Gremlins, the deviant mercenaries; as with the saying when technology goes wrong `oh it’s those damn gremlins again’! They were thought to be the muses to inventers of industry, inspiring them, tuning into their thoughts and turning inventive fast track ideas into reality. A gremlin is assigned to all households and business premises.

Goblins are underground earth elements, originating in France, venturing further afield throughout Europe, aided by the Viking as stowaways aboard their ships. In Britain they were referred to as Robin Goblin, by the Druids and within time became `hobgoblin’ the evil doers. They hide in cupboards and underneath beds uttering fiendish obscenities into the ears of humans inducing nightmares.

Elves are known as the beautiful little people, the green folk and guardian woodland spirits. They maintain a hereditary hierarchy within their community. Governing them all is the Elf King and his appointed officials. Female elves are said to yield a mesmerising beauty. On Saint Agnes’s day they are thought to be able to transform themselves into human height and enchant a male, bewitching and enslaving him into a ring of time where he will remain and become an elf for good. Elves have strange ways and an adversity to humankind for the destruction and chaos they cause amongst nature. They possess great powers of prediction and wisdom. Elves like fairies embrace music and dance on until dawn. In their own dimension they are of human height.

Fairies and Pixies are the immortal little people with the foresight to grant and destroy the dreams of humans, `be careful what you wish for’ is one of their sayings. In Italy, believed to be their origin they are referred to as Fatae. It was said that they spread with the New World through immigrations, wars and invasions learning by watching human diversity, concentrating on their negative traits of greed and vengeance. Each Fairy from birth is assigned its own flower, bird, animal and insect. They are assigned to aid or protect them endearingly.

Not unlike the insect world there are four distinct species of the little folk that of the troops, gatherers, solitary and mournful. All acted on their hereditary designated duties, but all are ruled by the Hierarchy of the King and Queen of the fairies, their generals and knights. The troops or the soldiers are called the Celestial Telsons. They are ruled by the element Air and are armoured, strong and warlike with the ability to inflict vengeful magic to protect their race and kind.

The gathers or workers are the Ethereal Borrowers are ruled by Earth. They dress in the colours of the woods collecting food, plants, berries, grains, nuts, mushrooms, herbs and leafy foliage.

The solitary fairies named Solitaire Arouse are ruled by fire, dressing entirely in red and regarded as the magnificents who hold and maintain all the power of light and dark magic. The Mourners are called Saturnian Atroposes, ruled by water with apparel of the unnatural colour of black. They help mourn and bury wild animals, birds and insects delivering them back into the earth.

All members of these groups are individuals bearing unique personalities and can rebel and cause havoc.

The solitaire Arouse and Atropose will play havoc, bewitching farmers by sending the cream sour, making horses sweat and crops weep.

They have become the meddlers of mankind, especially with affairs of the heart. The females require constant attention which is why their affections turn to humans because unlike their male kin, mankind is pliable for manipulation, sending their victim into malaise madness. The femme fatale is their namesake especially upon Leprechauns, which can become mesmerised and in infatuation may reveal his hidden treasure.

Fairies have an affinity with newborns and children whose innocence allowed them to sometimes see the little people and the door to their world. Fairies’ are advocates, where good and evil is irrelevant to these little creatures turning within seconds to what ever mood prevails them. When they are bad they have been known to conduct some heinous acts in history, replacing babies with changelings, stealing the soul of the real infant and leaving wandering spirits to replace the child’s psyche.

Faires’ can entice innocents with what is called fairy `glamour’ offering out fairy magic, at times to help the sad, but mostly to bewitch the greedy.

They hold celebratory occasions during the new and full moon and on St. Agnes’s, Candle mass, the seasonal equinoxes especially Midsummer’s Eve and All Hallow’s Eve, frenzied in dance until the cock crows.

They prefer to live as a perfect human miniature but will occasionally transform themselves into their fully sized human counterparts.

They provide a gift on a personal level of magic as in True Mirrors able to see the window to the soul, depending on the human either a black scribing or a clear pure mirror. The fairies favourite habitat is Ireland and Cornwall.

Will O’ the Wisp, is the tail of a blacksmith named Will the Smith. He was a true sinner, a gambler who not only stole produce but also the wives of local hard working men. It was one of these husbands that caught up with Will and killed him. In repentance Will asked St. Peter to give him another chance. This was granted and Will’s second chance was short lived, soon returning to his old ways.

On his natural death his life lay in limbo, to walk the earth in spirit. Satan took pity on Will and gave him some hot coals to carry for warmth.

Willo is is also refered to as corpse light and is the spirit of a lost soul unable to find its spirit home darting over the land lost and confused.

Will o’ the Wisp can be seen as flickering lights radiating from the coals Will carries as he wanders throughout the forests, marshes and moors.

Gnomes, derive from the Greek word gignosko signifying to learn. They hold spiritual insight into nature and can live for hundreds of years. Throughout their lives their function is to maintain mines and yield precious metals. They can play tricks, and irritate miners, but on whole they watch over human counterparts with curiosity and wonder.

Pixies, Piskies, habitat western parts of southern England, although mostly Cornwall. They are around five inches in height, with tiny pointed features with earthly apparel clothing. They thrive on being mischievous deviants, playing tricks upon mortals and laughing at their adversity.

Puck. Is a small elf like creature similar to Pan, only Puck loves the woodland sprits and woodland animals. He too is musical playing his flute in the moonlight for frenzied fairy dances and mesmerising the animals.

Tommy Knockers are underground sprites that hold an affinity for minerals and metals. They were said to originate with the Phoenicians, travelling amongst them to all the corners of the Mediterranean and England’s Cornwall. The Tommy Knockers were useful sprites instilled with the foresight for underground disasters. They would knock in various coded ways directing safe passage or danger and potential disasters. They are the miner’s saviours.

Leprechauns The Irish lucky Leprechauns are little men who work in wood and spread a little happiness wherever called upon. They are known as fortunate due to the treasure each one yields. Obtained when they follow the rainbow to its end and capturing its waterfall of gold.

Trolls, habitat Scandinavian, mountainous forests, walking the wilderness or reside deep within the lairs of caverns. These are creatures of solitude, bearing similar features to hobgoblins, whose looks can vary from scary to demonic. Trolls are considered to be sad lonely creatures that seem to be in a state of perpetual mourning. They only wander during night preferring the company of a full moon. It is believed that the sun can turn them into stone.