Pillywiggin

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Pillywiggin
Naissance d'une fee NEW.jpg
Little fairies with butterfly wings, close to the description of pillywiggins.
GroupingPopular folklore
Sub groupingFairy and Goblin
CountryGreat Britain and Ireland
DetailsVery small size, habitat flora

Pillywiggins are tiny goblins and fairies, guardians of the flora, mentioned in English and Irish folklore. Tiny in size, they have the antennae and wings of a butterfly or dragonfly, live in groups and spend their time frolicking and frolicking among the flowers.

Contents

They are described by Nancy Arrowsmith, and later by Pierre Dubois and others in The Great Encyclopedia of Fairies and Lessons in Elficology.

Origin

Pillywiggins are fairies from English folklore, [1] associated with spring flowers [2] and personifying the "divine essence of plants". [3] They are mentioned in the folklore of Great Britain and Ireland. [4] Pierre Dubois cites the alvens of Holland and certain fairies on the border of the Belgian Ardennes, who play similar roles. [5]

The name "Pillywiggin" appeared in 1977 in the American Nancy Arrowsmith's Field Guide to the Little People, [6] who believes that the name of these creatures comes from the English county of Dorset. [7] [8] It is also found in a collection by American folklorist Tristram Potter Coffin, dated 1984. [9]

Pillywiggins are also mentioned in the esoteric work of Faery Wicca author Edain McCoy (1994), who classifies them among the elemental fairies, [10] citing their preference for the shade of great oaks [11] (a characteristic also present in Bane's description), [2] and describing a very seductive pillywiggins queen, who goes by the name of Ariel and rides bats. [11] [2]

Description

Author Catherine Rager (2003) describes them as pixies, [4] while Theresa Bane associates them with fairies. [2] Winged, [2] they usually measure a centimetre, [4] but can change size. [4] Their food consists of dew and pollen. [4] They are trooping fairies, creatures that live in groups. [2] They have no particular interest in human beings, but may participate in some of their activities, such as wedding ceremonies and other celebrations. [2] Unlike other fairies in British folklore, they are not known for playing tricks on humans. [2]

According to Pierre Dubois, they are the tiniest of the elven gentry, along with Lincolnshire's Tiddy. [5] "Wonderfully beautiful" thanks to their butterfly-like attributes, they are fond of English parks and gardens, in all parts of the UK except the Midlands, as well as in Ireland. [5] There, they spend their time playing and frolicking. [5] [2] They are the guardian spirits of small flora, living to the rhythm of the plants they protect. [5] They hibernate from November to April, until the cuckoo chirps. [5]

They are said to ignore humans, preferring to dance among the wildflowers in the shade of tall oaks, [2] where they are usually found. [12] Their popular representations show them riding bees from flower to flower, or themselves the size of a bee. [12] [2]

According to gardening specialists Karan Davis Cutler and Barbara W. Ellis, English folklore mostly associates pillywiggins with the tulip. [13]

Mentions in fiction and video games

Pillywiggins gave their name to Julia Jarman's children's novel Pilliwiggins and the Tree Witch. [14] In Alexander of Teagos, Paula Porter describes pillywiggins as beings that are "silent, but speak to your heart". [15] They can also be found in fantasy novels, such as Rebecca Paisley's A Basket of Wishes, [16] Brian Cullen's Seekers of the Chalice, [17] Tiffany Trent's By Venom's Sweet Sting, [18] Tiffany Turner's The Lost Secret of the Green Man, which describes them as guardians of wildflowers, [19] and other works of fiction. [20]

The yellow pillywiggin and the red pillywiggin are notable enemies of the Final Fantasy XI game, akin to bees. [21] [22]

In his children's book Leçons d'elficologie, Pierre Dubois presents a plate depicting the metamorphosis of a young pillywiggin into a butterfly fairy. [23] A nursery rhyme published in an Australian children's book describes singing Pillywiggin. [24] A modern Italian storybook evokes the proximity of Pillywiggins to foxglove and bellflower. [25]

Multicolored Pillywiggin is the title of a children's song on Pakita's album Viens vite... Je t'invite, released in 2007. [26]

Related Research Articles

Fairies, particularly those of Irish, English, Scottish and Welsh folklore, have been classified in a variety of ways. Classifications – which most often come from scholarly analysis, and may not always accurately reflect local traditions – typically focus on behavior or physical characteristics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English folklore</span> Myths and legends of English culture

English folklore consists of the myths and legends of England, including the English region's mythical creatures, traditional recipes, urban legends, proverbs, superstitions, and folktales. Its cultural history is rooted in Celtic, Christian, Nordic and Germanic folklore.

