Hobgoblins are similar to brownies--they're fairies who go into human households and occasionally help with chores. They're trickier than brownies, however, prone to pranks and mischief, and if you wrong them they can be nasty. Oh, and giving them clothes will make them leave forever.
Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream is a hobgoblin.
I had to read this post twice to realize you weren't talking about edible brownies. You can see where my mind is this morning!
ReplyDeleteMmmm...brownies. I probably should've capitalized it or something. Hey, maybe hobgoblins taste like chocolate!
DeleteSo a traditional hobgoblin is not then like the D&D hobgoblin? Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI think the D&D hobgoblins were based on a mistake of Tolkien's, if I'm remembering right. He made hobgoblins bigger versions of goblins, and all fighty, but the originals were more fairy-like and puckish. I'm no expert, though! I've never used a hobgoblin in an actual story before... :)
DeleteYour picture is more handsome than I imagined hobgoblins. I thought of them as all hunched and Gollum-like. I guess that's Tolkien's fault!
ReplyDelete