to a loaded tub. Bluecaps therefore belonged to a hidden community of supernatural mine workers: some guided miners to wealth and helped them survive the dangers of the underground, while others could interfere with their work and put them in danger.

Sources

“Bluecap.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 5, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluecap

Yallery Brown

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Yallery-Brown
Category: Fairy

The Myth

Yallery Brown was a small, ragged creature with yellow-brown skin, the colour of dark mustard, and the appearance of a little man. One day, a young labourer named Tom was resting in a field when he heard a faint whimpering, like a child crying in distress. Following the sound, he discovered the little creature trapped beneath a flat stone. Tom knew that he would have been better off leaving the strange being where it was, but the creature’s pitiful cries moved him. He lifted the stone and freed the little man, who immediately sprang up and introduced himself as Yallery Brown. In gratitude, Yallery Brown offered Tom a wish. Tom, unwilling to work harder than necessary, asked that the creature perform his daily chores for him. Yallery Brown clapped his hands and agreed.

From the following day onward, Tom’s work was mysteriously completed without him lifting a finger. His broom swept the floor by itself, while his quern ground the corn without anyone turning it. This continued day after day until the people around Tom began to suspect that he possessed supernatural powers and whispered that he was a witch or warlock. Frightened by the attention, Tom called for Yallery Brown and told him that he no longer needed his assistance. He thanked the little spirit for everything it had done. Yallery Brown immediately became furious. He had warned Tom never to thank him, for gratitude would bring misfortune, and now Tom had broken that rule. The creature withdrew his magical help and pronounced a curse upon him: no matter how hard Tom worked, he would never prosper or gain anything, and harm and mischance would follow him because he had freed Yallery Brown from beneath the stone.

Yallery Brown vanished after delivering his curse, and he kept his promise. Tom was plagued by bad luck and misfortune for the rest of his life. The gift that had once made his work effortless had become a curse, teaching him that accepting the favour of Yallery Brown came with a price.

Sources

“Yallery Brown.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yallery_Brown

Lunantishie

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Lunantishie
Category: Fairy

The Myth

The Lunantishie are a tribe of British fairies who guard thorn bushes. They are especially associated with the blackthorn and are said to be protective of these trees and their branches.

The Lunantishie do not allow anyone to cut even the smallest twig from a thorn bush on November 11, the ancient celebration of All Saints’ Day, or on May 11, the former celebration of May Day. Anyone who cuts a branch from a thorn tree on these days risks angering the fairies, who protect their sacred bushes.

The Lunantishie are therefore guardians of the thorn bushes, defending even their smallest branches from human interference. In the traditional lore recorded for them, the thorn tree is under their protection on these particular days, making the cutting of its wood a dangerous act.

Sources

“Lunantishi.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed October 4, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/lunantishi

Pixie

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Pisky, Pixy, Pixi, Pizkie, Piskie, Pigsie
Category: Fairy

The Myth

Pixies were small, mischievous supernatural beings of British folklore, particularly associated with the moorlands, hills, ancient stones and remote countryside of Cornwall and Devon. They were generally described as short, childlike creatures who enjoyed dancing, wrestling and playing outdoors through the night. They were also closely connected with ancient places such as stone circles, barrows, dolmens, ringforts and standing stones, where they were believed to dwell beneath the earth. Traditional pixies were often poorly dressed or wrapped in ragged clothing, quite different from the green clothes and pointed hats later given to them in popular imagery. They were usually friendly towards people who treated them well, but could also play tricks, mislead travellers and punish those who neglected or offended them.

The pixies of Dartmoor were particularly famous for their tricks and their relationship with horses. They could disguise themselves as bundles of rags to lure children, while at night they rode Dartmoor ponies for pleasure and sometimes tangled their manes into mysterious knots. They could also help humans, especially people in need, with household work and other tasks. Yet travellers who encountered them risked becoming “pixy-led,” wandering away from the path after being confused by the spirits. A traditional way of breaking this enchantment was to turn one’s coat inside out. Pixies could also reward kindness and consideration with good fortune, while neglecting them could bring trouble.

Many local legends preserve the playful and mysterious nature of the pixies. At Trevose Head in Cornwall, hundreds were said to gather in a circle to dance and laugh until one named Omfra lost his laugh. He searched through the ancient barrows of Cornwall and crossed the waters of Dozmary Pool before King Arthur, appearing in the form of a chough, restored it to him. Other traditions tell of pixies inhabiting caves and hidden places, fighting with fairies, helping widows, or occasionally leading people astray. They were sometimes believed to have a connection with human beings or to represent an ancient race of small people, while other traditions treated them as supernatural spirits. Whatever their origin, the pixies remained deeply tied to the wild landscapes of Cornwall and Devon, appearing as playful helpers one moment and troublesome spirits the next.

Sources

“Pixie.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixie

Gaiter Spirit

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Hyter-Spirits, Hayter-Spirits, Heather Sprites
Category: Fairy, Bird

The Myth

The Gaiter Spirits are small fairies of Lincolnshire and East Anglia, distinguished by their red hair and green eyes. They are able to transform themselves into birds, particularly martins, taking on the shape of ordinary birds while retaining their supernatural nature. Their strange ability allows them to move through the countryside in a form that hides their true identity.

