The lubber fiend, Lob, lubberkin, lurdane or Lob Lie-By-The-Fire is a legendary creature of English folklore that is similar to the "brownie" (or "Urisk") of Scotland and northern England, the "hob" of northern England and the Scottish Borders, the Slavic "domovoi" and Scandinavian "tomte". It has been related also to Robin Goodfellow, and Hobgoblins. It is best known for being mentioned by John Milton.
The lubberkin is typically described as a large, hairy man with a tail who performs housework in exchange for a saucer of milk and a place in front of the fire. One story claims he is the giant son of a witch and the Devil.
The abbey lubber is a minor demon that haunts the wine cellars and kitchens of abbeys, tempting the monks into drunkenness, gluttony and lasciviousness. The best known abbey lubber tale is that of Friar Rush. [1]
The lubber fiend appears also in The Red Axe by S. R. Crockett (1900):
That fool, Jan Lubber Fiend, will ever be at his tricks. 'Tis my young mistress that encourages him, more is the pity! For poor serving-men are held responsible for his knavish on-goings. Why, I had just set him cross-legged in the yard with a basket of pease to shell, seeing how he grows as much as a foot in the night—or near by. But so soon as my back is turned he will be forever answering the door and peeping out into the street to gather the mongrel boys about him. 'Tis a most foul Lubber Fiend to keep about an honest house, plaguing decent folks withal! [2]
Lob is the title of a poem by Edward Thomas.
It also appears in Lob Lie-By-The-Fire by Juliana H. Ewing, Troll Fell by Katherine Langrish, Abbeychurch by Charlotte M. Yonge and Dear Brutus by J. M. Barrie (as "Lob, the ancient Puck").
The comic book character Hellboy fills in some of the credentials of a lubber fiend. He was born of a witch and the devil, he has a tail, and he serves men, though not for milk. He can therefore be seen as a modern-day lubber fiend.[ original research? ]
A creature called a lubberkin appears in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , in which it is a type of protective household spirit (a kłobuk from Slavic folklore). The title character Geralt explicitly compares it to a hob.
In English folklore, Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow, is a domestic and nature sprite, demon, or fairy.
A boggart is a creature in English folklore, either a household spirit or a malevolent genius loci inhabiting fields, marshes, or other topographical features. Other names of this group include bug, bugbear, bugaboo or bug-a-boo, bogey, bogun, bogeyman, bogle, etc., presumably all derived from Old English pūcel, and related to the Irish púca and the pwca or bwga of Welsh mythology.
A hobgoblin is a household spirit, appearing in English folklore, once considered helpful, but which since the spread of Christianity has often been considered mischievous. Shakespeare identifies the character of Puck in his A Midsummer Night's Dream as a hobgoblin.
In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga, also spelled Baba Jaga, is a supernatural being who appears as a deformed and/or ferocious-looking woman. In fairy tales Baba Yaga flies around in a mortar, wields a pestle, and dwells deep in the forest in a hut usually described as standing on chicken legs. Baba Yaga may help or hinder those who encounter or seek her out and may play a maternal role. She also has associations with forest wildlife. According to Vladimir Propp's folktale morphology, Baba Yaga commonly appears as either a donor or a villain, or may be altogether ambiguous.
In Slavic mythology, vodyanoy or vodyanoi is a water spirit. In Czech and Slovak fairy tales, it is called vodník, and it is considered to be the equivalent creature as the Wassermann or nix of German fairy tales.
In English folklore, Black Shuck, Old Shuck, Old Shock or simply Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the coastline and countryside of East Anglia, one of many such black dogs recorded in folklore across the British Isles. Accounts of Black Shuck form part of the folklore of Norfolk, Suffolk, the Cambridgeshire Fens and Essex, and descriptions of the creature's appearance and nature vary considerably; it is sometimes recorded as an omen of death, but, in other instances, is described as companionable.
A household deity is a deity or spirit that protects the home, looking after the entire household or certain key members. It has been a common belief in paganism as well as in folklore across many parts of the world.
Enchantress most commonly refers to:
The cat-sìth, in Irish cat sí is a fairy creature from Celtic mythology, said to resemble a large black cat with a white spot on its chest. Legend has it that the spectral cat haunts the Scottish Highlands. The legends surrounding this creature are more common in Scottish folklore, but a few occur in Irish. Some common folklore suggested that the cat-sìth was not a fairy, but a witch that could transform into a cat nine times.
A bodach is a trickster or bogeyman figure in Gaelic folklore and mythology. The bodach "old man" is paired with the cailleach "hag, old woman" in Irish legend.
A chort is an anthropomorphic malign spirit or demon in Slavic folk tradition. Chorts are often depicted identically to Christian devils, with horns, hooves, and a skinny tail. In Slavic mythology, a singular Chort is sometimes identified as a son of the god Chernobog and the goddess Mara. Likewise, in Ukraine mythology, Chorts were originally the priest of Chernobog. In folk Christianity, they are considered lesser minions of Satan.
Mythic humanoids are mythological creatures that are part human, or that resemble humans through appearance or character. Each culture has different mythical creatures that come from many different origins. A major chunk of these creatures are humanoids. They are often able to talk and in many stories they guide the hero on their journey. They are said to come before the creation of gods and goddesses. Skiewa
A hob is a type of small mythological household spirit found in the English Midlands, Northern England, and on the Anglo-Scottish border, according to traditional folklore of those regions. They could live inside the house or outdoors. They are said to work in farmyards and thus could be helpful; however, if offended they could become nuisances. The usual way to dispose of a hob was to give them a set of new clothing, the receiving of which would make the creature leave forever. It could, however, be impossible to get rid of the worst hobs.
A brownie or broonie (Scots), also known as a brùnaidh or gruagach, is a household spirit or Hobgoblin from Scottish folklore that is said to come out at night while the owners of the house are asleep and perform various chores and farming tasks. The human owners of the house must leave a bowl of milk or cream or some other offering for the brownie, usually by the hearth. Brownies are described as easily offended and will leave their homes forever if they feel they have been insulted or in any way taken advantage of. Brownies are characteristically mischievous and are often said to punish or pull pranks on lazy servants. If angered, they are sometimes said to turn malicious, like boggarts.
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as "Hansel and Gretel". Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as The Morrígan or Badb, who are seen as neither wholly benevolent nor malevolent.
Folklore of Russia is folklore of Russians and other ethnic groups of Russia.