This Dark Land

Golems were first cast in Jewish folklore and have even been mentioned in the Bible. Made from only clay or mud by their creators with a sprinkling or arcane magic they can be transformed into animated beings. Maybe it was these creatures who served as inspiration for the tale of Pinocchio and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? It was believed that the mystical Kabbalists were able to create golems who were seen as heroes who could protect the Jewish community from anti-Semitic attacks. There is a tale of Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague who saved his people by creating a golem to protect them. Using clay from the banks of the Vltava river he brought to life a golem who could make himself invisible and even summon spirits from the dead in order to protect his people. The rabbi was able to deactivate the golem by removing the shem from his mouth, but after a time he was forced to destroy his creation after his golem had grown vengeful and violent. However the rabbi stored the broke

Dwarfs are a very well known creature that often features in folktales and legends. They are still a very popular character to use in fiction particularly fantasy fiction such as The Lord of the Rings . They are very small creatures no more than two feet tall and often described as ugly with long pointy ears and bulbous noses. Dwarfs are believed to have originated from Germanic, Norse and  English folklore. They lived in secluded mountainous regions and are commonly associated with the element of earth due to their love of mining for treasure, metal craft and forging. The most interesting folklore surrounding dwarfs comes from Norse mythology where they were first recorded in the 13th century which spoke about dwarfs being responsible for the forging of Thor's hammer and the spear of Odin. In Norse mythology Dwarfs are depicted as being pitch black creatures and their ancestral home was Svartalfheim, an underground network of mines. About the Author S.

The Knockers are fairy creatures well known in Welsh, Cornish and Devon folktales. They are also known as Bucca in Cornish tales and Bwca in Welsh. Knockers are tiny creatures, no more than two feet tall similar in appearance to other fairies such as dwarves and goblins that live underground. They were said to be spindly limbed with only slits for mouths and dark beady eyes. Like a lot of fairies they have a mischievous side! Knockers became well known when mining became a popular industry when humans began mining in their underground homes. To some they were malevolent but to others they were helpful . They earned their name as Kockers as they would knock underground leading the miners to valuable mineral deposits in return for food, proper Cornish pasties were their favourite treat? But they could turn nasty and scare the miners and play tricks on them. Knockers could not stand the sound of whistling and bad language, they often showered the perpetrators with a shower of s

A will o' wisp is an ghostly light often seen by lost and weary travellers in the dead hours of night whom they lure astray, most commonly spotted near bogs, swamps and marshes. They form a big part of English and European folklore and are also known as Jack o'lanterns, Elf fire, Hinky Punk and Fox Fire.  In Wales will o's wisps are called  Ellylldan which means fire fairy. There is a tale of Iolo the bard who followed an ellylldan from the Welsh mountains to a boggy valley where it led him on a wild chase. Will o wisps were commonly seen around the fenland swamps of East Anglia before they were drained at the beginning of the twentieth century. It was advised that one could escape from a will o wisp by lying face down until they went away. In Devon and Cornwall will o wisps are more commonly known as Pixie light and upon the wild moors where travellers can be "pixie-led" by strange lights which entice travellers away from the safe routes and

The red cap was a murderous goblin who lived in abandoned castles on the Anglo-Scottish borders. Their caps were red as after every kill they took off their caps to dip in the blood of their victims. They were depicted as short ugly creatures with sharp teeth and of course, red caps!  Their eyes were also said to be blood red and they had bloody red talons with which to catch their prey. Red caps wore iron boots and would travel far and wide most often preying on weary travellers lost in the dark. Some ancient Irish folktales depict red caps as being vampiric in nature, to survive they must kill for blood. If their red caps dry out they perish. About the Author S.J.Budd is a writer of all things weird and creepy. Previously her tales have been featured on Deandman's Tome,  Sanitarium Magazine, Dark Gothic Resurrected, Liquid Imagination, Aphotic Realm, Aurora Wolf, Aphelion, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, The Wild Hunt, Danse Macabre, Shadows at the Door, Inner S

The imp, said to be similar to a goblin  is a rather ambiguous figure prominent in British folklore. Some tales from the Middle Ages depict imps as being familiars, creatures that serve witches whilst in others they are regarded as god's assistants. They are first mentioned in Germanic folklore where they are depicted as small demons who like to wreak havoc and play mischievous tricks. Hence the word "impish" is used to describe someone with a playful nature. Imps are said to be small creatures, like goblins and gnomes.They are considered to be different from their green cousins. the moorland Pixies due to their demonic nature. Imps are generally considered immortal, but  legend has it they can be harmed. They are not considered attractive but small and squat like with big ears and noses. Since the middle ages they have garnered a somewhat bad reputation but they only play tricks and cause mischief because they seek human companionship as they are considered to