The Gaiter Spirits are not simply malicious creatures. They are said to be grateful toward people who treat them well and can reward kindness, while those who behave badly may earn their displeasure. Their reputation therefore depends upon the character of the people who encounter them: generosity and good behavior can bring their favor, while cruelty or misconduct can lead to their condemnation.

The name appears in several forms, including Hyter-Spirits, Hayter-Spirits, and Heather Sprites. The surviving tradition also compares them with other British fairy beings, including the Scottish Ghillie Dhu, but the Gaiter Spirits remain particularly associated with the eastern English countryside and their remarkable ability to become birds.

Sources

“Gajterskie duhi.” New Bestiary (Bestiary.us). Accessed October 4, 2026. https://www.bestiary.us/gajterskie-duhi

Simonside Dwarf

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Brownmen, Bogles, Duergar
Category: Dwarf

The Myth

The Simonside Dwarfs are a race of dwarfs said to inhabit the Simonside Hills of Northumberland in northern England. They are also known as the Brownmen, Bogles, and Duergar, and are associated particularly with the remote hills and wild country of the region.

The dwarfs are said to have a leader known as Heslop, who stands as the chief of the mysterious little people of Simonside.

Sources

“Simonside Dwarfs.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 4, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simonside_Dwarfs

Lambton Worm

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Tradition: English Mythology
Alternative Names: Lambton Worm, Lambton Worm of the River Wear
Category: Dragon

The Myth

The Lambton Worm was a monstrous worm that grew to enormous size after being thrown into a well by the young heir of the Lambton family. At first it was a small and seemingly insignificant creature, but after being cast into the well it remained there until it had grown so large that its dwelling could no longer contain it.

The young Lambton heir had lived a careless and profane life and had even gone fishing in the River Wear on the Sabbath. One day, after experiencing little success with his fishing, he felt a sudden tug on his line. He pulled with great force and was convinced that he had caught a magnificent fish. Instead, he found a strange little worm. Disgusted by his catch, he threw the creature into a nearby well.

The worm remained unnoticed in the well for some time. Eventually it grew so enormous that it outgrew its underground dwelling and emerged into the world. It made its way down to the river and then crawled toward a nearby hill. As it continued to grow, it became so large that it could encircle the hill three times. The hill itself became known as Worm Hill, and depressions surrounding it were traditionally said to mark the tracks left behind by the enormous creature.

The Worm soon became the terror of the surrounding countryside. It sucked the milk from cows, tormented cattle, consumed the land, and laid waste to the countryside. Meanwhile, the Lambton heir had come to regret his former life and had travelled to the Holy Land to fight against the Saracens. His father remained behind in the old castle, while the Worm continued to threaten the people.

The creature became so troublesome that the only way the villagers could appease it was to provide it with milk. Nine cows were milked, and their milk was poured into a trough for the monster. The Worm would drink the milk and, having been satisfied, curl itself around its favourite hill. This became the grim routine that allowed the people to survive its presence.

After seven years, the young heir returned from the wars and learned of the terrible state into which his homeland had fallen. He resolved to confront the monster. Before he went into battle, his lady prepared him carefully. She had him wear his finest suit of armour and studded it with sharpened spearheads. He was to meet the Worm beside the river, near the place where it spent the day.

But she gave him a terrible warning. If he returned victorious, the first living creature he encountered on his journey home had to be killed. If he failed to fulfil this vow, no Lord of Lambton would die in his bed for nine generations.

The heir went boldly to the river and took his position upon a rock, drawing his sword. In due course the Worm came to attack him. It struck him a heavy blow upon the head with its tail and then attempted to crush him within its coils. But as the monster tightened its grip, its enormous body was forced against the sharpened spearheads covering the knight’s armour. The more tightly it coiled around him, the more severely it cut itself.

Eventually the Worm’s strength diminished enough for the knight to cut the monster in two. The severed half was swept away by the river, while the Worm attempted to reunite its divided body. Before it could do so, the current carried the severed portion away, and the monster was finally destroyed.

Meanwhile, old Lord Lambton had been waiting anxiously in the castle for news of his son’s battle. When he saw his victorious son approaching, he rushed out to meet him. The young heir could not kill his own father, and the ancient warning therefore went unfulfilled.

The victory over the Worm consequently did not free the Lambton family from its curse. For nine generations, it was said, no Lord of Lambton would die peacefully in his bed. The exact date of the original events was uncertain, but the story remained deeply associated with the Lambton family and the surrounding countryside.

The legend later gained further life from events involving the Lambtons themselves. In 1761, Henry Lambton, a member of Parliament, died when his carriage was crossing the new Lambton Bridge. Local people interpreted his death as another fulfilment of the ancient curse.

The Lambton Worm thus became one of County Durham’s most famous monsters: a tiny worm born from a careless act, transformed into a gigantic river creature that terrorized the countryside, and finally destroyed by the very man whose earlier actions had brought it into existence.

Sources

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Folklore Council. North Carolina Folklore. Vols. 1–8. Chapel Hill, N.C.: North Carolina Folklore Society, 1948–1960.