In Celtic mythology, specifically within Cornish folklore, a spriggan (pronounced /ˈsprɪdʒən/) is a mischievous and often malicious legendary creature. Historically associated with the West Penwith region of Cornwall, they are considered a dark or more sinister counterpart to the Piskie.
- Appearance: They are typically described as grotesquely ugly, wizened, and diminutive in their natural state, often with large misshapen heads.
- The Ghost of Giants: A defining legend is that spriggans are the ghosts of ancient giants who once roamed Cornwall. While normally small, they retain "giant's strength" and can swell to enormous, monstrous proportions when offended or guarding their homes.
- Guardians of Treasure: Spriggans are famously found haunting lonely places like castle ruins, barrows, and prehistoric standing stones (cromlechs), where they serve as "fairy bodyguards" and protect buried treasure.
Common Myths and Behaviours
- Malicious Mischief: Unlike the more playful piskies, spriggans are blamed for serious misfortunes, including bringing sudden storms to blight crops, stealing cattle, and causing buildings to collapse.
- Changelings: Like many fae, they were notorious for kidnapping human children and leaving their own ugly offspring—changelings—in their place.
- Countermeasures: According to folklore, one can repel a spriggan by turning a garment inside-out, as the fae are supposedly confused or repelled by things in an inverted state.
Modern Representations
While original folklore describes them as small, ugly humanoids, modern media often reimagines them as wood spirits or treelike creatures:
- The Elder Scrolls Series: Portrayed as powerful, female-coded nature spirits made of wood and roots.
- The Witcher Series: Featured as hostile, plant-like monsters.
- Parkland Walk Sculpture: A famous sculpture of a spriggan can be seen in Crouch End, London, which reportedly served as inspiration for Stephen King's short story "Crouch End".