More definitely mischievous and knavish, though in classical times no
longer part of living folklore, were the Kerkopes and Kobaloi. The Kerkopes
figured in a story about Heracles. They were brothers (two or more) who
tormented people in their neighbourhood –– variously located –– with their
monkey tricks, until Heracles caught them and carried them away. According
to another legend they were turned into the apes of Pithecusae. It seems likely
that they were originally a species of goblin rather than rascally humans. As
for the Kobaloi, they are said to be daimones in the entourage of Dionysus,
which suggests something like the Satyrs or Sileni. There are no particular
myths about them, but in colloquial Attic κο ́ βαλο meant an impudent
rogue or trickster.
The Armenian dancing nymphs, the Parik, had male counterparts called
Pay(n).^54 Having no more detailed information, I cannot say how far they are
comparable to any of the Greek male sprites or to the northern Elves.
The word ‘elf ’ is common Germanic: Norse álfr, Old English ælf, Old and
Middle High German alp (‘incubus’). A possible Indic cognate will be dis-
cussed below. In the Edda the Elves appear as one of the major categories
of intelligent being beside gods (Æsir) and men, and an Old English charm
against the stitch promises help gif hit wære esa gescot, oððe hit wære ylfa
gescot, ‘whether it be god-shot or elf-shot’ (ASPR vi. 122 no. 4. 23). Snorri
(Gylf. 17) distinguishes between liósálfar and døkkálfar, Light and Dark Elves,
but this seems to be a scholarly move to resolve the contradictions in their
character. They are more beautiful than humankind, and live very much
longer. They are given to music and dancing, the evidence of which is to be
seen in fairy rings.^55 But they play tricks, put tangles in people’s hair and that
of their horses, steal children and substitute changelings. They can cause
physical illnesses, or turn people into halfwits.^56
Dwarfs and manufacturers‘Dwarf ’ too is a Germanic word: Norse dvergr, Old English dweorh, Old High
German twerg. In principle the Dwarfs and the Elves are separate peoples. In
theAlvíssmál, for example, each item listed is assigned a different term in their
two vocabularies. But in practice the boundary is fluid. Snorri’s Dark Elves in
(^54) Ishkol-Kerovpian (1986), 135.
(^55) Grimm (1883–8), 449, 469, 1421 f.; Mannhardt (1905), i. 62.
(^56) Grimm (1883–8), 443, 463–9, 1418–22; Mannhardt (1905), i. 62 f.; Turville-Petre
(1964), 232. On elves in general cf. Grimm, 442–72; de Vries (1956), i. 257–60; Turville-Petre,
230–2.
- Nymphs and Gnomes 295