Mythologis
Goblins: The Complete Guide to Goblins, Hobgoblins and Mischief in Folklore

Mythical Creatures Mythology

Goblins: The Complete Guide to Goblins, Hobgoblins and Mischief in Folklore

The Tricksters, Household Spirits and Night-Frights of Europe

The complete guide to the goblin: the mischievous and malicious spirits of European folklore, the helpful and dangerous hobgoblins of the house, the kobolds and redcaps, and the road to the goblin of modern fantasy.

170 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • European folklore and household spirits
  • Designed for print quality
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  1. 01The Small Trouble of the House
  2. 02What Is a Goblin? A Family of Spirits
  3. 03The Hobgoblin and the Helpful Brownie
  4. 04Puck, Robin Goodfellow and the English Goblin
  5. 05The German Kobold of House and Mine
  6. 06Redcaps and the Murderous Goblins of the Border
  7. 07How to Keep a Goblin Happy, and What Happens If You Do Not
  8. 08Goblins, Changelings and Stolen Children
  9. 09The Goblin in Ballad and Literature
  10. 10Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and the Victorian Goblin
  11. 11The Goblin of Modern Fantasy and Games

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

The goblin is the small trouble of folklore: the spirit that sours the milk, raps in the walls, and sometimes turns genuinely cruel. This is the complete guide to goblins, hobgoblins and their kin.

The goblin is the small trouble of folklore. It is not a giant or a dragon but the creature at the edge of the firelight: the thing that sours the milk, knots the horse's mane, raps in the walls at night, and now and then turns from a nuisance into something genuinely cruel. Under a dozen names across Europe, the goblin is the spirit you live alongside, for better or worse, and never quite trust.

This is the complete guide to the goblin and its many cousins. The hobgoblin and the brownie, the household spirit who works for a bowl of cream and turns spiteful if insulted; the German kobold of house and mine; the puck and Robin Goodfellow of English tradition; the murderous redcap of the border country; and the modern goblin, the green-skinned villain of fairy tale and fantasy.

The book sorts one goblin from another across the folklore of Europe, drawing on the folk collections, the ballads and the literary sources, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • The helpful brownie and hobgoblin who work for a bowl of cream
  • Puck and Robin Goodfellow, the goblins of English tradition
  • The German kobold of the house and the mine
  • The redcap, the murderous goblin of the border country
  • How to keep a household spirit happy, and how to offend one
  • How the folk goblin became the green-skinned villain of fantasy

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length170 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

What is the difference between a goblin and a hobgoblin?

That is exactly what the book sorts out. Goblin is really a family of related spirits, from the helpful hobgoblin and brownie to the murderous redcap, and the book maps the whole family across European folklore so the names stop being confusing.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on English, German and Celtic folklore collections, the ballad tradition, Shakespeare and the Robin Goodfellow pamphlets, and later literary sources such as Christina Rossetti, with references to the standard editions.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 170 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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