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{{needs work|date=November 2025}}{{overly detailed|date=November 2025}}{{Short description|Sprite stemming from Germanic mythology}}
{{About|the sprite from Germanic folklore}}
{{distinguish|Kobald (disambiguation){{!}}Kobald}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
<!--[[file:Kobold_and_flowers.jpeg]] replaced, since it is Heinzelmann, which is non-kobold according to modern folkloristics-->
[[File:Evans (1895)-Nymphs-p033-kobold.jpg|thumb|alt=kobold of Hildesheim|The kobold of Hildesheim{{right|{{small|―Illustrated by William A. McCullough, ''Nymphs, Nixies and Naiads'' (1895)<ref name="evans1895"/>}}}}]]

A '''kobold''' ({{IPA|de|ˈkoːbɔlt|lang}}; ''kobolt'', ''kobolde'',<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold"/> cobold) is a general or generic name for the [[household spirit]] (''hausgeist'') in [[German folklore]].

It may invisibly make noises (i.e., be a [[poltergeist]]), or helpfully perform kitchen chores or stable work. But it can be a prankster as well. It may accept a bribe or offering of milk, etc. for its efforts or good behaviour. When mistreated (cf. fig. right), its reprisal can be utterly cruel.{{efn|e.g., cut up into pieces and left in a kettle or pot.}}

A '''{{lang|de|hütchen}}''' ({{langx|nds|[[hodeken]]}}), meaning "little hat," is one subtype; this and other kobold sprites are known for their pointy red caps, such as the ''niss'' (cognate of [[Nisse (folklore)|nisse]] of Norway) or ''puk'' (cognate of [[Puck (folklore)|puck]] fairy) which are attested in Northern Germany, alongside ''drak'', a dragon-type name, as the sprite is sometimes said to appear as a shaft of fire, with what looks like a head. There is also the combined form [[Nis Puk]].

A house sprite [[Hinzelmann]] is a shape-shifter assuming many forms, such as a feather or animals. The name supposedly refers to it appearing in cat-form, Hinz[e] being an archetypical cat name. The similarly named [[Heinzelmännchen]] of Cologne (recorded 1826) is distinguished from Hinzelmann.{{Refn|name="hinzelmann-heinzelmann"|Heinz- and Hinzelmann once treated as interchangeable by Grimm, and by others like [[Thomas Keightley]] following his footsteps. However, and the entry for "Heinzelmänchen" in the ''Etymologisches Wörterbuch'' explains the distinction.<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen"/> Heinzelmänchen, is in the "kobold" article for ''Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens'', but classified neither under "C, Appearance-based names" with the cat-name Hinzelmann nor under "E pet names/shortened affectionate names of people", but under H. literary names.<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/> Lecouteux's dictionary gives "Heinzelmännchen" as one "coined from first names", and groups it with Wolterken, Niss, Chimken (all kobold names),<ref name="lecouteux-dict-bergmännchen"/> in contrast to HdA. Note a recent publication has a "Kobold" chapter has included a map of Germany plotting subtype kobold names for each region, but the Cologne area is left blank.<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/>}}

The [[Schrat]] is cross-categorized as a wood sprite and a house sprite, and some regional examples correspond to kobold, e.g., [[Upper Franconia]] in northern Bavaria.<ref name="HdA-Ranke-schrat"/>{{Refn|The area is described as "southeastern Germany", with the cited sources pointing to the general area of Northern Bavarian including the [[Upper Palatinate]] onto [[Vogtland]] which extends to Thuringia.{{sfnp|Ranke|1936|p=1288}} (Cf. [[Schrat]] and {{section link||Cretin names}} below)}} The kobold is sometimes conflated with the mine demon ''kobel'' or ''Bergmännlein''/''Bergmännchen'', which [[Paracelsus]] equated with the earth elemental [[gnome]]. It is generally noted that there can be made no clear demarcation between a kobold and nature spirits.<ref name="Lurker-dict-kobold"/>

The ''[[Klabautermann]]'' aboard ships are sometimes classed as a kobold.

==Overview==
A kobold is known by various names (discussed under {{section link||Subtypes}}). As a household spirit, it may perform chores such as tidying the kitchen, but can be prankish, and when mistreated can resort to retribution, sometimes of the utmost cruelty. It is often said to require the household to put out sweet milk (and bread, bread soup) as offering to keep it in good behaviour.

The legend of the house sprite's retribution is quite old. The tale of the ''hütchen'' (or ''[[hödekin|hodekin]]'' in Low German, meaning "little hat"; tale retold as Grimms ''[[Deutsche Sagen]]'' No. 74) is set in the historical background after c. 1130, and attested in a work c. 1500.{{Refn|[[Johannes Trithemius|Tristhemius]] (d. 1516), Chronicle of Hildesheim, which dates the events to c.1130.}}{{efn|Grimm's version combines multiple sources, including [[Erasmus Francisci]] (1690) which includes the tale under the header of "kobold".}} This sprite that haunted the castle of the Bishop of [[Hildesheim]],{{Refn|name="schelwig-stift"|The ghost/spirit haunted {{lang|de|Stift Hildesheim}} (seat of the [[Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim]] ''Hochstift Hildesheim''?)<ref>{{harvp|Schelwig|1692}}, Index, Das IV. Register, "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=X6eHXAtmGowCpg=PA676 |2=Hütgin}}"</ref>}} retaliated against a kitchen boy who splashed filthy water on it (Cf. fig. top right) by leaving the lad's [[Dismemberment|dismembered]] body cooking in a pot. Likewise the resident {{lang|de|Chimmeken}} of Mecklenburg Castle, in 1327, allegedly chopped up a kitchen boy into pieces after he took and drank the milk offered to the sprite, according to an anecdote recorded by historian [[Thomas Kantzow]] (d. 1542).

The story of the "multi-formed" [[Hinzelmann]] (Grimms ''DS'' No. 75){{Refn|The Grimms abridge the single printed source, ''Der vielförmige Hintzelmann'', Feldmann (1704).}} features a typical house sprite, tidying the kitchen, repaying insolence, etc. Though normally invisible, it is a [[shapeshifter]] as its byname suggests. When the lord of [[Hudemühlen Castle]] flees to [[Hanover]], the sprite transforms into a feather to follow the horse carriage. It also appears as a marten and serpent after attempts at expelling it.

A kobold by the similar name Heintzlein (Heinzlein) was recorded by [[Martin Luther]].{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="heinzlein-var"}} Although a group of house sprite names (Heinz, Heinzel, Heinzchen, Heinzelman, Hinzelman, Hinzemännchen, etc.) are considered to derive from [[hypocorism|diminutive pet name]] of "Heinrich", the name Hinzelmann goes deeper, and alludes to the spirit appearing in the guise of a cat, the name Hinz[e] being an archetypical name for cats. Also Hinzelmann and [[Heinzelmänchen]] of Cologne are considered different house sprites altogether, the latter categorized as one of "literary" nature.{{Refn|name="hinzelmann-heinzelmann"}} The house sprite names Chim or Chimken, Chimmeken, etc. are diminutive informal names of Joachim.

But its true form is often said to be that of a small child, sometimes only felt to be as such by the touch of the hand, but sometimes a female servant eager to see it is shown a dead body of a child (cf. Hinzelmann). The folklore was current in some regions, e.g. Vogtland that the kobold was the soul of a child who died unbaptized. The Grimms (''Deutsche Sagen'') also seconded the notion of "kobold" appearing as a child wearing a pretty jacket, but [[Jacob Grimm]]  (''Deutsche Mythologie'') stated contrarily that kobolds are red-haired and red-bearded, without examples. Later commentators noted that the house sprite [[Petermännchen]] sports a long, white beard. The [[Klabautermann]] is red-haired and white-bearded according to a published source.{{efn|Additional examples exist if the bergmännlein (mountain, or mine spirits) are admitted as "kobolds".}}

The kobold often has the tendency to wear red pointy hats, a widely disseminated mark of European household spirits under other names such as the Norwegian ''[[Nisse (folklore)|nisse]]''; the North or Northeastern German kobolds named Niss or Puk (cog. [[Puck (folklore)|puck]]) are prone to wearing such caps. The combined form [[Nis Puk]] is also known. In the north the house sprite may be known by the dragon-like name {{lang|de|drak}}, said to appear in a form like a fire shaft.

Sometimes household sprites manifests as a noisemaker ([[poltergeist]]). It may first be such a rattler, then an invisible speaker, then a sprite doing chores, etc. and gradually making its presence and personality more clear (see [[Hinzelmann|Hintzelmann]] tale). In some regions, the kobold is held to be the soul of a prematurely killed child ({{section link||True identity as child's ghost}}).

They may be hard to eradicate, but it is often said that a gift of an article of clothing will cause them to leave.{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="gift-clothes"|Stith-Thompson's [[Motif-Index of Folk-Literature|motif index]] F405.11. "House spirit leaves when gift of clothing is left for it".}}{{Refn|Clothing to the {{lang|de|schretzchen}} of {{interlanguage link|Kremnitzmühle|de}}<ref name="fentsch1865"/>}}{{Refn|Slippers to the {{lang|de|heugütel}} (''heigidle'') of Erzgebirge/Vogtland.<ref name="meiche-no389">{{harvp|Meiche|1903}} "389. Noch mehr von Heugütel", pp. 292–293</ref>{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|pp=149–150}}}}

The ''klopfer'' is a "noisemaker" or [[poltergeist]] type of kobold name, while the ''poppele'' and ''butz'' (which Grimm and others considered to be noise inspired) are classed as names referring to a doll or figurine.<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/>

The name ''kobold'' itself might be classed in this "doll" type group, as the earliest instances of use of the word ''kobold'' in 13th century [[Middle High German]] refers jokingly to figurines made of wood or wax,<ref name="lexer-kobolt">[[Matthias Lexer|Lexer]] (1878). "{{URL|1=https://woerterbuchnetz.de/?sigle=Lexer&lemid=K02301|2=kóbolt, kobólt}}", ''Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch''</ref>{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=500–501}} and the word assumptively also meant "household spirit" in MHG,{{Refn|Since it is only attested only as "idolum" (in one of Diefenbach's sources), etc. among MHG glosses.<ref name="lexer-kobolt"/> But the Anglo-Saxon form ''cofgodu'' glossed as "[[penates]]" (household deity) bolsters the possibility that ''kobolt'' or some MHG cognate form corresponded to it.<ref name="lexer-kobolt"/><ref name="grein-cof">[[:de:Christian Wilhelm Michael Grein|Grein, Christian W. M.]] (1861–1864) ''Sprachschaß der angelsächsischen Dichter'' '''1''': 167, quoted also in Grimms ''DW'' "Kobold" III. 2).</ref>}} and certainly something of a "household deity" in the post-medieval period (gloss dated 1517).{{Refn|name="trochus-lares-kobolte"|Trochus, Balthasar (1517), {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjNoAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP9 |2=page A5}}<ref name="trochus1517"/> reads "lares foci sunt vulgo kobelte" as requoted in Grimms ''DW'' "Kobold" III. 2).<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold"/> [[Lares]] being household or hearth goddesses. The same work has an entry for "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjNoAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP159 |2=Lares/Penates}}", pp. O5–O6, discussing the household sacred beings using a mix of German, and including mention of ''Hutchen'' as a small shack or hutch.}}

The etymology of ''kobold'' that Grimm supported derived the word from Latin ''cobalus'' (Greek {{lang|grc|κόβαλος}}, {{Transliteration|grc|[[kobalos]]}}),{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=502}} but this was also [[Georg Agricola]]'s Latin/Greek cypher for ''kobel'', syn. {{interlanguage link|Berggeist|de|Berggeist|lt=''Bergmännlein''}} denoting mine spirits, i.e. [[gnome]].{{Refn|Agricola ''De Animantibus subterraneis'',<ref name="agricola1614"/> Eng. tr.,<ref name="agricola-tr-hoover1912"/> compared with Latin-German gloss to the work.<ref name="agricola1657-gloss"/>}} This Greek etymology has been superseded by the Germanic one explaining the word as the compound ''kob/kof'' 'house, chamber' + ''walt'' 'power, authority' (cf. [[cobalt#etymology]]).

