 |
| BROWNIES The origin of this race is traced to Scotland. Brownies currently residing in the United States and Canada most likely arrived with Scottish immigrants. Among their names from other human cultures are: Nis from Denmark, Domonvoi from Russia ( where they cry like Banshees when death is appraching a member of their chosen family, and to warn of fires ), Yumboes from North Africa, Choa Phum Phi from China and Hobs from the English. They are still common to the Scottish Highlands and on the Hebrides Islands, but are rarely heard of elsewhere. Brownies are domestic fae, offering aid to mortals who are churning butter or grinding meal. For their service, they expect rewards of milk and bread. ( Brownies who are displeased with their gifts often turn into the nasty Boggarts who harass the inhabitants of their domicile. ) As with other fae, should a human mistakenly offer them clothes in return for their labors, brownies will cease their efforts and disappear forever. In addition to their labors in the home, some brownies also guarded the corn yard during winter. Brownies will not tolerate lying and utterly detest pretentiousness. They�re nocturnal, although most are able to appear in the sunlight should they wish. However, there are a few non-Scottish House brownies who will perish if exposed to sunlight. Legends holds that it is for this reason that the brownies' familar, the rooster, crows in the morning, warning his friends that it is time for bed. Small and usually male, brownies tend towards the hairy side and have slightly pointed ears, long fingers and dress in blue, green or the most typical brown. Their size makes them extremely cautious of cats and the humans they assist must not harbor the beasts within their homes. |
| TROWS Originating in Shetland and the Orkney Islands, and possibly the Upper Hebrides they are most likely derived from legends of trolls in Scandinavia. The trows (rhyming with row) possess many traits similar to those of their northern brethren. They fear sunlight, though they are only frozen in place until dawn rather than turned to stone as are trolls. Once the sun has set, they are free to return to their underground homes. Among their other names are creepers and nightstealers, as trows have been known to kidnap human babies from cribs, leaving a changeling in the place of the child. Fiddlers have also been nabbed to play for the trowish revels. Some fiddle tunes are even accredited to Shetland's trows. The legends of trows typically describe them as squat, round, and misshapen faeries lacking legs. Movement is achieved by bouncing about on their bottoms like rubber balls. They are not necessarily wicked in nature, but they are mischievous and delight in hiding things from people under the cover of darkness. |
| BANSHEES The Old Irish bean s�dhe or ben s�de means "fairy woman", or "woman of the hills," and differs considerably from the Scottish bean nighe, or "little washer by the ford." The Irish manifestation is a beautiful fairy (see Fairies) woman who cries underneath the window of a house in which a man will die. In Ireland, only families of repute and antiquity (particularly those with names beginning with Mac or O) had a banshee, each qualifying family having a banshee devoted to them alone. The banshee's cry was sweet but could be heard for miles around, and was called keening, which is from Old Irish caoinim meaning to weep or wail for the dead. In Scotland, the banshee (or bean nighe) was a horrible creature with one nostril, a large protruding front tooth, red webbed feet, and long pendulous breasts. According to legend, she is a ghost of a woman who died giving birth and must haunt the earth washing clothes by the river until it is her natural time to die. She washes the clothes of a man or men that will die. Some myths say that if she is caught, she must tell her catcher the name of the man and grant three wishes. |
 |
 |
 |