Episode 150: Dark Fae: Boggart
The folklore of boggarts in a nutshell, translated to Afrikaans, and how I reimagined it for my writing.
Written and narrated by Ronel Janse van Vuuren.
Copyright 2025 Ronel Janse van Vuuren — All rights reserved.
Learn more about boggarts in folklore here.
Get the transcript here.
Learn more about the author and her writing here.
Music: Secrets by David Fesliyan (FesliyanStudios.com) and Dramatic Heartbeat by FesliyanStudios.com
Transcript
You’re listening to the Faeries and Folklore podcast by Ronel.
I’m dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. With over a decade of digging around in dusty folklore books, researching creatures of imagination that ignited my curiosity, I’m here to share the folklore in a nutshell and how I reimagined it for my writing in an origin of the fae.
This is the Faeries and Folklore podcast.
Hi, I’m your host Ronel Janse van Vuuren. You can just call me Ronel. In today’s episode, we’re continuing our exploration of the fae realm.
This episode is brought to you by my Dark Court Sisters book series. Available in ebook, paperback and audiobook. Three sisters. Three destinies. Three ways to destroy the world. Go to ronelthemythmaker.com/darkcourtsistersseries for more.
You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion. Go to buymeacoffee.com/ronel to support me.
We’re continuing our exploration of Dark Fae.
Today’s Faery: Boggart
Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel
Boggarts can be found inside and outside the home. In some cases, “boggart” is a catch-all phrase for anything from a hobgoblin to a sprite. Though it is acknowledged that boggarts are the unseen creature that causes havoc in and around the home – from scared cows to spilt milk. They are, usually, the cause for things that go bump in the night.
Boggarts are seen as malicious figures, out to torment a family by breaking things, pulling ears, making babies cry, and even stripping the blankets from a sleeping person.
Iron and salt are sure ways to keep a boggart at bay.
There is no one description of the boggart. In some accounts, it is a hairy, ugly humanoid being while in others it takes the form of animals. It prefers to stay invisible to humans, enjoying the extra fear they experience by not knowing what to look for.
Much like brownies are tied to a specific house or family, boggarts can attach themselves, too. Though they aren’t the helpful sort. Some lore says that boggarts are created when brownies are mistreated.
Whether inside or out, if you have a boggart problem, it’s probably best to grab the nearest iron weapon and bag of salt to protect yourself.
And now for my interpretation of the fae in an Origin of the Fae: Boggart
It is, usually, the dark side of a brownie that had been angered. Though there are boggarts that don’t have the good side as a brownie, just the malicious side that wishes to torment the family it is tied to. Boggarts are excellent shape-shifters, turning into whatever will frighten their prey the most. They feed on fear. Their natural form is that of a small humanoid creature with long fingers, big eyes, and sharp ears. They are usually dark brown to easily blend into the shadows. They thrive on destruction. Like most fae, iron and salt will keep them away.
As a little bonus, let’s look at this faery translated to Afrikaans: Skrikbeeld
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this episode of the faeries and folklore podcast and that you’ve learned something new about faeries.
Remember that you can get a transcript of this episode in the description. If you’re new to the podcast, why not go and grab your free copy of Unseen, the second book in the Faery Tales series, on my website ronelthemythmaker.com? Loads of folklore, magic and danger await! Take care!
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You can now support my time in producing the podcast (researching, writing and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.
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No-one writes about the fae like Ronel Janse van Vuuren.