The ''[[gütel]]'' has a variant {{lang|de|heugütel}}, a [[hayloft]] or stable kobold, which tampers with horses.

==Nomenclature and origins==

The "kobold" is defined as the well-known [[household spirit]], descended from household gods and hearth deities, according to Grimms' dictionary.{{Refn|name="DW-kobold1"|Grimm ''DW'' "kobold", I gives definition, III gives origins.<ref name="Grimm-DW-kobold">Grimm, ''Deutsches Wörterbuch'', Band 5, s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERSZv4n2zpEC&pg=PA1547 |2=Kobold}}"</ref>}}

However, [[Middle High German]] "{{lang|gmh|kóbolt, kobólt}}" is defined as "wooden or waxen figures of a [[Nixie (folklore)|nixie]]-ish (''neckische'') house spirit", used in jest<!--lächerliche-->.<ref name="lexer-kobold">Lexer, Max  (1872) ''Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch'' s.v. "{{URL|1=https://woerterbuchnetz.de/?sigle=Lexer&lemid=K02311 |2=kóbolt, kobólt}}"</ref>

===Kobold as generic term===
[[File:Praetorius(1668)-p0000-08haußmänner-kobolde-gütgen.jpg|thumb|Household spirit, kobold, or ''gütgen''{{right|{{small|―engraving by Thomas Cross, Sr. (fl. 1632-1682), frontispiece to Praetorius (1668) [1666] ''Anthropodemus Plutonicus''.}}}}]]
The term "kobold" was being used as general or generic term for "house spirit" known by other names even before Grimm, e.g., [[Erasmus Francisci]] (1690) who discusses the ''hütchen'' tale under the section on "Kobold".<ref name="francisci1690"/>{{efn|Francisi is one of the sources for Grimm's ''DS'' No. 74  ''Hütchen''.}} The book ''Hintzelmann'' (published 1701, second edition 1704) was an expanded reworking by an anonymous author, based on the older-dated diaries of Pastor Feldmann (fl. 1584–1589){{sfnp|Kiesewetter|1890|pp=9–10}} also used "kobold" and "poltergeist" in commentary,<ref>{{harvp|Feldmann|1704|loc=Cap. VI, p. 77}} And Cap. II, p. 27, where "Feld-Teufel.. Kobolte" are mentioned.</ref> but this cannot be considered an independent source since the book (i.e., the rewriter)  cites Erasmus Francisci elsewhere.{{sfnp|Feldmann|1704|pp=230, 251, 254}}{{efn|And since Francisci dates much later than the Pastor Feldmann to have known the work, it must have been interpolated by the anonymous editor.}} Both these were primary sources for the kobold tales in Grimms' ''Deutsche Sagen'', No. 74, 75.

Praetorius (1666) discussed the household spirit under names such as {{lang|de|Hausmann}} (dat. pl. {{lang|de|haußmännern}}{{sic}}, kobold, ''gütgen'', and Latin equivalents.<ref>{{harvp|Praetorius|1666|p=359}}; {{harvp|Praetorius|1668|p=311}}</ref>

Steier (1705) glossing kobold as "Spiritus familiaris"<ref name="steier-dict1705"/> perhaps indicates kobold being considered a generic term.

=== Glossed sources ===
It is a relatively late ''vocabularius'' where ''kobelte'' is glossed as (i.e., analogized as) the Roman house and hearth deities "[[Lares]]" and ''[[Penates]]'', as in Trochus (1517),{{Refn|name="trochus-lares-kobolte"}} or "kobold" with "{{lang|la|Spiritus familiaris}}" as in Steier (1705).<ref name="steier-dict1705"/>

While the term "kobold" is attested in [[Middle High German]] glossaries,<ref name="lexer-kobold"/> they may not corroborate a "house spirit" meaning. The terms {{lang|de|kobult}} together with {{lang|de|bancstichil, alp, more}} to gloss {{lang|la|procubus}} in [[Lorenz Diefenbach|Diefenbach]]'s<ref name="diefenbach-dict-procubare"/> source (Breslauer's ''Vocabularius'', 1340<ref name="diefenbach-dict-sources"/>){{Refn|Cited in Lexer, "kobolt".<ref name="lexer-kobolt"/>}} may (?) suggest "kobold" being regarded more like an [[Alp (folklore)|alp]] and [[Mare (folklore)|mare]] which are dream demons.

But indications are that these Germanic household deities were current in the older periods, attested by Anglo-Saxon ''cofgodu'' (glossed "penates")<ref name="lexer-kobolt"/><ref name="grein-cof"/> and Old High German ([[Old Frankish]]) {{langx|goh|hûsing, herdgota}} for house or hearth deities also glossed as ''penates''.{{Refn|name="notker-husing"|Old High German ''hûsing'' is glossed as Latin ''penates'' in [[Notker the Stammerer|Notker]],<ref name="notker"/> cited by Grimm.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=500}}}}

;(Middle High German location spirit ''stetewalden'')
There is an attestation to a ''kobold''-like name for a house or location spirit, given as {{lang|gmh|stetewalden}}{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=29}} by Frater Rudolfus of the 13th century,<ref>Franz, Adolf ed. (1906), Frater Rudolfus (c.  1235-1250) ''{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=cuEZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA428 |2=De officio cherubyn}}'', p. 428</ref> meaning "ruler of the site" ({{lang|la|genius loci}}).<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/><ref name="johansons1962"/>

====Ur-origins====
[[Otto Schrader (philologist)|Otto Schrader]] also observed that "cult of the hearth-fire" developed into "tutelary house deities, localized in the home", and the German kobold and the Greek ''[[Agathodaemon|agathós daímōn]]'' both fit this evolutionary path.{{Refn|Schrader (2003) [1908], p. 24<ref name="Schrader1908"/> also quoted by Olesen (2012),<ref name="olesen2012"/> but the latter appears to be synthesis and not direct quoting.}}{{Refn|Also repeated in other sources such as MacLaren{{sfnp|MacLaren|1857|p=xiii}} and Dowden (2000)<ref name="Dowden2000"/>}}

===Etymology===
The ''kobalt'' etymology as consisting of ''kob'' "chamber" + ''walt'' "ruler, power, authority", with the meaning of "[[household spirit]]" has been advanced by various authors, as early as {{interlanguage link|Christian Wilhelm Michael Grein|de|lt=Christian W. M. Grein}} (1861–1864) who postulated a form {{lang|de|*kobwalt}}, quoted in Grimms' dictionary.{{Refn|name="grein-cof"}} Other writers such as Müller-Fraureuth (1906) also weighed in on the question of its etymology.<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/>{{Refn|Also Glasenapp (1911) surveys the etymological considerations,{{sfnp|Glasenapp|1911|p=134}} and Kretschmer (1928) weighing in on kobold vs. gnome (mine spirit) names (virunculus montanos, etc.) as cited elsewhere.}}

Other linguists such as [[Otto Schrader (philologist)|Otto Schrader]] (1908) suggested ancestral ([[Old High German]]) {{lang|de|*kuba-walda}} "the one who rules the house".<ref name="Schrader1908"/> Dowden (2002) offers the hypothetical precursor {{lang|de|*kofewalt}}.<ref name="Dowden2000"/>

The ''kob/kub/kuf-'' root is possibly related to [[Old Norse]]/Icelandic: ''kofe'' "chamber",<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/><ref name="johansson1883"/> or [[Old High German]]: ''chubisi'' "house".<ref name="johansson1883"/> and the English word "cove" in the sense of 'shelter'.<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Müller-Fraureuth (1906) wrote that the form ''kobe'' survives in modern German "{{lang|de|[[:de:Schweinekoben|Schweinekoben]]}}",<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/> meaning "pig stall", and that the true original etymology contained the stem ''-Hold'' as a name for "demon".<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/>}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Yiddish linguist [[Paul Wexler (linguist)|Paul Wexler]] (2002), discussing German ''hold'' "beautiful" tangentially notes the etymology of ''kobold'' could derive from ''koben'' "[[pigsty]]" + ''hold'' "stall spirit". He also suggests -Hold for demon and "Holle" may be grouped as related terms, and notes pre-Christian tradition of girls offering twisted knots of hair to [[Frau Holle]]; in the subsequent entry he notes twisted bread ([[challah bread]]) may have something to do with Frau Holle, but this origin is masked by using a spelling suggestive of Hebrew origins.<ref name="wexler2003"/>}}

This is now accepted as the standard etymology.<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-kobold"/><ref name="Lurker-dict-kobold"/> Even though the Grimm brothers were aware of it,{{Refn|Namely through {{interlanguage link|Christian Wilhelm Michael Grein|de|lt=Grein}} (1861–1864), which the Grimms knew and quoted for the etymology of kobolt as "{{lang|de|hauses walten}}" in the Grimms' dictionary entry for "Kobold", II b).}} Jacob Grimm seemingly endorsed a different etymology ({{section link||Grimm's alternate etymology}}), though this eventually got displaced.{{sfnp|Glasenapp|1911|p=134}}<ref name="kretschmer1928"/>

==== Kobold as doll ====
There are no attested uses of the word "kobold" (Middle High German: ''kobolt'') prior to the 13th century. Grimm opines that earlier uses may have existed, but remain undiscovered or lost.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=500}}: "possibly earlier, if only we had authorities". Cf. note 4.</ref>{{efn|If there were attested OHG form, they would not need to be reconstructed.}}

The earliest known uses of the word ''kobold'' in 13th century [[Middle High German]] refer jokingly<!--Lexer: lächerliche "laughingly"--> to figurines made of wood or wax.<ref name="lexer-kobolt"/>{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=500–501}} The exemplum in [[Konrad von Würzburg]]'s poem (<1250) refers to a man as worthless as a kobold-doll made from [[Buxus sempervirens|boxwood]].{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=501}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Konrad's poem above seems to be a more complicated double metaphor to the {{lang|gmh|luhs}} (''{{linktext|Luchs}}'', "lynx", conceived of as a [[Hybrid (biology)|hybrid]] of fox and wolf, and therefore unable to breed) deriding someone as reproductively [[Sterility (physiology)|sterile]] and deceitful, just like a kobold doll.<ref name="KatalogTexte-KoarW.7.15">''Katalog der Texte. Älterer Teil (G - P)'', s.v.," {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=bCFNq1oETj0C&pg=PA207|2=KoarW/7/15 }}", citing Schröder 32, 211. Horst Brunner ed.</ref>}}

This use does not directly support the notion of the kobold being regarded as a spirit or deity. The scenario conjectured by Grimm (seconded by [[Karl Simrock]] in 1855) was that home sprites used to be carved from wood or wax and set up in the house, as objects of earnest veneration, but as the age progressed, they degraded into humorous or entertaining pieces of décor.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=500, 501}} "for fun"; and notes, vol. 4, {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888|p=1426}}</ref>{{Refn|Simrock: "{{lang|de|zuletzt mehr zum Scherz oder zur Zierde}} lately more as joke or for decor"<ref name="simrock1855"/>}}

