The Brownie
In Scottish farmhouses, people said a small, shaggy creature did the chores at night while everyone slept, asking only for a bowl of cream.
What was reported
A brownie is a household spirit of Scottish and northern English folklore: a small, brown, hairy man who attaches himself to a house or farm. At night, while the family sleeps, he churns the butter, threshes the corn and tidies the house.
He wants no thanks, only a bowl of cream or a bannock left out for him. If anyone gives him clothes or insults his work, he leaves for good, sometimes turning into a mischievous boggart.
Explanations offered
Brownies are a folk belief, like the Scandinavian tomte. The idea of a helpful household spirit later gave its name to the Brownies, the youngest section of the Girl Guides.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Scottish Borders, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Scottish folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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