Mythology @ FreshCaffeine.com

I am sorry folks but I have been very sick since my last post and I really haven't had time to write anything lately. I spent 5 days in the hospital and I have been nursing some really bad pain ever since. I promise that I will get back to writing as soon as I am able to again without feeling miserable. I really miss writing these posts, they are a lot of fun for me. I hope that you are enjoying them as well. Just give me a little more time to rest and I will be back to my daily posting as I was before.

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Irish Folklore
A type of Elf
Has Many Names
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

In the legend and folklore of Ireland, this is the fairy shoemaker. He goes by numerous names, the original being LUCHORPAN, meaning “Little Body”, the designation of a dwarf. In Literature, the names LUBRICAN, LUBBERKIN, LUCHORPAN, and LUPRACAN may be used. Other names are used in different districts, such as LUNRAMAN in Ulster; LUCHRAGAN, LUGADAN, and CLURACAN in Munster; LURACAN in south Leinster and Connacht; and LOIMREACHAN in east Leinster. The LEPRECHAUN is generally described as having a little wizened, grey-bearded face with twinkling eyes and a pointed nose. He is said to wear a red jacket with silver buttons, brown breeches, black silver-buckled shoes, and a high crowned hat. Sometimes he is said to be clothed in all green; however, he usually has a leather apron and appears to be mending a shoe with his little hammer tapping busily. It is this tapping that signifies his presence, but it is not advisable for humans to approach.

This Elf is tricksy, and despite his reputation for guarding crocks of gold, he will play pranks on any mortals who take their eyes off of him for a second, and will vanish laughing. Typical of this is the tale concerning a man who managed to get a LEPRECHAUN to show him the bush in the field where the treasure was located. Having no spade, the man marked the bush with one of his red garters, then kindly released the SPRITE and went for a spade. Returning almost instantly, he found that all of the numerous bushes in the field were wearing a red garter.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Irish Folklore
Celtic Mythology
Attendant Spirit

The name means "Woman of the Hill" or "Woman of the Mound", is derived from the Irish bean, a woman, and si or Sidheand ancient “mound” and later “fairy”. The BANSHEE is known by many different names in various regions: in Waterford as BADBH; in Wexford, KILDARE, and in Wicklow as BADHBH; and in Kilkenny and Laois as BADHBH Chaointe. The BANSHEE is said to look like an old woman with glowing red eyes in hollow sockets and long flowing white hair; she wears a grey cloak over a green dress (the fairy color). Another description is of a woman dressed in white (the color of death) with a ghastly face surrounded by long red hair.; but lady Wilde described her as beautiful but veiled in mourning.

She is the attendant SPIRIT of old Celtic families having the surname of O’ or Mac. The BANSHEE’S wailing or Keening under the window of a family member portends their demise. Sometimes the family knows the name of the spirit; Cliodna attends the McCarthy family of south Munster, and Aoibhill attends the Dalcassion family of north Munster.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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English Folklore
Demon/Spirit

A demon that manifests itsElf in the shape of a water horse in the folklore of Buckland in Devon, England. In this location, indelible red stains on a large rock were said to be the result of the BUCKLAND SHAG taking his victims there to be slain. Few people dared to venture into this vicinity alone for fear that they would encounter the BUCKLAND SHAG, until the vicar of Buckland exorcised the SPIRIT with bell, book and a candle.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Religious Folklore
Angel of Death
Also Known as Azra’il or Izra’il

This is that name of an Archangel in Judeo-Christian texts and chief angel in Koran. He is the Angel of death and is also known as Azra’il or Izra’il. AZRAEL is mentioned in very early Jewish mythology and is described as having a terrifying appearance, his feet being on the edge of the world while his head towers above heaven. His numerous eyes see all, but is said to close as a mortal dies. Ultimately only four eyes, representing the Thrones of God will remain open and AZRAEL will be the last to expire on Judgment Day.

AZRAEL is charged with collecting the souls from each dying mortal; in a white silk cloth or the faithful, and in a rag for those destine for hell. He knows where the souls are that are about to depart, as he receives the names of those who are dying for each day.

A Tunisian tradition tells how humans were originally almost immortal, living for centuries. One who became weary of continuous life after 500 years requested that her life be ceased; Allah instructed AZRAEL to gather the soul henceforth after the allotted three score years and ten (70).

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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European Folklore
Evil Spirits
Can Change Shape or Morph
Also Called Aerico or Aerika

This is the name of a demon in the folklore of Macedonia in Europe. It is a SPIRIT that may take the for of a human, but more commonly dwells invisibly in the air. AYERICO is a disease SPIRIT, responsible for spreading plague and malaria.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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African Mythology
Religious Folklore
Powerful Demon

In the beliefs of the Islamic people of Northern Africa, KARINA is a powerful demon. She may manifest hersElf as a beautiful young woman, as a dog, as an owl or as a snake. She is said to have been a human mother who ate her own 2 children and turned into a fiend. Like SHEELA-NA-GIG she would disgust and curse humans by displaying her genitalia, condemning all those who saw her to a future of still born offspring and sickness. She also brings bareness to the land and it’s animals. A tradition tells of appearing as a beautiful woman to Solomon while he was hunting in the desert. She considered hersElf too powerful for any man to defeat her, but revealed that ARCHANGEL GABRIEL was superior. Solomon immediately invoked the Archangel who subdued her and transformed her into the shape of an old hag.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Chinese Mythology
Spirit of Fire
Also called Zhu Rong

This is the name of a spirit in the mythology and folk beliefs of China. JURONG in an avenging spirit of the fire that punishes those who offend the gods. It may manifest itsElf as a bird.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Scottish Folklore
A type of Spirit/Fairy