;(Stringed puppet)
The ''kobolt'' and ''Tatrmann'' were also boxwood puppets manipulated by wires, which performed in puppet theater in the medieval period, as evident from example usage.<ref name="graesse1856"/><ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=501}}, citing ''Wahtelmaere'' 140, "rihtet zuo mit den snüeren die tatermanne" alludes to it being "guid[ed].. with strings".</ref> The traveling [[juggler]] ({{langx|de|Gaukler}}) of yore used to make a kobold doll appear out of their coats, and make faces with it to entertain the crowd.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=501–502}}<ref name="graesse1856"/>

[[Thomas Keightley]] comments that legends and folklore about kobolds can be explained as "ventriloquism and the contrivances of servants and others".{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=254}}

The 17th century expression ''to laugh like a kobold'' may refer to these dolls with their mouths wide open, and it may mean "to laugh loud and heartily".<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|1875|loc='''1''':415 }}: ''lachen als ein kobold'', p. 424 "koboldische lachen"; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=502}} "laugh like a kobold", p. 512 tr. as "goblin laughter".</ref>

;(Dumb doll insult)

There are other medieval literary examples using ''kobold'' or ''tatrmann'' as a metaphor for mute or dumb human beings.{{Refn|Other examples: Satire of the clergy as "wooden bishop",  or "wooden sexton".<ref name="simrock1855"/> A man in silence is likened to a mute doll,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=501}} hence the comparison of a kobold struck dumb and the wooden bishop (citing Mîsnaere in ''Amgb'' (''Altes meistergesangbuch'' in Myllers sammlung) 48<sup>a</sup>). A man hearing confession compared to kobold, in a ''[[Fastnachtspiel]]''.<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold"/>}}

Note that some of the kobold synonyms are specifically classified as ''Kretinnamen'', under the slander for stupidity category in the ''HdA'', as aforementioned.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|pp=31–32}}

===Grimm's alternate etymology===
Joseph Grimm in ''Teutonic Mythology'' gave the etymology of ''kobold/kobolt'' as derived from Latin ''cobalus'' (pl. ''cobali'')  or rather its antecedent Greek ''koba'los'' (pl. ''kobaloi''; {{langx|grc|Κόβαλος}}, plural: {{lang|grc|Κόβαλοι}}) meaning "joker, trickster".{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="cobalos-trickster"|Although Grimm's ''Teutonic Mythology'' glossed the word ''cobalus'' as "''{{linktext|Schalk}}''" and this got translated as 'rogue', [[Liddell and Scott]] actually gives "impudent rogue, arrant knave",<ref name="Liddell&Scott-kobalos"/> which is pointed out as being dated<!--and which obviously was not meant to be taken as [[rogue (vagrant)]] -->: here, "joker" would be appropriate in present-day colloquy.<ref name="tordoff2023"/> Others suggest "trickster".<ref name="hawhee2020"/>}}{{Refn|Aristotle describes an owl as both a mime and a ''kobalos'' ("trickster").<ref name="horton2024"/> Older German-English dictionaries define ''Schalk'' as "rogue" or "wag", again, dated terms, whereas "{{linktext|scamp}}, joker" is given by a later linguist.<ref name="lockwood1987"/> Glasenapp believed ''cobalus'' meant a professional joker, buffoon, sycophant.{{sfnp|Glasenapp|1911|p=134}}}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Grimm also characterizes kobold as a "tiny tricky home-sprite"<!--winziger, trügerischer hausgeist --> and comments at length on its laughter.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=502}} Note that the cobali are described as having the habit to "mimic men", "laugh with glee, and pretend to do much, but really do nothing", and "throw pebbles at the workmen" doing no real harm.<ref name="agricola-tr-hoover1912"/>}} The final ''-olt'' he explained as typical [[German language]] suffix for monsters and supernaturals.<ref name="Grimm-DM-cobalus">{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=500}}; {{harvp|Grimm|1875|pp=415–416}}</ref>

The derivation of ''kobold'' from Greek ''kobalos'' is not original to Grimm, and he credits [[Ludwig Wachler]] (1737).{{Refn|Grimm, ''DW'' "kobold" III 1) and III 2) b),<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold"/> He also acknowledges [[Cornelis Kiliaan|Cornelis Kilian]] [1574] dated earlier, though technically that was an etymological solution for "kabouter-manneken" derived from ''cobalus''/{{lang|el|κόβαλος}}.<ref name="kiliaan-kabouter">[[Cornelis Kiliaan|Kiliaan, Cornelis]] (1620) [1574] ''Etymologicum teutonicae linguae''  s.v. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=ggUwlkX3RxsC&pg=RA3-PA217 |2=kabouter-manneken}}</ref>}}{{sfnp|Glasenapp|1911|p=132}}

Thus the generic "goblin"{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=500}} is a cognate of "kobold" according to Grimm's etymology, and perhaps even a descendant word deriving from "kobold".<ref name="Dowden2000"/><ref>Knapp 62.</ref> The [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''kabout'', ''kabot'', ''[[kabouter]]'', ''kaboutermanneken'', etc., were also regarded as deriving from ''cabolus'' by Grimm, citing Dutch linguist [[Cornelis Kiliaan]].{{Refn|K[[Cornelis Kiliaan|Kiliaan, Cornelis]] (1574)<ref name="kiliaan-kabouter"/> cited by Grimms ''DW'' "Kobold" III 3) b) c)}}{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=502}}

===Conflation with mine spirit===
{{Further|gnome|Cobalt#etymology}}
Jacob Grimm certainly knew that ''kobel'' and ''Bergmännlein'' (=''Bergmännchen''{{efn|-lein, -chen are the commonest German diminutives}}) were the proper terms Agricola used for "mine spirits" since his ''Deutsche Mythologie'' quoted these terms from [[Georgius Agricola]] (16th cent.) in the annotation volume.<ref name="grimm-DM-kobel">{{harvp|Grimm|1878}} {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=VD7aAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA129 |2=''DM'' '''3''': 129}}, Anmerkungen zu S. 377; Grimm (1888), {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=uy1LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1414&q=bergmenlein |2=''Teut. Myth.'' '''4''': 1414}}</ref>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The source was Agricola's ''De animatibus'' (1549), but Grimm attributed it to a different work, ''de re metallica Libri XII'' due to confusion. Basically Agricola wrote in Latin any German terms were Latinized or Graecized (thus "cobalos").<ref name="agricola1614"/>}}<ref name="agricola-tr-hoover1912"/> So to know the actual German terms ("kobel"), one needed to consult the glossary<!--''Appellationes quadrupedum, insectorum, volucrium, piscium'' (1563)--><ref name="LibrarySurgeonGeneral1941"/> The glossary was later attached to a 1657 omnibus edition consisting of an excerpt of ''De animatibus'' added to ''de re metallica'' in XII books, which is clearly Basel 1657 edition Grimm is citing.<ref name="agricola1657-gloss"/>

But Grimms' dictionary, while admitting that the mine spirit went by the name ''kobel'', considered that word merely to be a variant or offshoot of ''kobold'' (for the house spirit). The dictionary stated under "kobold" that ''kobel'' must be a diminutive cognate {{linktext|Nebenform}}).{{Refn|Grimms ''DW'' "kobold", III. ursprung, nebenformen, 3) a) gives among the {{linktext|Nebenname}}  ''kobel'', regarding it as a diminutive.<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold"/>}} And under "kobalt" it considered the name of [[cobalt]] ore derived from the supposed mischief caused by the ''kobold'' or {{interlanguage link|Bergeist|de|lt=''Bergmännchen''}} (mountain manikin, mountain spirit) in these mines.<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobalt"/>

Thus unsurprisingly, later writers have continued referring to mine spirits as "kobolds", or to consider "kobold" to be both house spirit and mine spirit in a wider sense{{Refn|e.g., [[Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable]],<ref name="brewers-dict-cobalt"/> spiritualist [[Emma Hardinge Britten]]<ref name="britten1884"/>}} (cf. {{section link||Literary references}}, {{section link||Fantasy novels and anime}}). At any rate it is recognized that the original "house spirit" kobold got conflated with the "mine spirit", also known as ''kobel''.{{Refn|As recapped by German linguist [[Paul Kretschmer]] (1928). The conflation occurred when the original sense of ''kobold'' as "house spirit" ({{lang|de|Hausgeist}}) which had been faithful to the "standard" etymology (''koben'' "chamber' + ''walt'' "ruler, power, authority") was later corrupted by the sense of "mine spirits" (which had names like "mountain manikin"), undergoing a meaning shift.<ref name="kretschmer1928"/>}}

==== Visitors from mines ====
Spiritualist [[Emma Hardinge Britten]] (1884) recorded a story about a "kobolds" in the mines who communicated with local German residents (of [[Harz Mountains]]?) using banging sounds, and fulfilled the promise to visit their homes. Extracted as real-life experience from a Mrs. Kalodzky, who was visiting peasants named Dorothea and Michael Engelbrecht.{{Refn|On the three first days after our arrival, we only heard a few dull knocks, sounding in and about the mouth of the mine, as if produced by some vibrations or very distant blows..."<ref name="britten1884"/>}} As promised, these kobolds appeared in the house in shadow as small human-like figures "more like a little image carved out of black shining wood".{{Refn|<blockquote>We were about to sit down to tea when Mdlle. Gronin called our attention to the steady light, round, and about the size of a cheese plate, which appeared suddenly on the wall of the little garden directly opposite the door of the hut in which we sat.<br><br>Before any of us could rise to examine it, four more lights appeared almost simultaneously, about the same shape, and varying only in size. Surrounding each one was the dim outline of a small human figure, black and grotesque, more like a little image carved out of black shining wood, than anything else I can liken them to. Dorothea kissed her hands to these dreadful little shapes, and Michael bowed with great reverence. As for me and my companions, we were so awe-struck yet amused at these comical shapes, that we could not move or speak until they themselves seemed to flit about in a sort of wavering dance, and then vanish, one by one.<ref name="britten1884"/></blockquote>}}{{efn|For Further description of "mine kobolds" aka ''Berggeist[er]'' given by Britten, cf. [[Gnome#Communication through noises]].}} The informant claims she and her husband{{efn|Mr. Kalodzky, who taught at the Hungarian School of Mines.}} have both seen the beings since, and described them as "diminutive black dwarfs about two or three feet in height, and at that part which in the human being is occupied by the heart, they carry the round luminous circle", and the sighting of the circle is more common than the dwarfish beings.<ref name="britten1884"/>

