Elves were real creatures for many of our ancestors, even for the most cultured of the time. They have transcended time and survived in tales and legends, taking center stage in video games and on the big screen. Often even today, when in the north of Spain someone goes to sell a house he says “the house is sold with everything, elf included”. Under this denomination, there are many characters, which have in common their small size, their longevity, and the fact that they usually move away from the sight of humans and the noise they cause. It is said that they are engendered and nourished by the impure environment of abandoned houses and that they enjoy removing dishes, playing, throwing stones… and that they prefer contact with children rather than adults.

House-elves love the house and all who live in it (if you behave well with them), repaying favors with favors but taking revenge on occasions when they are willingly disturbed. Their favorite places are stable, where they entertain themselves by bothering the animals, the attic, and the kitchen, where they love to play with flour and pots and pans. And if in the evening the family leaves hot ashes and some food, the goblins will be satisfied and not have much trouble. If the family moves house, they usually stay in the house, although they sporadically visit the family. Although there are occasions in which they join someone and do not leave them as long as they live. In Spain, in the XVI century, there were so many houses that were thought to be inhabited by goblins, that if a person rented or bought a house and later found out that there were goblins in it, he could legally abandon it. The domestic goblins usually help the people of the houses, often doing their chores. However, if they are grateful and give them a new piece of clothing, the goblins are free and leave for good.

There are also elves all over the country that are especially cute. They are the children’s elves, who take care of children and animals, defend them and play with them. Tiny pixies glide through the dust motes by the sun rays that cross the rooms, watch over the children’s sleep and accompany them when they are alone for a long time. The youngest children are usually able to see them, although they stop seeing them when they grow up or when an adult tells them that they are just dust motes.

There are also water elves. Nowadays nobody goes to fetch water from the fountain, so their trail is lost. It is said that they like to slide again and again through the streams that come out of the water canals, running the risk of falling into a vessel. If the person who catches the water notices and returns the goblin to the fountain, they may receive a small treasure. But if they don’t see it and swallow it while drinking, they start to jump and move around inside the person, giving origin to the well-known saying: he has a goblin in his body.

The forests and mountains of Spain are full of mischievous elves that protect their inhabitants and good people while punishing those who misbehave, especially if they do it with other living beings. In Cantabria, they dress in colorful clothes of nature to mimic it. They are always accompanied by a wolf that can also transform into different animals.

There is an elf loved by the people, especially in the north, called the searcher dwarf or the goblin who finds things. He was in charge of locating the lost and sometimes boyfriend or girlfriend for those who request it. It is said that there are two goblin brothers, one calmer than the other. The first, cheerful and joking, have a hoarse voice and a loud laugh. He is dressed in a long red jacket held by a yellow belt and shoes, an all-seeing spyglass, and a toad skin sling to defend himself from dangerous animals. His brother, dressed in green, leans on a stick and does not wear any accessories. If someone loses something and wants to find it, just say the following:

Duende, duende, duendecillo
una cosa yo perdi,
duende, duende, duendecillo,
compadecete de mi.

Pixie, pixie, little pixie,
I’ve lost a thing,
pixie, pixie, little pixie,
take pity on me.

Sources: