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goblin
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A goblin is a diminutive, grotesque, and often malevolent humanoid creature prominent in European folklore, typically characterized by its mischievous or demonic nature, small stature (around 30 cm in some traditions), furry or leathery appearance, and ability to shapeshift. Goblins are believed to dwell in subterranean areas or households, where they engage in acts ranging from pranks to murder. Their etymology derives from Old French gobelin (late 12th century), possibly linked to Medieval Latin gobelinus or Greek kobalos (meaning rogue or sprite), though some scholars trace it to earlier do
Key facts
- Mythical creature.name
- Goblin
- Mythical creature.image
- Goblin_illustration_from_19th_century.png
- Mythical creature.caption
- Goblin illustration by John D. Batten from "English Fairy Tales" (19th century)
- Mythical creature.Grouping
- Diminutive spirit
- Mythical creature.Similar_entities
- Fairies, demons, brownies, dwarfs, elves, gnomes, imps, and kobolds.
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Goblin illustration from 19th century.png
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Goblins
- Unicode character
- 👺
via Wikidata · CC0
~12 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- In folklore
- European folklore
- Non-European equivalents
- In fiction
- Fairy tales and folk stories
- Modern fiction
- Goblin-related place names
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
A goblin is a diminutive, grotesque, and often malevolent humanoid creature prominent in European folklore, typically characterized by its mischievous or demonic nature, small stature (around 30 cm in some traditions), furry or leathery appearance, and ability to shapeshift. Goblins are believed to dwell in subterranean areas or households, where they engage in acts ranging from pranks to murder. Their etymology derives from Old French gobelin (late 12th century), possibly linked to Medieval Latin gobelinus or Greek kobalos (meaning rogue or sprite), though some scholars trace it to earlier domestic protector spirits like the Germanic kobold, which were later demonized under Christian influence.
Similar creatures include brownies, dwarves, duendes, gnomes, imps, leprechauns, and kobolds, but it is also commonly used as a blanket term for all small, fay creatures. The term is sometimes expanded to include goblin-like creatures of other cultures, such as the pukwudgie, dokkaebi, or ifrit.