Pixie
Pixies are small mythical creatures from English folklore , whose characteristics are similar to those of goblins and fairies . Stories of these beings are common in the south west of England, in the regions of Devon and Cornwall . Traditionally, pixies usually have wings, pointy ears, and green clothes. In addition, there is usually a pointed hat and sometimes pointed eyes at the temples.
history
There are various myths about the origins of pixies . This is how the pixies are supposed to be beings who were not good enough for Paradise and not bad enough for Hell and therefore had to stay on earth forever. According to another story, the pixies are druids who did not convert to Christianity and who, as a punishment, were shrunk by God until they professed Christianity.
More recent theories assume that the term pixie is derived from the Picts , who lived in the Caledonia region after the Roman occupation . This theory assumes, however, that the Picts were an indigenous people who lived in Scotland before the Celts - an assumption that is no longer supported by established historians today.
Characteristic
In addition to the external features listed above, the pixies are also assigned certain character traits. According to legend, they play to people pranks , for example, by stealing things or secretly throw objects at them. At night the pixies are supposed to steal horses which they bring back before sunrise. The only clue they leave behind is the disheveled manes of the horses.
Furthermore, the pixies leave behind a kind of fairy dust when they fly or run, in English pixie dust . According to the legend, people who in the Moor of Dartmoor disappeared, led by pixies intentionally misleading. To escape a pixie , travelers are supposed to turn their cloak inside out to confuse the beings. Also, pixies can be injured or killed by objects made of iron .
Even today, small gifts are placed in front of the houses in rural areas to make the pixies forgiving . With such expressions of respect, the pixies are said to have helped the respective families to clean up the household even at night.
See also
supporting documents
- ↑ Erin Gore: Pixie. In: Jeffrey Weinstock: The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Ashgate Publishing, 2014 ISBN 9781409425625