==Subtypes==
;(Other house spirits)
{{Location map+|Germany|width=400|float=right|caption=Kobold or ''Hausgeist'' names in Germany, by categories (sample){{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Compare published map by Schäfer et al. (2000)<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/>}}<br />
A. [[File:Wikimoji-A.svg|10px]] [Doll] Güttel,{{Refn|Place-marked at [[Reichenbach, Thuringia|Reichenbach]] in the Thüringen-Sächsen Vogtland.<ref name="HdA-Burren-guetel"/> The form '''{{lang|de|heugütel}}''' at Reichenbach is recorded in legend,<ref name="koehler1867"/> corrupted locally to "heigidle"<ref name="meiche-no389"/>}} Poppele{{Refn|Classed as A or doll name by ''HdA'', though Grimm suggest it is a noise name (which would be D). Place-marked at [[Freiburg im Breisgau]] since<!--it eyeball-guess coincides with Schaefer et al map, and--> it is in Baden, in the nexus with Swabia. {{interlanguage link|Johannes Künzig|de}}'s paper on it is signed at that city, and discusses '''{{lang|de|Poppele}}''' as a Baden tradition;<ref name="kuenzig1930"/> while Grimm says it is the house spirit in Swabia.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=505}}}}.<br />
B. [[File:Wikimoji-B-blue.svg|10px]] [Cretin] Schretzelein{{Refn|Place-marked at [[Hof (district)]], Bavaria, the ''höfische Chronik'' being named as source for '''{{lang|de|Schretzelein }}''' legend,<ref name="koehler1867-no056-schretzelein">{{harvp|Köhler|1867}} {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=GW4AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA479 |2=§56. Schretzelein}}, p. 479.</ref> more precisely [[:de:Hartungs|Hartungs]] village.<ref name="reichold1926"/>}}<br />
C. [[File:Wikimoji-C-yellow.svg|10px]] a) [Apparel] Hüdeken<ref>Place-marked at Hildesheim</ref> b) [Beastform] Hinzelmann,{{Refn|Place-marked at [[Hudemühlen]] as per Grimms' No. 75 with a single source.<ref name="Grimms-DS075-hinzelmann"/>}} Kazten-veit<ref>Place-marked at Fichtelberg after Grimm</ref><br />
D. [[File:Wikimoji-D-green.svg|10px]] [Noise] Klopfer{{Refn|Place-marked its setting, the ruin of Castle Flügelau at [[Crailsheim]] in [[Franconia]], as per Grimms' No. 76 with its single source.<ref name="Grimms-DS076-klopfer"/>}}<br />
E. [[File:Wikimoji-E-purple.svg|10px]] [Person name] Chimmeken{{Refn|Place-marked at Mecklenburg, as per Kantzow.<ref name="kantzow-ed-kosegarten"/>}}  Woltken, Chimken{{Refn|Place-marked at Nortorf, where Meigen had his pastorship.<ref name="muellenhoff-no430-Wolterken"/>}} [[Nis Puk|Niß-Puk]]{{Refn|Place-marked at Stapelholm, as per Müllenhoff and Thorpe<ref name="muellenhoff-no430-Wolterken"/>{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=48–49}}}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="nisspuk-categ"}}<br />
G. [[File:Wikimoji-G-orange.svg|10px]] [Demon] Puk{{Refn|Place-markable on the island of Rügen, [[Landkreis Stolp|Kreis Stolp]] (now Słupsk) {{interlanguage link|Landkreis Köslin|de|lt=Kreis Köslin}} (now Koszalin), some of the localizations of Pomeranian lore,{{sfnp|Berger|2001|p=163}} but Polish territory are out of bounds on map.}}<br />
H. [[File:Wikimoji-H-fuchsia.svg|10px]] [Literary] Heinzelmänchen{{Refn|Plotted at Cologne, as per the tome on the city by Weyden (1826). Note Schäffer et al. map leaves this spot blank.<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/>}}<br />
I. [[File:Wikimoji-I-lime.svg|10px]] [Dragon] Drak.{{Refn|Place-marked on the island of Rügen{{sfnp|Berger|2001|p=168}} Swinemünde / Świnoujście{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=155}} and at Thürberg near Tremmen<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} 119．{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=zm4AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA103 |2=Spuk am Thürberg}}</ref>}} Alrun{{Refn|Place-marked at Saterland, as per Strackerjan<ref name="strackerjan1867-no265"/> Classified as I dragon name, as accord. to HdA, though the reasoning is not clarified.}}{{Refn|Also place-marked at East Frisian Nordmohr{{=}}[[Nortmoor]]<ref name="kuhn&schwarz-PartC-XVI-220"/>}}<br />

[[File:Legenda kopalnia.svg|10px]] = "mine spirit".
|border=#ccc|places=
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.583 |long=13 |position=right|label=[Erzgebirge]|background=transparent|mark=Blank subnational shield.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.766 |long=15.616 |position=right|label=[Riesengebirge]|background=transparent|mark=Blank subnational shield.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.518611 |long=13.408333 |position=right|label=[Berlin]|background=transparent|mark=Blank subnational shield.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=51.800556 |long=10.617222 |position=right|label=[Harz Mts.]|background=transparent|mark=Blank subnational shield.svg|marksize=10}}
  {{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.05 |long=11.85 |position=right|label=[Fichtelgebirge]|background=transparent |mark=Blank subnational shield.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.616667 |long=12.3 |position=left|background=transparent|label=Güttel<!--[th.-säch. Vogtland]--><!--Reichenbach-->|mark=Wikimoji-A.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=47.995 |long=7.85|position=left|background=transparent|label=Poppele|mark=Wikimoji-A.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=51.75 |long=14.5 |position=left|background=transparent|label=Güttel<!--Niederlausitz-->|mark=Legenda kopalnia.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.25 |long=11.83 |position=left|background=transparent|label=Schretzelein<!--Hof (district) /alt Hartungs 50.2783,11.796-->|mark=Wikimoji-B-blue.svg |marksize=10}}

{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.15 |long=9.95|position=right |background=transparent|label=Hüdeken<!-- Hildesheim-->|mark=Wikimoji-C-yellow.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.766|long=9.583 |position=right |background=transparent|label=Hinzelmann<!--Hudemühlen --> |mark=Wikimoji-C-yellow.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.428611|long=12.954722|position=right |background=transparent|label=Katzen-veit<!--Fichtelberg--> |mark=Wikimoji-C-yellow.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=49.134 |long=10.070 |position=center |background=transparent|label=Klopfer<!--Flügelau at Crailsheim-->|mark=Wikimoji-D-green.svg |marksize=10 }}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=53.033 |long=7.716 |position=center |background=transparent|label=Alrun<!--Saterland, Lower Saxony-->|mark=Wikimoji-I-lime.svg |marksize=10 }}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=53.233 |long=7.566 |position=center |background=transparent|label=Alrun<!--East Frisian Nordmohr ≈ Nortmoor, Lower Saxony-->|mark=Wikimoji-I-lime.svg |marksize=10 }}

{{Location map~|Germany|lat=54.166 |long=9.866 |position=center |background=transparent|label=Woltken・Chimken<!--Nortorf-->|mark=Wikimoji-E-purple.svg |marksize=10 }}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=54.35 |long=9.25|position=left |background=transparent|label=[[File:Wikimoji-E-purple.svg|10px]]Niß-Puk<!--Stapelholm-->|mark=Wikimoji-G-orange.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=53.837 |long=11.471 |position=right |background=transparent|label=Chimmeken<!--Mecklenburg-->|mark=Wikimoji-E-purple.svg |marksize=10}}

{{Location map~|Germany|lat=53.916 |long=14.016 |position=right |background=transparent|label=Pûks・<br />[[File:Wikimoji-I-lime.svg|10px]]Drak<!--Mellenthin [alt Swinemünde / Świnoujście 53.916, 14.25 ]-->|mark=Wikimoji-G-orange.svg |marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=50.936389 |long=6.952778 |position=right|label=Heinzelmänchen<!--[Köln]-->|background=transparent|mark=Wikimoji-H-fuchsia.svg|marksize=10}}
{{Location map~|Germany|lat=54.413 |long=13.359 |position=right |background=transparent|label=Puk・[[File:Wikimoji-I-lime.svg|10px]]Drak<!--Isle of Rügen-->|mark=Wikimoji-G-orange.svg |marksize=10}}
{{void|{{Location map~|Germany|lat=54.2 |long=16.183 |position=left |background=transparent|label=Puk<!--Köslin Koszalin-->|mark=Wikimoji-G-orange.svg |marksize=10}}}}

{{Location map~|Germany|lat=52.528 |long=12.817 |position=left |background=transparent|label=<!--Thürberg near Tremmen -->Drak|mark=Wikimoji-I-lime.svg|marksize=10}}

}}
The term ''kobold'' has slipped into becoming a generic term, translatable as ''goblin'', so that all manners of household spirits (''hausgeister'') became classifiable as "types" of kobold. Such alternate names for the ''kobold'' house sprite are classified by type of naming (A. As doll, B. As pejoratives for stupidity, C. Appearance-based, D. Characteristics-based, E. Diminutive [[pet name]] based), etc., in the {{interlanguage link|Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens|de|lt=''Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens''}} (''HdA'').{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The remaining categories are: F. ''{{linktext|Rufname}}'' (proper first name) G. Devil-name (incl. Puck) H. Literary name (e.g. Gesamtname), I. Dragon name (incl. Alf, Alber, Drak, Alrun, Tragerl, Herbrand
K. Different names (Mönch).}}<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/>

A geographical map of Germany labeled with the different regional appellations has appeared in a 2020 publication.<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/>

Grimm, after stating that the list of kobold (or household spirit) in German lore can be long, also adds the names {{lang|de|Hütchen}} and {{lang|de|Heinzelmann}}.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|1875|pp=420–421}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=508–509}}</ref>

===Doll or puppet names===
The term ''kobold'' in its earliest usage suggest it to be a wooden doll (Cf. §Origins under {{section link||Doll or idol}} below). A synonym for kobold in that sense includes ''Tatrmann'', which is also attested in the medieval period.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=501}}

What is clear is that these kobold dolls were puppets used in plays and by travelling showmen, based on 13th century writings. They were also known as '''{{lang|de|tatrmann}}''' and described as manipulated by wires. Either way, the idol or puppet was invoked rhetorically in writing by the [[minstrel]]s, etc. to mock [[clergymen]] or other people.{{Refn|The {{interlanguage link|Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens|de|lt=''Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens''}} assigns kobold synonyms separately as A. doll names and B. names for deriding an imbecile, but comments that the A type names served as B type pejoratives.<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/>}}

The household spirit names '''{{lang|de|poppele}}''' and '''{{lang|de|butz}}''' were thought by Grimm to derive from noise-making,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=505, 507}} but the ''HdA'' considers them to be doll names. The ''poppele'' is thought to be the German word ''Puppe'' for doll.<ref>German word corresponding to French ''pouppé'', in the HdA</ref> The term ''Butz'' meanwhile could refer to a "tree trunk", and by extension either "overgrown" or "little", or "stupid" thus is cross-categorized as an example of "cretin names" (category B).<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/><ref name="Grimm-DW-butzputz">Cf. Grimm ''DW'' "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=_60YAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA589 |2=Butz, Putz}}" sense 4), apparently a part of a wood or hedge that needs be trimmed off.</ref> Ranke suggests the meaning of {{lang|de|Klotz}} ("klutz, hunk of wood") or a "small being", with a "noisemaker ghost" is possible by descent from MHG {{lang|gmh|bôzen}} "to beat, strike".<ref name="HdA-Ranke-butz"/>

While the MHG dictionary defines {{lang|gmh|Butze}} as a "knocking[-sound making] kobold" or poltergeist, or frightening form,<ref name="lexer-butze">[[Matthias Lexer|Lexer]] (1878). "{{URL|1=https://woerterbuchnetz.de/?sigle=Lexer&lemid=B04800|2=butze}}", ''Mittelhochdeutsches Handwörterbuch''</ref> Grimm thinks that all MHG usage treats ''butze'' as a type of bogey or [[scarecrow]] ({{lang|de|Popanz und Vogelscheuch}}).<ref name="Grimm-DW-butzebutz">Grimm, ''Deutsches Wörterbuch'', Band 2, s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=_60YAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA589|2=Butze, Butz}}"</ref> So in some sense, ''Butz''[''e''] is simply a generic bogeyman (German: ''[[:de:Butzemann|Butzemann]]''). And ''butz''[''e''], while nominally a kobold (house spirit), is almost a generic term for all kinds of spectres in the Alps region.<ref name="HdA-Ranke-butz"/>