A sprite is a supernatural entity in European mythology. They are often depicted as fairy-like creatures or as an ethereal entity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairy godmother</span> Archetype

In fairy tales, a fairy godmother is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's Cinderella, he concludes the tale with the moral that no personal advantages will suffice without proper connections.

The Water Leaper, also known as Llamhigyn Y Dwr, is an evil creature from Welsh folklore that lived in swamps and ponds.

The wulver or wullver is a kind of wolf-like humanoid creature in the folklore of the Shetland Islands of Scotland. In modern times, the origin of the wulver has been disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glashtyn</span> Legendary creature from Manx folklore

Glashtyn is a legendary creature from Manx folklore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enchanted forest</span> Motif in folklore and mythology

In folklore and fantasy, an enchanted forest is a forest under, or containing, enchantments. Such forests are described in the oldest folklore from regions where forests are common, and occur throughout the centuries to modern works of fantasy. They represent places unknown to the characters, and situations of liminality and transformation. The forest can feature as a place of threatening danger, or one of refuge, or a chance at adventure.

Arkan sonney is the Manx term for hedgehog. In Manx folklore it is a type of fairy animal that takes the form of a white pig that brings good fortune to those who manage to catch it. It was even considered a favourable omen just to have seen the "lucky piggy". It was also said that if you caught one you would always find a silver coin in your pocket. However, holding on to it for too long will result in bad fortune.

Maggy Moulach is a character from Scottish folklore said to be a Highland brownie. According to the folklore, she had a son named Brownie-Clod, who was said to be a dobie. A dobie is a somewhat dull-witted, though well-intentioned, variety of brownie.

The asrai is a type of aquatic fairy in English folklore and literature. They are usually depicted as female, live in lakes and are similar to the mermaid and nixie. Rather than originating from folklore, the asrai may have been invented by the Scottish poet Robert Williams Buchanan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hag</span> Stock character; a wizened old woman, often a malicious witch

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goblin</span> Mythical creature

A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on the story and country of origin, ranging from mischievous household spirits to malicious, bestial thieves. They often have magical abilities similar to a fairy or demon, such as the ability to shapeshift.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre Dubois (author)</span> French writer

Pierre Dubois, is a French specialist in enchantement. He is an author, Franco-Belgian comics scriptwriter, storyteller and lecturer on fairies and little people in France. Fascinated at a young age with fairy tales and Fairytale fantasy, he became an illustrator after studying Fine Arts for a short period. For over 30 years, he has integrated local legends and folklore into radio and television shows. He is the inventor of elficology (elficologie) as a name for the study of the "little people", originally as a joke. His first comic book was published in 1986. Since then he has produced one annually and made regular appearances on television and at conferences relating to fairy tales, dreams and legends related to fairies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Édouard Brasey</span> French writer

Édouard Brasey is a French novelist, essayist, scriptwriter and story-teller born on 25 March 1954. Author of more than seventy works, many of which have been translated into English, Russian, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. He specialises in the themes of the esoteric, fables, legends and fantasy. He won a prize of Imaginales in 2006 for La Petite Encyclopédie du Merveilleux, and a prize Merlin in 2009 for his novel La Malédiction de l'Anneau. Subsequently, he has become essentially a novelist, notably published by Calmann-Lévy. His historical-esoteric thriller that was published in 2013, Le Dernier Pape, anticipated the abdication of Benoît XVI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groac'h</span>

A groac'h is a kind of Breton water-fairy. Seen in various forms, often by night, many are old, similar to ogres and witches, sometimes with walrus teeth. Supposed to live in caverns, under the beach and under the sea, the groac'h has power over the forces of nature and can change its shape. It is mainly known as a malevolent figure, largely because of Émile Souvestre's story La Groac'h de l'île du Lok, in which the fairy seduces men, changes them into fish and serves them as meals to her guests, on one of the Glénan Islands. Other tales present them as old solitary fairies who can overwhelm with gifts the humans who visit them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drapé (legend)</span> French folkloric horse

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Fions are lutin-like creatures of the little people, mostly mentioned in the maritime folklore of Upper Brittany. They might be of English origin. Most of the stories about them come from Paul Sébillot's collections in the late 19th century. Characterized by their habitat in the rocks and caves of Brittany's northern shores, the Fions lead a military life in community with the houles fairies, as their servants. Organized into battalions, they are said to wage war on a golden ship. According to tales, they own and graze livestock, and sometimes give enchanted objects or food to humans. Pierre Dubois and Joann Sfar featured a Fion in the comic strip series Petrus Barbygère, in 1996 and 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legendary horses of Pas-de-Calais</span> French mythological horses

