T is for Tireless

I’m weaving folklore and book reviews into a single offering, shaped to reach a wider audience drawn to both. In years past, interest has surfaced in fragments of each; now, I’m gathering those threads into April alone, so the rest of the year remains quiet and deliberate.

If you came only for today’s book review, you may follow the link here.

As I’m also promoting my Faery Tales series this month, I had to choose folklore creatures that feature in the books for the A-Z, which is why the creature and letter are a bit twisted to fit together. LOL.

[intro about subject]

Folklore

[sources]

The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore by Patricia Monaghan

Hob

In northern Britain the hob was a kindly spirit, helpful to local people when they needed healing or farm work. As with similar beings, it was important never to reward the hob in any way, for that would scare him off.

*More can be read in the book.

The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures by John and Caitlín Matthews

HOB

The helpful Hob is a brownie-like spirit who looks after the health of children, notably curing them of whooping cough, according to North Country traditions in Britain. If your child had this cough, the way of summoning Hob was to say this rhyme, as you put your child into a cave on Runswick Bay, near Hartlepool:

Hobhole Hob! Hobhole Hob! Ma bairn’s gotten t’kink cough, Tak’t off, tak’t off!’ (take it off)

Hob and Puck have a lot in common. Like many brownies, Hob must never be given clothing, or he will take offence and cease helping you with your domestic tasks. A nastier kind of Hob used to haunt the road between Hurworth and Neasham near Darlington. Eventually, he was exorcized and conjured under a large stone on that roadside for 99 years. It was said that if anyone ever sat on the stone, Hob would never be able to escape from under it. It has been said that Hob’s name comes from an Old English name ‘Hob Thurse’ meaning ‘the Hob Giant’.

*More can be read in the book.

Element Encyclopedia of Fairies by Lucy Cooper

Hob

Hob is the general term for friendly household spirits who help around the home but sometimes have a mischievous streak… stories of individual hobs tell of their specific areas of expertise…

Bwbachod

Also known as bwca or bwbach, the bwbachod is a Welsh household spirit that belongs to the same family as the brownie.

The bwbachod rewards tidiness. To enlist the help of one, traditionally Welsh maids would sweep the kitchen, set a good fire last thing at night, leave the churn filled with cream on the whitened hearth, and leave a basin of fresh cream on the hob. In the morning, if she was in luck, she would find that the bwbachod had emptied the basin of cream and plied the churn-dasher so well that she had only to give a thump or two to bring out the butter in a great lump.

Bwca

(pronounced booka) An industrious Welsh brownie, working at night on household tasks such as spinning, washing, and ironing in return for bread and milk. He is happy to work without being seen, or his name being known, but if he is spied on he will immediately depart, never to return.

Dobby

A friendly, playful hob in Yorkshire and Lancashire. Like a brownie, he can be helpful, but is prone to a bi of mischief-making as well.

*More can be read in the book.

Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology by Theresa Bane

Hob

In northern England a hob is a species of friendly but mischievous fairy although it is oftentimes used to reference the fay in general. According to the lore the hob would help the farmer in the field, the shopkeeper in his store, or the wife with her household chores until one day he is given a coat or thanked for his services; deeply insulted and infuriated, the hob leaves.

*More can be read in the book.

Further Reading:

[links]

Folklore in a Nutshell by Ronel

[piece]

Hob in Modern Culture

[sources]

Hob in My Writing

Origin of the Fae: Hob

[origin of fae]

[translation]

[book extract image with link]

Malignant Moon (Faery Tales #)

If this tale has lingered with you, I would be glad to hear it.
Where did you first encounter this creature – through story, superstition, memory, or something half-remembered?
If you know other versions of its myth, feel free to leave them in the record below. Folklore survives by being spoken again.
Further fragments and interpretations of this creature can be found in my Pinterest grimoire.

If you wish to support the time and craft behind these folklore posts – researching old tales, gathering fragments, and shaping them into something worth reading – you may do so by buying me a coffee. It can be a single offering, or something you return to whenever the spirit moves you.