The [[East Central German]] name {{lang|de|gütel}} or {{lang|de|güttel}} (diminutive of "god", i.e. "little god", var. {{lang|de|heugütel}}<ref name="koehler1867"/><ref name="meiche-no389"/>) has been suggested as a kobold synonym of the fetish figurine type.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=31}} Grimm knew the term but placed the discussion of it under the "[[Wild man of the wood]]s" section<ref>Ch. XVII, §Scrat (faunus). Wood-folk. In the annotation supplementary volume to be more precise: {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888|loc={{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=uy1LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1426|2='''4''': 1426}}}}, to  {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888|loc='''2''': 483}}.</ref> conjecturing the use of ''güttel'' as synonymous to {{lang|de|götze}} (i.e., sense of 'idol') in medieval [[Germanic heroic legend|heroic legend]].{{Refn|''[[Wolfdietrich]]'', Str. 590, in [[Friedrich Heinrich von der Hagen|von der Hagen]] (1855) edition ''[[Heldenbuch]]'', {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=_GMCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA236&q=g%C3%BCttel |2=Vol. 1, p. 236}}. Cited by {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888|loc='''1''': 483}}.}}{{Refn|{{harvp|Grimm|1878|loc='''4''': 139}} only has: "ein guttel (? götze). Wolfdietr. in Hagens heldenb. s. 236". But Grimm mentions ''götze'' elsewhere as 'idol' ({{harvp|Grimm|1875|loc='''1''': 12, 86}} and {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|loc='''1''': 513}}, citing {{harvp|Sommer|1846}}, pp. 38, 173 （"{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=3AtOAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA38|2=33. Das Jesuskind im alten Hospital zu Halle}}" and endnote） where it is evidently a dress-up baby Jesus doll. Sommer's endnote makes connection with the custom of bathing the ''alrune'' doll (Cf. {{section link||Mandrake root dolls}} and dressing it up in white shirt.)}} The term ''gütel'' answers to Agricola's  ''guteli'' (in Latin) as an alternate common name for the mine spirit (''bergmännlein'').<ref name="agricola-tr-hoover1912"/><ref name="HdA-Burren-guetel"/>

====Mandrake root dolls====
{{See also|Mandrake#Alraun}}
[[File:Praetorius(1668)-p0000-15Pflantzleute-Alraunen.jpg|thumb|Plant-people, Alraun (mandrake) {{right|{{small|―engraving by Thomas Cross, Sr. (fl. 1632-1682), frontispiece to Praetorius (1668) [1666] ''Anthropodemus Plutonicus''.}}}}]]
The ''HdA'' categorizes {{lang|de|Alrune}}  as a dragon name.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}} In English, "mandrake" is easily seen as a "-drake" or "dragon" name. In German, a reference needs be made to the Latin form ''mandragora'' where ''-dragora'' came to be regarded as meaning a dragon.<ref name="HdA-Marzell-alraun"/>

Since the mandrake do not natively grown in Germany, the so-called ''Alrune'' dolls were manufactured out of the available roots such as [[bryony]] of the gourd family, [[gentian]], and [[Potentilla erecta|tormentil]] (''[[:de:Blutwurz|Blutwurz]]'').<ref name="HdA-Marzell-alraun"/>{{rp|316}} The lore surrounding them is thus more like a charm whose possession brought luck and fortune, supposedly through the agency of some spirit,<ref name="HdA-Marzell-alraun"/>{{rp|319}} rather than a house-haunting kobold. The alraune doll was also known by names such as {{lang|de|glücksmännchen}} (generic name for such dolls<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-gluecksmaennchen"/>) and {{lang|de|galgenmännlein}}.<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-gluecksmaennchen"/><ref name="HdA-Marzell-alraun"/> It is a mistake to consider such alraun dolls as completely equivalent to the kobald, the household spirit, in Grimm's opinion.{{Refn|"The alraun[e] or gallowsmannikin ({{langx|de|Galgenmännlein}}) in {{harvp|Grimms|1816}} ''Deutsche Sagen'' nos. 83 84 is not properly a kobold, but a semi-diabolic being carved out of a root".<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|loc=p. 513, n2}}; {{harvp|Grimm|1878|loc='''3''': 148}}, note to '''1''': 424</ref>}}

But the kobold kind known as Alrune ({{lang|nds|alrûne}}) did indeed exist locally in the folklore of the north, in [[Saterland]], Lower Saxony.{{Refn|Strackerjan (1867) No. 265.<ref name="strackerjan1867-no265"/> According to No. 264, "Alrun" is a special type of "kobold" (though this is not current in the [[Oldenburg (city)|Oldenburg]] area).}}{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=156–157}} Alrune was also recognized as a kobold-name in Friesland,{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=156–157}} and even Switzerland.<ref name="vernaleken1859"/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Thorpe cites Grimm's ''DM'' so he realizes this is a term for a plant root (''kräuzer'').<ref>Thorpe citing Grimm (1844) {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=OS9mAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1153 |2=Ch. XXXVII, '''2''': 1153}} {{=}} Grimm (1877) Ch. XXXVII, '''2''': 1007.</ref>}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|In the south, "[[Heinzelmännchen]]" confusingly carries the different meaning of mandrake root ({{langx|de|{{linktext|Alraun}}, Alraunwurzel}}).<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen"/> Perhaps this explains why Arrowsmith lists mandrake names (Allerünken, Alraune, Galgenmännlein) as synonyms for kobold in the south.<ref name="arrowsmith1977"/>}}

===Cretin names===
{{further|Schrat}}
The aforementioned ''butz'' may allude to a wooden object, or a "dolt" by extension. The [[Schrat]] (Schratte) is also formally categorized as a "cretin name" type of kobold nomenclature in the ''HdA''.<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/> However, the term ''Schrat'' and its variants has remained current in the sense of "house spirit" only in certain parts such as "southeast Germany": more specifically northern Bavaria including the [[Upper Palatinate]], [[Fichtel Mountains]], [[Vogtland]] (into Thuringia), and Austria ([[Styria]] and [[Carinthia]]) according to the various sources the ''HdA'' cites.<ref>{{harvp|Ranke|1936|p=1288}}, note 54)</ref>

The tale "Schrätel und wasserbär" (kobold and polar bear) had been recorded in [[Middle High German]],<ref name="taylor1919"/> and is recognized as a "genuine" kobold tale.{{sfnp|Ranke|1936|p=1288}} The tale is set in Denmark, whose king received the gift of a polar bear and lodges at a peasant's house infested by a "schretel". But it is driven away by the ferocious bear, which the spirit thinks is a "big cat".<ref name="taylor1919"/> Obviously Scandinavian origin is suspected, with the Norwegian version retaining the polar bear which turns into other beasts in Central European variants.{{sfnp|Taylor|1919|pp=306–307}} [[Old Norse]]/Icelandic ''{{linktext|skratti}}'' meaning "sorcerer, giant" has been listed as cognate forms.{{sfnp|Ranke|1936|p=1286}}

There exists a version of this water-bear tale, set in [[Bad Berneck im Fichtelgebirge]], [[Upper Franconia]], where a ''holzfräulein'' has been substituted for the schrätel, and the haunting occurring at a miller's, and the "big cat" dispatching the spirit.<ref>Grimm (1888), {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=uy1LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1424 |2=''Teut. Myth.'' '''4''': 1424}}, note to '''1''': 480.</ref> Still, the forms {{lang|de|schrezala}} and {{lang|de|schretselein}} seemed to be current around Fichtelgebirge ([[Fichtel Mountains]]), or at least in Upper Franconia region as a sprite haunting a house or stable.{{Refn|Zapf (1874), p. 38<ref name="zapf1874"/> cited by Ranke in ''HdA'', p. 1289 note 54), as Zapf p. 43.}} The ''schrezala'' form is recognized in Vogtland also.<ref name="fentsch1865"/>

Thus ''schretzelein'' is marked in Upper Franconia (around [[Hof, Bavaria]]) in the location map above, based on additional sources.{{Refn|The tale of ''schretzelein'' is sourced from ''höfische Chronik'' [[Hof, Bavaria]] in Köhlers's anthology of Vogtand lore.<ref name="koehler1867-no056-schretzelein"/>}}{{Refn|"Das Schrezelein in Hartungs" is set in {{interlanguage link|Hartungs, Bavaria|de|Hartungs|lt=Hartungs}}, [[Hof (district)]], Upper Franconia. It haunts a horse's stable.<ref name="reichold1926"/>}} A {{lang|de|schretzchen}} reputedly haunted a household at {{interlanguage link|Kremnitzmühle|de}} near [[Teuschnitz]],  Upper Franconia, and tended to cattle, washed the dishes, and put out the fire. But when the mistress of the house well-intendedly gave the gift of clothing to the spirit who looked like a six-year old {{linktext|ragamuffin}}, it exclaimed it had been now been given payment and must now leave.<ref name="fentsch1865"/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="gift-clothes"}} However, the forms {{lang|de|schrägele, schragerln}} are marked in Upper Franconia and {{lang|de|schretzelein}} in [[Lower Franconia]] on Schäfer et al.'s map.<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020"/>

Forms of ''schrat'' as kobold also occurs in Poland as ''skrzat'', glossed in a c. 1500 dictionary as a household spirit ({{lang|pl|duchy rodowe}}), also known by variant ''skrot''.{{Refn|[[Alexander Brückner|Brückner]]'s Polish dictionary <ref name="brueckner-dict-skrzat"/> cited by Ranke, note 34)<ref name="HdA-Ranke-schrat"/>}} The Czech forms (standardized as {{lang|cs|škrat, škrátek, škrítek}}) could mean a kobold, but could also denote a "mine spirit" or a [[hag]].{{Refn|Grimm points to Czech {{lang|cs|skřet, skřjtek}} glossed as {{lang|la|penas}} somewhere, justifying "kobold" meaning.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|1875|loc='''1''': 397}}</ref><ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|loc='''1''': 479}}</ref> However, Brückner gives Czech {{lang|cs|skrátek, szkrzítek }} as "hag, baba" ({{lang|pl|jędzy}}) or "mine spirit" ({{lang|pl|duchu-górniku}}).<ref name="brueckner-dict-skrzat"/> and the extrapolation of latter by Ranke to "gold-bringing devil" ({{lang|de|Gold bringender Teufel}}) would appear to require additional sources. The standardized forms {{lang|cs|škrat, škrátek, škrítek}} are not in the given sources, and occurs, e.g., in [[Josef Jungmann]]'s Czech-German dictionaries that also identifies Czech-Latin glosses.<ref name="jungmann-dict-skřet"/>}}

===Pet names===
{{see also|hypocorism}}

There is a roster of names of kobolts or little folk derived from shortened affectionate forms of human names, including Chimken (Joachim),
Wolterken (Walter), Niss (Nils).<ref name="lecouteux-dict-dwarfnames"/><ref>Category E ''Kosenamen'', {{harvp|Weiser-Aall|1933|pp=32–33}}</ref>

While Hinz, Hinzelmann, Heinz are categorized as C subtype "beast-shape names" (cat-shape names) in the HdA (Cf. {{section link||Cat-shape}}, below),{{Refn|Weiser-Aall, "kobold",<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold"/> citing as 39) her own paper.<ref name="NdZfVk4.3"/>}}

