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BRITISH BOGGART 'HOBGOBLIN'
Boggarts were mischievous spirits responsible
for mishaps and poltergeist activity within the home and in
the countryside. They would rearrange furniture, break pots
and generally be blamed for 'things that go bump in the
night'. They were often found attached
to families and could be helpful within the household until
they were insulted in some way. Boggarts had the ability to
shape-shift, and sometimes appeared in the form of animals. If
offerings were left out for them they would not cause trouble.
The supposed ghosts of people
were also called boggarts, and the word may be have been used
to explain any strange phenomena in the past.
Boggarts live in the darkness in cupboards, the closet,
and under the bed. Some legends say they are
brownies
that have gone bad. Either because they are mischievous in
nature, or because they were wronged through some
interaction with humans.
Their origin is traced to Scotland. The root of the name,
'bog' may indicate a relation to the
ballybogs
as well.
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FAIRY CLIPART
BRITISH FAERIES
BOGEYMAN HOME |
They are always of the male persuasion (apparently female
brownies have better sense than to turn bad). Whatever their
relation to the gentle brownies, boggarts have vastly
different intentions. They delight in playing tricks on
humans. Oftentimes, rather than adopting a home to help its human
inhabitants, boggarts will enter a home with one thing on
their minds: destruction. The favorite food of a boggart is
smooth wood and a home they have chosen as their residence
provides not only shelter, but also their sustenance!
Boggarts also pose a threat to children, as they love to
steal their food and try to smother the young humans as they
sleep at night. Should your home be infected with a boggart
a complete exorcism may be necessary to rid your abode of
the pest. Others are completely dim-witted and can be
tricked into leaving a home. One of the best ways to do this
is to ask the boggart to leave the house and stay out as
long as 'the hollies are green'. It will mostly likely take
at least two seasons for him to remember that hollies are
always green and that he's been tricked. His resulting anger
most likely needn't be feared as he will never be able to
enter the house again. If they are overly troublesome and
pesky, the best way to get rid of them is to move. Variants: bauchans, blobs, boggans,
boogey man, boogies, gobelins, gobs, hobbers, hobgoblins, padfoots.
He's waitin' for you, chile,
'Neath your trundle bed,
An if you slip jes' once from grace,
He'll squeeze your pretty haid!
He's the Boggart-man, he is,
An in darkness do he live --
He lies in wait of naughty babes
An ends their foolish ways.
The Tale of the Green Boggart
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