The legendary horses of Pas-de-Calais are fabulous, diabolical white animals, mentioned in the folklore of Artois, Ternoise and Boulonnais under various names. The blanque mare is said to appear at dusk or in the middle of the night to deceive children and men. She would tempt the latter to ride her, and her back could stretch to accommodate, usually, up to seven riders. Once they had settled on her back, she would lure them into traps or throw them into the water. This animal is mentioned under the same name in Samer.

References

  1. ↑ Rose 1996, p. 261.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Bane 2013, p. 275.
  3. ↑ Heath 2000, p. 152.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Rager 2003, p. 772.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pierre Dubois (ill.Roland et Claudine Sabatier), La Grande Encyclopédie des fées (!st edition 1996), p. 128, 129.
  6. ↑ "Guide de terrain du petit peuple. Une journée dans le royaume caché des Elfes, Fées, Hobgoblins et autres créatures pas si mythique – Nancy Arrowsmith". ActuaLitté.com (in French). Retrieved 2023-06-14..
  7. ↑ Arrowsmith, Nancy (2009). Field Guide to the Little People: A Curious Journey Into the Hidden Realm of Elves, Faeries, Hobgoblins & Other Not-So-Mythical Creatures. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 297. ISBN   978-0-7387-1549-0..
  8. ↑ Nancy Arrowsmith et George Moorse (1977). A Field Guide to the Little People (1 ed.). Hill & Wang. ISBN   0965906418..
  9. ↑ Tristram Potter Coffin (1984). Fairies and Elves. Time-Life Books. ISBN   978-0-8094-5212-5 . Retrieved 2023-06-14..
  10. ↑ McCoy, Edain (1994). A witch's guide to faery folk : reclaiming our working relationship with invisible helpers. New Age Series. Llewellyn Worldwide. p. 62. ISBN   978-0-87542-733-1.
  11. 1 2 McCoy 1994, p. 195.
  12. 1 2 Brasey 1999, p. 74.
  13. ↑ Cutler, Karan Davis; Ellis, Barbara W. (2006). Complete flower gardener. Burpee Series. Wiley Pub. p. 7. ISBN   9780764543241..
  14. ↑ Jarman, Julia (2011). Pilliwiggins and the Tree Witch. Andersen. p. 128. ISBN   9781849390187..
  15. ↑ Porter, Paula (2010). Alexander of Teagos. Trafford Publishing. p. 11. ISBN   978-1-4269-2439-2..
  16. ↑ Paisley, Rebecca (1995). A Basket of Wishes. Dell. p. 391. ISBN   978-0-440-21651-3..
  17. ↑ Cullen, Brian (2009). Seekers of the Chalice. Tom Doherty Associates. p. 384. ISBN   978-0-7653-5362-7.
  18. ↑ Trent, Tiffany (2007). By Venom's Sweet Sting. Vol. 2 de Hallowmere Series. Wizards of the Coast. p. 291. ISBN   978-0-7869-4230-5.
  19. ↑ Turner, Tiffany (2009). The Lost Secret of the Green Man: Book 2. Trafford Publishing. p. 120. ISBN   978-1-4269-2156-8.
  20. ↑ For example Wilder, J. C.; Kelly, Isabo; Ivey, Carolan (2008). In the Gloaming. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-59998-639-5.
  21. ↑ "Yellow Pillywiggins", accessed 2011
  22. ↑ "Red Pillywiggin", accessed 2011
  23. ↑ Dubois, Pierre (26 October 2006). Leçons d'elficologie: géographie, histoire, leçons de choses (in French). Paris: Hoëbeke. p. 119. ISBN   978-2-84230-264-1..
  24. ↑ Harper, Julie-Ann (2007). Frolicking with the fairies. Pick-a-Woo Woo children's book series. Pickawoowoo Publishers. p. 5. ISBN   9780980366907..
  25. ↑ Ravecca, Luana (2004). Natale in... rosa. La festa più festa dell'anno con Tinny (in Italian). Vol. 6 de Generazione G. Paoline. p. 73. ISBN   9788831527378.
  26. ↑ Pakita (2000). Viens vite...je t'invite / Pakita. Music 18. Retrieved 2023-06-12..

Bibliography

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