The HdA does not explicitly include the child-sprite Heintzlein (Heinzlein) mentioned by [[Martin Luther]] in his ''[[Table Talk (Luther)|Table Talk]]'', which turns out to be the spirit of the unwanted child murdered by its mother (a motif seen by kobolds elsewhere).{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="heinzlein-var"|Luther's child spirit originally called {{lang|de|Heintzlein}}<ref name="luther1846"/> or {{lang|de|Heinzlein}}<ref name="luther1846"/> but altered to "Heinzchen" in Heine.<ref name="luther-apud-heine"/> The name is given as Heinzlin" by Grimm's ''DM'', citing the 1577 edition of Luther.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|loc=p. 503, n4}}{{sfnp|Grimm|1875|loc='''1''': 416, n4}}}} This spirit is renamed "Heinzchen" in Heine's exposition,<ref name="luther-apud-heine">{{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=140–141}} Heine requotes via Dobeneck.</ref> and perhaps also in Grimm's ''Deutsche Sagen'' No. 71 as well.<ref>{{harvp|Grimms|1816}}, No. 71 "Kobold", p. 92. Luther's Table-Talk is listed as a source.</ref>

Grimm also lists other variant spellings ({{lang|de|heinzelman, hinzelman, hinzemännchen}}) to be considered together. Grimm's commentary then mentions Heinze as a mountain sprite (''[[:de:Berggeist|Berggeist]]'', [[gnome]]) in [[Gabriel Rollenhagen|Rollenhagen]]'s ''Froschmeuseler'', Heinze being a diminutive (or rather more properly the affectionate shortened forms, or [[hypocorism]]) of Heinrich.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|1875|pp=416–417}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=503–504}}</ref>

The kobold [[Heinzelmännchen]] (another diminutive of Heinrich<ref name="lecouteux-dict-dwarfnames"/>) is particularly associated with Cologne,<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen"/> is actually separated out as a "Category H Literary name" in the HdA,{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=33}} apparently regarded as a late literary invention or reconstruction.{{Refn|Weiser-Aall seems to regard it as [[August Kopisch]]'s literary work,{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=33}} but the oral origins were published by [[Ernst Weyden]] (1826). {{interlanguage link|Marianne Rumpf|de}} (1976) argued Kopisch relied almost completely on Weyden, though the tacit assumptions made have been questioned by {{interlanguage link|Heribert A. Hilgers|de}}.{{sfnp|Hilgers|2001a|p=33}} Hilgers states the "restoration" of the Heinzelmännchen-story to have been begun by 1821 by Weyden.<ref name="hilgers2001b"/>}} The Heinzelmännchen is also clearly distinguished from the Hinzelmann in current scholarship, according to modern linguist [[Elmar Seebold]],<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen"/> though they may have beeninterchangeably discussed in the past. Accordingly, a mix of heinzelman, hinzelman" were given as  "pet name (shortened human name)" type of kobold names by Grimm,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=503–504}} (cf. {{section link||Heinzelmännchen}} below and the daughter article [[Heinzelmännchen]]).

Chimke (var. Chimken, Chimmeken), diminutive of [[Joachim (given name)|Joachim]] is a [[Niederdeutsch language|Niederdeutsch]] for a [[poltergeist]]; the story of "Chimmeken" dates to c. 1327 and recorded in [[Thomas Kantzow]]'s Pomeranian chronicle (cf. {{section link||Offerings and retributions}}).<ref name="kantzow-ed-kosegarten"/><ref>{{harvp|Grimm|1875|p=417}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=503–504}}, rendered "noisy ghost".</ref> Chimgen (Kurd Chimgen{{Refn|name="chimgen-forms"|Praetorius gives "Court Chimgen",{{sfnp|Praetorius|1666|p=366}} transliterated as "Kurd Chimgen" by the Grimms ''DS'' No. 71<ref name="Grimms-DS071-kobold"/> Heine in the original German quotes "lieb Chimchen", though translated "dear Chimgen".}}), and Chim are other forms.{{Refn|Possibly [[East Prussia]]n.}}{{Refn|Attested by Prateorius, but since his concern was with the legend of [[Rübezahl]], one would assume he is discussing house spirits generally of that area.}}<ref>Prateorius (1666) ''apud'' {{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=140, 141}}</ref>{{Refn|"Chim", "Kurt Chimgen", "Himschen", "Heinzchen" were what German and Alsatian cooks (Alsace-Lorraine was territory annexed to Germany from after the [[Franco-Prussian War]] to WWII.) call their kitchen kobolds by, according to Saintine.<ref name="saintine1862"/>}}

Wolterken, also Low German, is diminutive for Walther, and another piece of household spirit of the [[pet name]] type, ''Wolterken'' glossed as "lares" and attested together with "{{lang|de|chimken}}" and "{{lang|de|hußnißken}}" in {{interlanguage link|Samuel Meiger|de}} (1587) ''Panurgia lamiarum''.<ref name="meiger1587"/>{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=503–504}}{{Refn|Paraphrased by Mullenhoff, where Meiger is identified as being pastor at [[Nortorf]].<ref name="muellenhoff-no430-Wolterken"/>}}{{efn|Classified as "E. pet name (German:Kosenamen)" type names in the ''HdA''.}}{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|pp=32–33}}

Nis (Niß) is also explained to be a northern pet name for Nils.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}

===Apparel names===
Under the classification of household spirit names based on appearance, a subcategory collects names based on apparel, especially the hat (classification C. a), under which are listed {{lang|de|Hütchen, Timpehut, Langhut}}, etc. and even {{lang|de|Hellekeplein}},{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}{{rp|35)}}{{Refn|{{harvp|Praetorius|1666|p=360}}; {{harvp|Praetorius|1668|p=312}}: "Gütchen/Wichtlichen/Erdmännrichen/Hellekeplein", via Kluge (1894) ''Etymlog. Wörterbuch'', "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YHcKAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA162|2=Heinzelmannchen}}", cited from another edition by Weiser-All, note 35).}} which is one of the names of a cap or [[cloak of invisibility]].<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=463}}: "sprites have.. power.. of vaninshing or making themselves invisible,.. nebelkappen.. helkeplein, etc."</ref> To this group belongs the [[Low Saxon]] form {{lang|gml|hôdekin}} ({{langx|nds|[[Hödekin]]}}) of the house sprite Hütchen from [[Hildesheim]], which wears a felt hat ({{langx|la|[[Pileus (hat)|pileus]]}}).{{Refn|name="praetorius-feltcap"|Praetorius explains that the sprite "on account of the hat he wears on his head is called {{linktext|pileatum}}, or Hödekin in the speech of Saxony".{{sfnp|Praetorius|1666|p=377}} Wyl gives mistyped "Pilateum"{{sic}} and glosses it as deriving from adj. ''{{linktext|pilleatus}}'' thus meaning ''{{linktext|Filz|kappe}}'' "Felt Cap".{{sfnp|Wyl|1909|loc=p. 122, n1}} Grimm ''DS'' No. 74 also gives ''Filz-Hut'',<ref name="Grimms-DS074-huetchen"/> from one of the sources, i.e. [[Johann Weyer]].{{sfnp|Aschner|1909|p=64}}}}{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=463, 508}}{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=255}} Grimm also adds the names {{lang|de|Hopfenhütel, Eisenhütel}}.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=508}}

===Cat-shape===
[[Image:The Little white feather.jpeg|thumb|right|Hinzelmann was a kobold who haunted [[Hodenhagen|Hudemühlen Castle]].{{right|{{small|―[[Willy Pogány]] illustr. (1912), "The Little White Feather" in ''The Fairies and the Christmas Child'' ed. Gask}}<ref name="gask1912"/>}}]]
{{Further|Hinzelmann}}
The kobold [[Hinzelmann]] or Hintzelmann<ref name="Grimms-DS075-hinzelmann"/> is completely distinguishable from the "literary"<!--HdA category for Heinzelmännchen --> kobold Heinzelmännchen according to modern scholarship<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen"/> (cf. {{section link||Heinzelmännchen}}).

And while the name Heinzelmann (Heinzelmännchen) is forged from diminutives of Heinrich,<ref name="lecouteux-dict-dwarfnames"/> more importantly, the names Hinzelmann, Heinzelman (or {{lang|de|Hinzelman, Hinzemännchen}}, etc.,) are names alluding to the kobold's frequent cat-like shape or transformation, and categorized Under type C "Appearance-based", subtype "beast-shape based names" in the HdA.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}} The analysis is expounded upon by Jacob Grimm, who notes that Hinze was the name of the cat in the ''Reineke'' (German version of ''[[Reynard the Fox]]'') so it was the common pet name for cats. Thus hinzelman, hinzemännchen are recognized as cat-based names, to be grouped with  '''{{lang|de|katermann}}''' (from ''kater'' "{{linktext|tom cat}}") which may be precursor to ''tatermann''.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=503}}{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}

The ''katzen-veit'' named after a cat is categorized by Grimm as a "wood sprite", but also discussed under kobold,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=480, 503}} and classed as a "cat appearance" type kobold name (category C b) in ''HdA''.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}} Grimm localized the ''katzen-veit'' at [[Fichtelberg]],{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=503}} and [[Johannes Praetorius (writer)|Prateorius]] also recognized this as the lore of the [[Vogtland]] region,<ref name="duennhaupt1980-bibl-praetorius"/> though Praetorius's work published (1692) under the pseudonym Lustigero Wortlibio claims ''katzen-veit'' to be a famous "cabbage spirit" in the Hartzewalde (in [[Elbingerode]], now part of [[Oberharz am Brocken]] in the [[Harz]] mountains, cf. map).<ref name="duennhaupt1980-bibl-praetorius"/>

The ''Hitzelmann'' that haunted [[Hudemühlen Castle]] in Lower Saxony was described at length by Pastor Feldmann ''Der vielförmige Hintzelmann'' (1704). As the title suggests, this Hinzelmann was a many and varied shapeshifter, transforming into a white feather,<ref>{{harvp|Grimms|1816|pp=104–106}}; {{harvp|Keightley|1850|pp=240–242}}</ref> or a marten, or a serpent.<ref>{{harvp|Grimms|1816|pp=110–111}}; {{harvp|Keightley|1850|pp=244–245}}</ref> (cf. {{section link||Animal form}}).

The kobold appears in the guise of a cat to eat the [[panada]] bribe, in Saintine's version.<ref>{{harvp|Saintine|1862|p=287}}; {{harvp|Saintine|1903|p=316}}</ref>

===Poltergeists===
The ''HdA''’s category D consists of kobold names from their behavioural characteristics, and other than some non-German sprites discussed, these are mainly the [[poltergeist]]s, or noise-making spirits (otherwise, they are names derived after their favourite dish, cf. {{section link||Milk-lovers}} below).{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}} The poltergeists include the {{lang|de|klopfer}} ("knocker"),<ref name="Grimms-DS076-klopfer"/>{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=505}} {{lang|de|hämmerlein}},{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=180, 505}} etc.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}

Some poltergeists had been assumed to be named after their noise-making nature in the past, but ''HdA'' re-categorized them otherwise as puppet names. So rather than taking {{lang|de|poppele}} to be a form of {{lang|de|Puppe}} "doll", Grimm argued that the poltergeist {{lang|de|pophart}} (or {{lang|de|popart}}){{Refn|Pophart/Popart was a "{{lang|de|Klopfgeist}}" accord. [[Johann Fischart]]'s translation of ''[[Gargantua and Pantagruel|Gargantua]]'', 25.<ref name="HdA-Jacoby-boppelgebet"/>{{sfnp|Rand|2019|loc=p. 33, endnote 26 to chapter 1}}}}　and {{lang|de|poppele}}　(regionally also {{lang|de|popel, pöpel, pöplemann, popanz}}, etc.) were related to verb {{lang|de|popern}} meaning to 'soft-knock or thump repeatedly' (or {{lang|de|popeln}}, {{lang|de|boppeln}} "noisemaking"<ref name="HdA-Jacoby-boppelgebet"/>), with a side meaning of a 'muffled (masked, covered-up) ghost to frighten children'.<ref>{{harvp|Grimm1875|p=418}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=505}}: "{{lang|de|popeln, popern (schnell und schwach anklopfen, pochen)}}" ["to keep bobbing or thumping softly and rapidly"]... "{{lang|de|vermumten kinderschreckenden gespenstes}}" ["side meaning of.. muffled ghost that frighten children"]; "{{lang|de|pöpel ist sonst was sich puppt, vermumt, einhüllt}}" ["is that which muffles (puppt) itself"] Note: ''{{linktext|vermummen}}'' (occurring twice) meant " hide one's face, disguise oneself" (not really 'muffled'), and ''einhüllt'' also means 'cover')</ref>

