Little people (mythology)

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Native American "Little People" from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917 Iroquois fairies from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers 1917.jpg
Native American "Little People" from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917

Little people have been part of the folklore of many cultures in human history, including Ireland, Greece, the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, New Zealand, Flores Island, Indonesia, and Native Americans.

Contents

Native American folklore

The Native peoples of North America told legends of a race of "little people" who lived in the woods near sandy hills and sometimes near rocks located along large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes. Often described as "hairy-faced dwarfs" in stories, petroglyph illustrations show them with horns on their head and traveling in a group of 5 to 7 per canoe. [1] The Pryor Mountains of Montana and Wyoming are said to house "fairy rings" [2]

"How Morning Star Lost Her Fish", from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917 How Morning Star Lost her Fish - from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers 1917.jpg
"How Morning Star Lost Her Fish", from Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917

Other legends say the little people, if seen by an adult human, would beg them not to say anything of their existence and would reward those who kept their word by helping them and their family out in times of need. From tribe to tribe there are variations of what the little people's mannerisms were like, and whether they were good or evil, may be different. One common belief is that the little people create distractions to cause mischief.

Lewis and Clark reported in their journals that Native Americans in the vicinity of Spirit Mound, South Dakota held a belief in little people who inhabited the mound. [3] Clark wrote that the local Native Americans could not be persuaded to approach the mound, as they feared these tiny "Deavals" and considered them to be dangerous. [4] Although members of Lewis and Clark's party visited the mound, they did not encounter any unusual beings.

Little people from Stories Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917 Little people from Stories Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers 1917.jpg
Little people from Stories Iroquois Tell Their Children by Mabel Powers, 1917

Native American Wee Folk

Memegwaans

Ojibwe myths also bring up a creature known as the Memegwaans, or Memegwaanswag (Plural), which seems to be different from the more common Little People variation of Memegwesi. According to Basil H. Johnston, a Memegwaans is a little person without definitive form which is terrified of adult humans. However, it seems to have a soft spot for children and will often approach in the guise of a child to any young person who seems upset, injured, scared or lonely and either protect them or keep them company until help arrives. If an adult sees one, they will often cower on the ground, screaming and crying hysterically before vanishing in the blink of an eye. They were also known as protectors of copper mines and were prayed to almost as patron saints of lost children. This is more specific and different from the Memegwesi, which is often simply described as a short, hairy man. [12]

African folklore

Small magical beings found in various folklores across the continent of Africa.

Celtic folklore

Below is a listing of wee folk from Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Manx, and Breton traditions.

Philippine folklore

Other types of little people in mythology

Though not universal, wee folk tend to have two physical features in common: diminutive stature and pointed ears. They may or may not have beards or wings, though rarely both simultaneously.

Little people in constructed literary mythologies

Other little people in literature

References

  1. Furtman, Michael. 2000. Magic on the Rocks. Birch Portage Press.
  2. Cheung, Theresa. 2006. The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World. Harper Element.
  3. Lewis, Meriwether and Clark, William. The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, Vol. 3: August 25, 1804 – April 6, 1805. Gary E. Moulton, ed. Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 1987, p. 505.
  4. Lewis, Meriwether and Clark, William. Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition August 24, 1804.
  5. Walker, James R. "Lakota Myth". 1896
  6. Paul, Pat (1996). "Little People Geow-lud-mo-sis-eg" . Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  7. Stories the Iroquois Tell Their Children
  8. Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary
  9. Daniels and Stevens, Encyclopaedia of Superstitions, Folklore, and the Occult Sciences of the World, 1903, p. 1421.
  10. Frey, The World of the Crow Indians: As Driftwood Lodges, 1993, p. 68.
  11. -
  12. Johnson, Basil "The Manitous: The Spiritual World of the Ojibway". 1996
  13. Fon and Ewe Religion Summary.
  14. Yeats, Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, 321.
  15. O'Kearney, Nicholas, ed. (1855). Transactions of the Ossianic Society, for the year 1854. Vol. II. Feis Tithe Chonain. Dublin: The Ossianic Society. p. 19.
  16. "IRISH FAR DARRIG". Archived from the original on 2015-03-05. Retrieved 2015-06-25.
  17. Yeats, William Butler (1888). Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. W. Scott.
  18. "Echtra Fergusa maic Léti". Vicipéid (in Irish). 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  19. Sikes, Wirt (1880). British Goblins: Welsh Folklore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington.
  20. Tagalog-English Dictionary by Leo James English, Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Manila, distributed by National Book Store, 1583 pages, ISBN   971-91055-0-X
  21. Lee, Jonathan H. X. (2011). Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife. ABC-CLIO. p. 664. ISBN   978-0-313-35066-5 . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  22. Klepeis, Alicia Z. (2015). Goblins. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC. p. 48. ISBN   978-1-5026-0935-9 . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  23. Morvan, Françoise (1999). La saga de Fion. Paris: Terre de Brume. p. 147.
  24. "sylph - definition of sylph". The Free Dictionary. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  25. Langford, David (2005). The Sex Column and Other Misprints. Wildside Press. p. 188. ISBN   1930997787.

Bibliography