Cornwall
The �Small People� are the souls of heathen dead who died before Christianity. They were not good enough for Heaven, nor bad enough for Hell, so were confined to the Middle World. It is believed that with every change of shape the faeries undergo, they shrink in size, until they become the size of ants. Understandably, it is considered bad luck to step on ants.

Iceland
Eve was washing all her children by a river when God spoke to her. In awe and fear, she hid the children she had not washed. God asked if all her children were there, and she said they were. He then declared that those she hid from him would be hidden from man. These hidden children became the Huldre Folk in the Scandinavian countries. Huldre girls are exceptionally beautiful, but with long cowstails; or they are hollow behind, presenting only a beautiful front.

Ireland
Faeries are fallen angels.

Norse Mythology
Maggots emerging from the corpse of the giant Ymir transformed themselves into the Light Elves and the Dark Elves. Light Elves are pale and can fly in the air. They are usually benign, happy creatures. The Dark Elves are also known as the �Huldrafolk.� They are dark and landbound, ruling the underground region, and are usually swarthy, evil and blighting.