Likewise, though Grimm thought {{lang|de|butz}} was reference to noise,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=507}} even though ''butz'' seems to refer to a "tree trunk" and thus, had been classed as A for doll-name by ''HdA''.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}<ref name="Grimm-DW-butzputz"/>

[[Rumpelstilzchen]] of Grimms' KHM No. 55 (as well as the Rumpelstilt mentioned by [[Johann Fischart]]{{Refn|Fischart (1577) mentions "Popart" and "Rumpele stilt" as a children's game.{{sfnp|Rand|2019|loc=p. 33, endnote 26 to chapter 1}}}}) are discussed as a poltergeist type of kobold by Grimm as well,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=505}} though not formally admitted under this poltergeist category of kobold names in the HdA. The name Rumpelstilts is composed of {{lang|de|Rumpel}} meaning "(crumpled) noise" and {{lang|de|Stilz, Stilt}} with several meanings such as "[[stilts]]", a pair of poles used as extension of legs.{{sfnp|Rand|2019|pp=38–39}}

===Milk-lovers===
In category D, there are names deriving from their favorite food being the bowl of milk, namely {{lang|de|napfhans}} ("Potjack"){{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=505}}and the Swiss {{lang|de|beckli}} meaning "milk vat" (cf. {{section link||Offerings and retributions}}).{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}}

=== Heinzelmännchen ===
[[File:Heinzelmännchen - 53080734345 - Jack Zipes Historic Fairy Tale Postcard Collection - Herrfurth, Oskar (German, 1862-1934).jpg|thumb|Heinzelmännchen {{right|{{small|—[[Oskar Herrfurth|Herrfurth, Oskar]] (1926 or earlier)}}}}]]
{{main|Heinzelmännchen}}

The Heinzelmännchen of Cologne resemble short, naked men. Like typical house sprites, they were said to perform household chores such as baking bread, laundry, etc. But they remained beyond sight of humans.<ref name="weyden1826"/><ref name="keightley1828"/> According to [[Ernst Weyden]]<!--apparently pronounced "way-den" not "why-den"--> (1826), bakers in the city until the late 18th century never needed hired help because, each night, the kobolds known made as much bread as a baker could need. However, the people of the various shops could not suppress their curiosity at seeing them, and schemed to see them. A tailor's wife strewed peas on the stairs to trip up and hope to see them. Such endeavors caused the sprites to disappear from all the shops in Cologne, before around the year 1780.{{Refn|The opening lines in Weyden (1826) suggests the Heinzelmännchen were present less than fifty years ago (translated by Keightley in 1828). The regression (subtraction of dates) is made by [[:de:Heribert A. Hilgers|Heribert A. Hilgers]] (2001a) who states that the "origins of Cologne's Heinzelmännchen before 1826 (or before 1780) remains in the dark.<ref name="hilgers2001a"/>}}

This house sprite is included as kobold, but is considered a literary retelling, based on the fact the knowledge about the sprite had been spread by [[August Kopisch]]'s ballad (1836).<ref>{{harvp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=33}}: Category H. Literarische Namen.</ref>

===Miscellaneous===
Other house spirits categorized as "K. Other names" by the ''HdA'' are {{lang|de|mönch}},{{rp|74}} {{lang|de|herdmannl}}, {{lang|de|schrackagerl}}.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|pp=33–34}} The ''mönch'' lore is widespread from Saxony to Bavaria.<ref>{{harvp|Sommer|1846}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=3AtOAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA35 |2=32. Mönch}}</ref>

King Goldemar, king of dwarfs, is also re-discussed under the household spirit commentary by Grimm, presumably because he became a guest to the human king Neveling von Hardenberg at his [[Castle Hardenstein]] for three years,{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=453, 466, 509}} making a dwarf sort of a household spirit on a limited-term basis.

For cognate beings of kobolds or house spirits in non-German cultures, see {{section link||Parallels}}.

==Characteristics==
The kobold is linked to a specific household.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|p=140}} Some legends claim that every house has a resident kobold, regardless of its owners' desires or needs.{{sfnp|MacLaren|1857|p=223}} The means by which a kobold enters a new home vary from tale to tale.

Should someone take pity on a kobold in the form of a cold, wet creature and take it inside to warm it, the spirit takes up residence there.<ref name="Ashliman 46"/> A tradition from [[Perleberg]] in northern Germany says that a homeowner must follow specific instructions to lure a kobold to their house. They must go on [[Nativity of St. John the Baptist|St John's Day]] between noon and one o'clock, into the forest. When they find an anthill with a bird on it, they must say a certain phrase, which causes the bird to transform into a small human. The figure then leaps into a bag carried by the homeowner, and they can then transfer the kobold to their home.<ref>Thorpe 141.</ref> Even if servants come and go, the kobold stays.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|p=140}}

House kobolds usually live in the hearth area of a house,<ref name="Rose 40, 183"/> although some tales place them in less frequented parts of the home, in the woodhouse,<ref>Thorpe 84.</ref> in barns and stables, or in the beer cellar of an inn. At night, such kobolds do chores that the human occupants neglected to finish before bedtime:<ref name="Rose 40, 183">Rose 40, 183.</ref> They chase away pests, clean the stables, feed and groom the cattle and horses, scrub the dishes and pots, and sweep the kitchen.<ref name="Praetorius1666"/>{{sfnp|Saintine|1862|p=287}} The {{lang|de|wolterkens, wolterken}} is described as a spirit that scrapes the horse (that is to say, with the [[currycomb]] or in German, ''[[:de:Striegel (Tierpflege)|Striegel]]'') in their stalls, feeds the swine to fatten them, and draws water and carries it over to the cattle to drink.{{Refn|Samuel Meiger,<ref>{{harvp|Meiger|1587}} III. Bok, II., at "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKLwVT40D8EC&pg=PP189 |2=Wat nu de ''lares'' edder Wolterkens angeit viden sick de gemeinich..}}"</ref> quoted by Grimm, but the Low German is not fully English-translated by Stallybrass.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=510}} Rendered into standard modern German by {{interlanguage link|Fritz Meyers|de}}.<ref name="meyers1980"/>}}

Other kobolds help tradespeople and shopkeepers.

Kobolds are spirits and, as such, part of a spiritual realm. However, as with other European spirits, they often dwell among the living.{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|loc=p. 4, note*}}{{sfnp|Saintine|1862|p=289}} The spirit's doings, and how humans interact will be discussed further below ({{section link||Activities and interactions}})

Kobolds can take on the appearance of children, be dressed a certain way, or manifest as non-human animals, fire, humans, and objects.{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|loc=p. 4, note*}} This is further discussed below ({{section link||Physical description}})

==Physical description==
[[File:Feldmann(1704)-Hinzelmann-p023a-Hinzelmann-mit-Flügeln.jpg|200px|thumb|Winged Hintzelmann in the household.{{right|{{small|―''Der vielförmige Hintzelmann'', Feldmann (1704), Ch. 2}}}}]]
[[File:Saintine (1862)-illust-Dore-p288-Kobold&cuisinière.jpg|thumb|The kobold Chim helps the kitchen maid{{right|{{small|―Illustrated by Gustav Doré, Saintine (1862) ''Mythologie du Rhin''}}}}]]

There seems to be contradictory opinion on whether a kobold should be generally regarded as boyish looking, or more elderly and bearded. An earlier edition (1819) of the ''[[Brockhaus Enzyklopädie]]'' gives the childlike description,<ref name="AllgReal-Ency-kobold"/> however, a later edition (1885) amends to the view of an elderly looking kobold, with a beard.<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-kobold"/> Yet actual instances of a bearded household kobold seems to concentrate on one lone example or two.{{Refn|[[Petermännchen]], and klabautermann, cf. the paragraphs that follow.}}

The lore that a kobold, when spotted is often seen as a young child wearing a pretty jacket is presented in Grimms ''Deutsche Sagen'' (1816), No.71 "Kobold".<ref>{{harvp|Grimms|1816|p=92}} also quoted by {{harvp|Golther|1908|p=145}}<!--Nr. 72 (recte Nr. 71)--></ref> And a cherubic, winged child illustration occurs in the 1704 printed book narrative of the kobold, ''Hintzelmann'' (cf. right).

The bearded look was underscored by [[Jacob Grimm]]'s ''Deutsche Mythlogie'' where the kobold was ascribed red hair and beard, without specific examples.<ref name="huetchen"/><!--This would explain why the Brockhaus Enzklopedia changed from "child" in the 1819 edition (as per Grimms (1819) DW No. 71) to "bearded" in the 1885 edition, but that observation will require sourcing.-->{{efn|A cursory search of Grimms ''DS'' do not reveal bearded household kobolds. The legends with bearded manikins are No. 37 "Die Wichtlein [oder Bergmännlein]" (mine spirit), 145 Das Männlein auf dem Rücken (manikin forces piggyback, from Praetorius), 314 Das Fräulein vom Willberg (in a cave, one with a beard grown through stone table).}}  Simrock summarized that "they" (apparently applying broadly to dwarfs, house spirits, wood sprites, and subterranean folk) tend to have red hair and red beard,{{efn|Simrock also registers connection with the red hair and beard of Donar/[[Þórr]] god of thunder.}} as well as red clothing.{{sfnp|Simrock|1855|p=481}} The example of [[Petermännchen]] of Schwerin{{sfnp|Simrock|1855|p=481}} is a story that mentions its white beard,<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} 1．{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=zm4AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA14 |2=Das Petermännchen zu Schwerin}}, pp. 14–15, 467</ref>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Simrock connects "Hans Donnerstag" with Donner/thunder, but this brief tale concerns a suitor who keeps his name secret (motif of [[Rumpelstiltskin]]<ref>Grimms; Translated by [[Margaret Raine Hunt|Margaret Hunt]] (1883). {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=kLwxAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA413 |2=Notes to KHM 55 Rumpelstilzhcen}}</ref>) and the tale gives no description of her finacé whom she discovers to be a dwarf or a "subterranean".<ref>{{harvp|Müllenhoff|1845}} No. 350 "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YuxNAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA578 |2=Hans Donnerstag}}", pp. 578–579</ref>}} and an instance of a kobold from Mecklenburg, with long white beard and wearing a hood (''{{linktext|Kapuze}}'') mentioned by Golther{{Refn|{{harvp|Golther|1908|p=142}}, citing Bartsch '''1''': 68}} is in fact Petermännchen also.<ref name="bartsch1879-petermaenchenn"/> The [[klabautermann]] which some reckon to be a ship-kobold<ref name="brewer1880-klabotermann"/>{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|pp=162–163}} has been purported to have a fiery red head of hair and white beard.{{Refn|name="Obersteuermann-Werner"}}

On the kobold assuming the guise of small children, there is a piece of lore that the kobolds are the spirits of dead children and often appear with a knife that represents the means by which they were put to death.{{Refn|name="praetorius-childghost"|Cf. Praetorius ''apud'' Heine: "the ancients.. conceive[d] of hobgoblins ({{langx|de|Poltergeister}}) as.. stature like small children, .. [accord. to some, with] "knives sticking in their backs"; and "the superstitious believe them to be the souls of former occupants of their houses, murdered there long ago".<ref name="Praetorius1666"/>}}{{sfnp|Golther|1908|p=145}}<ref>{{harvp|Saintine|1862|p=290}}; {{harvp|Saintine|1903|pp=318–319}}</ref> Cf. {{section link||True identity as child's ghost}}

Other tales describe kobolds appearing as herdsmen looking for work<ref name="Ashliman 46">{{harvp|Ashliman|2006}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=nHzDEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA46|2=Household Spirits}}", p. 46.</ref> and little, wrinkled old men in pointed hoods.<ref name="Rose 40, 183"/>

One 19th century source claimed mine kobolds with black skin were seen by her and her husband multiple times. (cf. {{section link|| Visitors from mines}}).<ref name="britten1884"/>

===Red cap===
Kobolds supposedly also tend to wear a pointy red hat, though Grimm acknowledges that the "red peaky cap" is also the mark of the Norwegian ''[[Nisse (folklore)|nisse]]''.<ref name="huetchen">{{harvp|Grimm|1875|p=420}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|p=508}}</ref> Grimm mentions the spirit known as '''{{lang|de|hütchen}}''' (meaning "little hat" of [[felt]],{{Refn|name="praetorius-feltcap"}} cf. {{section link||Apparel names}}) immediately after, perhaps as an example of such a cap-wearer.