This spirit is the subject of many ballads in Scottish folklore. In the legend this “Elfin knight” wins the love of a mortal maiden and they become betrothed. He swears that although he has to leave her for a while, he will return and they will be wed if she will be faithful to him. Seven years passed, and in that time, the grieving maiden found another, married him and bore a child. The fairy knight returned in a galleon with silken sails and golden masts, and immediately sought his betrothed, who was once more under his spell. This time he carried her off on his galleon, which, only three leagues from shore, sank forever to the bottom of the sea.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Australian Folklore
Created in 1914 by May Gibbs
A type of Demon/Fairy

This is a group of evil nature spirits in the shape of BANKSIA SERRATA (a shrub native to Australia). These demons are also referenced to as the BIG BAD BANKSIA MEN. They were the creation of the author May Gibbs in the first decade of the twentieth century in Australia and appear in her fairy tales of SNUGGLEPOT and CUDDLEPIE. BANKSIA MEN have huge eyes, warts on their noses, thick-lipped mouths with whiskers and protruding navels. They are aggressive pursuers and persecutors of the GUMNUT BABIES and are to be fund in groups sitting on a shrubs branches, awaiting the opportunity to do harm.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Australian Folklore
Began 1914 by Cecelia May Gibbs
A type of Fairy

In the folklore of European Australia, these fairy beings were the creation of Cecelia May Gibbs. (Gibbs was born in Kent, United Kingdom, in 1877and moved to Perth, Australia in 1881, where she died in 1969). The GUMNUT BABIES first made their appearance in January 1914 and like the FLOWER FARIES of England, swiftly became an enduring part of the lore of children and their parents.

The GUMNUT BABIES may be described as tiny, chubby elves or a type of FLOWER FAIRY, each dressed according to the flower it personifies. In the case of the eucalyptus flower, the females wear flower stamen skirts, while the males wear operculum. They have blond or red hair formed from the stamens or seed capsules of the flowers. The most famous are BIB & BUB, SNUGGLEPOT, CUDDLEPIE, RAGGED BLOSSOM, NARNYWO, NITTERSING, and CHUCKLEBUD. The GUMNUT BABIES inhabit GUMNUT TOWN in the Australian bush, where their attendants are the insects to be found there. Like most Trooping FARIES, they are communal in their activities and especially love music and dancing. They can exist in any environment and may often visit their friends in the air or underwater. Their adventures with the BLOSSOM BABIES, FLANNEL FLOWER BABIES, BORONIA BABIES and WATTLE BABIES all seek to avoid the evil BANKSIA MEN.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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Canadian Folklore
A Type of Gremlin
World War II

This is a female GREMLIN found in association with the Woman’s Division of the Canadian Armed Services during WWII. These demons were particularly adept at triggering the public address system for the disclosure of personal conversations, jamming the key mechanisms on typewriters when urgency was essential, and flipping photographs of a handsome officer from a girl’s personal bag while on a date with her Private/LAC boyfriend, or vice versa.

Source: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

For a Friend

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African Folklore
Religious Folklore
Folklore of the people who follow Islam
Formed by Allah from the winds of the Sahara
Emperor of the Elementals, Salamanders

Also spelled as: Dgen, Dchin,Genie, Ginn, Jann, Jinn,Jinni, Djin, Jinnee or Jnun.

The belief is that Allah created the angels from light, the Shaitans from the fire of his anger, humans from earth and the Djinn from the Saharan wind (the Simoon).

Taranushi was the first Djinn charged with controlling the rest, the Djinns rebelled and Azazal and Iblis became their most terrifying leaders, being opposed by an army of angels.

The Djinns can be invisible or they can take the form of any shape including that of a gigantic human. They can also be both beautiful or hideously deformed. When a Djinn appears as a beautiful woman, the deception may be detected by noting the vertical eyes and the feet of a goat or a camel.

When benevolent, they may fall in love with and have children with human partners. Their offspring can walk through walls, fly and age very slowly. Djinns can bring great wealth, beauty and possessions to those they like or magicians who know how to control them. To those they dislike or have been directed to do harm to they bring disaster, tortures and horrible deaths.

Morocco : It is believed that each human has their own Djinn or Grine throughout their life, as well as independent Djinns who inhabit dark and isolated places. Earth Djinns dwell in drains, wash places, bathrooms, cemeteries and ruins. They are also easily offended, and if correct procedures are not taken before digging for drainage or building foundation, there will be revenge from the Djinn. Water Djinns live by rivers, fountains and wells. They are particularly malevolent towards humans. They entice them into the water for the pleasure of killing them. Tree Djinns such as Hamadryads inhabit the trees and are usually kinder to humans. Allowing them to rest and proving them with shade - all except the fig tree. The Djinn in the fig tree incite people to fight or quarrel with one another, so the shade of this tree should be avoided.

Egypt : It is said that the whirlwinds in the sand and the dust devils in the desert show where an evil Djinn is traveling. One must take precautions against them because they shower stones from the roof tops at people, and steal any good food or pretty women they see. The name of Allah will dispel them, shooting stars over the desert are said to be Allah's arrows directed at the Djinn.

Serbia and Albania : Djinns are evil nature spirits inhabiting lakes, mountains and forests. They will terrify any unwary traveler who does not respect the area of the Djinns control. A Djinn inhabiting the woods near the Lake of Skutar would envelope in a miasma of nightmare visions to anyone who even touched a leaf of his forest.

Book: Thousand and One Tales of the Arabian Nights
SOURCE: Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins Encyclopedia

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