The kobold wearing a red cap and protective pair of boots is reiterated by, e.g., [[Wolfgang Golther]].{{sfnp|Golther|1908|p=142}} Grimm describes household spirits owning fairy shoes or fairy boots, which permits rapid travel over difficult terrain, and compares it to the [[Seven-league boots|league boots]] of fairytale.{{sfnp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|pp=508–509, 503}}

There is lore concerning the infant-sized [[Nis Puk|niss-puk]] ({{lang|de|Niß Puk, Nisspuk}} var. ''Neß Puk'', where ''Puk'' is cognate to English [[Puck (folklore)|puck]]) wearing (pointed) red caps localized in various part of the province of [[Schleswig-Holstein]], in northernmost Germany adjoining Denmark.<ref>Cf. {{harvp|Thorpe|1852|p=48}}</ref>{{Refn|{{harvp|Müllenhoff|1845}} No. 434 "Niß Puk in Owschlag", subtale 1.: "{{lang|de|rothe {{linktext|Mütze}}}}"; No. 435 "Neß Puk im Kasten" "was one tiny span tall" and "einer spitzen rothen Mütze"; No. 439 "Die Unterirdischen schlecken Milch" "Diese kleinen Leuten.. [were about 1.5 feet tall and wore] ganz schwarze Kleider und hatten rothe spitze Mützen "}}{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|name="nisspuk-categ"|Niss is categorized E "pet name",{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=32}} while Puck is considered G. "devil name" by the HdA.{{sfnp|Weiser-Aall|1933|p=33}}}}

[[Karl Müllenhoff]] provided the "kobold" lore of the '''{{lang|de|Schwertmann}}''' of Schleswig-Holstein,{{Refn|He calls the "Schwertmann" a "kobold" in his essay on ''[[Beowulf]]'' pondering on the connection between such spirits and [[Grendel]] that assaulted the Danish palace;<ref name="muellenhoff1849"/> however, the folklores he cites are not all specifically translated in the paraphrase inserted in the English translation of the essay.<ref name="muellenhoff1849-tr-shippey"/>}} in his anthology, this tale localized at [[Rethwisch, Steinburg]] ([[Krempermarsch]]).<ref name="muellenhoff-no350-Schwertmann">{{harvp|Müllenhoff|1845}} No. 350 "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YuxNAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA261 |2=Schwertmann}}", pp. 261–262,  with an endnote at p. 601.</ref>  The Schwertmann was said to dwell in a {{lang|de|dönnerkuhle}} (or ''donnerloch'',<ref name="muellenhoff1849"/> "thunder pit", i.e., pit in the ground said to be caused by lightning<ref name="kriechbaum1920"/>), which Müllenhoff insists was a "large water pit".{{efn|"{{lang|de|Wassergrube}}", p. 601.}}<!--a significant detail to maintain analogy wiht Grendel (monster from a cave underneath a lake)--><ref name="muellenhoff-no350-Schwertmann"/> It would emerge from this pit-hole and perpetrate mischief on villagers, but could also (try to) be helpful. It could appear in the guise of fire, and appreciated the gift of shoes, though his burning feet quickly turns them into tatters.<ref name="muellenhoff-no350-Schwertmann"/>{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|Note that the English translation of the essay "tales from his own collection, no. 346{{sic}}.." is a misprint for No. 348 "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YuxNAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA258 |2=Der Teufel in Flehde}} is localized in [[Rehm-Flehde-Bargen]] in the [[Dithmarschen]].{{sfnp|Müllenhoff|1845|p=258}} In the Beowulf essay Müllenhoff also cites "{{lang|de|Der Dränger}}" ("the presser", No. 347), said to breach dams, localized around the mouth of the [[Eider]], close to e.g. Stapelholm.}} According to supposed eyewitness accounts by people in [[Stapelholm]] the Niß Puk{{efn|Müllenhoff: {{langx|de|Leute aus.. Stapelholm, die den Niß Puk gesehen haben.."}}}} was no larger than a 1 or {{frac|1|1|2}}-year old infant (some say 3-year old){{efn|Müllenhoff, "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YuxNAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA317 |2=430. Die Wolterkens}}": "{{lang|de|nicht größer als ein oder anberthalbjähriges Kind sei. Andre sagen, er sei so gross wie ein dreijähriges}}".}} and had a "large head and long arms, and small but bright cunning eyes",{{efn|Müllenhoff: "{{lang|de|Er hat einen grosen Kopf und lange Arme, aber kleine, helle, kluge Augen}}".}} and wore "red stockings and a long grey or green tick coat..[and] red, peaked cap".{{efn|Müllenhoff: "{{lang|de|trägt er ein paar rothe Strümpfe,.. lange graue oder grüne Zwillichjacke und.. rothe spitze Mütze"}}.}}<ref name="muellenhoff-no430-Wolterken">{{harvp|Müllenhoff|1845}} "No. 430. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YuxNAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA317 |2=Die Wolterkens}}", pp. 317–319 with various notes.</ref><ref>Translated without attribution by {{harvp|Thorpe|1852|pp=48–49}}</ref>

The lore of the house kobold ''puk''{{efn|Also ''drak''}} was also current farther east in [[Pomerania]], including now Polish [[Farther Pomerania]].{{sfnp|Berger|2001|pp=163–167}} The kobold-''niss''-''puk'' was regarded as wearing a "red jacket and cap" in western [[Uckermark]].{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=156}} The tale of {{lang|de|pûks}} told in Swinemünde (now [[Świnoujście]]){{efn|Cf. Drak lore of this city under {{section link||Fire phenomena}}.}} held that a man's luck ran out when he rebuilt his house and the blessing passed on to his neighbor who reused the old beams. The pûks was witnessed wearing a [[cocked hat]] ({{lang|de|aufgekrämpten Hut}}), red jacket with shiny buttons.<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}}, No. 18 "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgoLAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA15 |2=Pûks zieht mit dem Gebälk}}, pp. 15–16"</ref>

=== Invisibility and true form ===
[[File:Saintine (1862)-illust-Dore-p289-enfant mort flottait dans tonneau de sang.jpg|thumb|Kitchen maid wanting to meet the kobold Chim, finds dead child in vat of blood{{right|{{small|―Illustrated by Gustav Doré, in: Saintine (1862) ''Mythologie du Rhin''}}}}]]
[[File:Feldmann(1704)-Hinzelmann-p195a-Küchinn-und-Kind-2Messer-gesteckt.jpg|thumb|Female cook expecting to see Hintzelmann in cellar finds child with two knives stuck in heart.{{right|{{small|―Heintzelmann, by Feldmann (1704), Ch. 18}}}}]]
The normal invisibility of the ''Chimgen'' (or ''Chim'') kobold is explained in legend which tells of a female servant taking a fancy to her house's kobold and asking to see him. The kobold refuses, claiming that to look upon him would be terrifying. Undeterred, the maid insists, and the kobold tells her to meet him later—and to bring along a pail of cold water. The kobold waits for the maid, nude and with a butcher knife in his back. The maid faints at the sight, and the kobold wakes her with the cold water. And she never wished to see the Chimgen{{Refn|name="chimgen-forms"}} ever again.<ref>{{harvp|Praetorius|1666|pp=363–364, 365–366}}: "{{lang|de|Messer in den Rücken}}.. {{lang|de|Schlacht-Messer in Rücken}}", apud {{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|p=139}}</ref>{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=252}}

In one variant, the maid urges her favourite kobold named Heinzchen (or actually Heintzlein<ref name="luther1566"/>) to see him in his natural state, and is then led to the cellar, where she is shown a dead baby floating in a cask full of blood; years before, the woman had borne a bastard child, killed it, and hidden it in such a cask.{{Refn|[[Martin Luther]] (1566) ''Tischreden'' (''[[Table Talk (Luther)|Table Talk]]''),<ref name="luther1566"/> translated in <ref>{{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=140–141}}, via Dobeneck.</ref>}}{{Refn|Grimm ''DS'' No. 71 consolidates the versions into the anecdote of "Kurd Chimgen" or "Heinzchen", since it cites both Praetorius and Martin Luther as sources.{{sfnp|Grimms|1816|p=92}}}}{{Refn|This matches the retelling given by Saintine (1862), accompanied by [[Gustave Doré]]'s illustration of the child floating in its own blood inside a tub (cf. Fig. right), but the text is altered and the illustration omitted in the English translation.<ref name="saintine1862"/>}}

==== True identity as child's ghost ====
Saintine follows the story above with a piece of lore that kobolds are regarded as (ghosts of) infants, and the tail ("caudal appendage") that they have represent the knife used to kill them.<ref>{{harvp|Saintine|1903|pp=289–290}}; {{harvp|Saintine|1903|pp=318–319}}</ref> What Praetorius (1666) stated was that the goblin haunting a house often appeared in the guise of children with knives stuck in their backs, revealing them to be ghosts of children murdered in that manner.{{Refn|name="praetorius-childghost"}}

The lore that the kobold's true identity is the soul of a child who died unbaptized was current in the Vogland (including such belief held for the gutel of Erzgebirge).{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|pp=149–150}} Like the soul, the kobold can assume any shape, even "sheer fire".{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|p=152}}

Cf. Grimm, the lore that unbaptized children become {{lang|de|pilweisse}} ({{interlanguage link|bilwis|de|lt=''bilwis''}}){{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|The "Pilweise of Lauban"<ref>[[:de:Karl Haupt (Volkskundler)|Haupt, Karl]]  ed. (1862) No. 70. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=n2EAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA68|2=Die Pilweisen zu Lauban}}", ''Sagenbuch der Lausitz''. '''1''': 68.</ref> is regarded as being related to the stable-kobold, ''schretelein''.<ref>{{harvp|Köhler|1867}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=GW4AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA479 |2==XIII. Sagen §56. Schretzelein}}", p. 470.</ref> Cf. [[Schrat]].}}<ref>{{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888|loc='''4''': 1586}}; {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883|loc='''2''': 475}}</ref> Also, the ''[[:de:Irrlicht|Irrlicht]]'' (≈ will-o'-the-wisp), called {{lang|de|Dickepôten}} locally in the southern Altmark, were said to be the souls of unbaptized children.<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} C. Gebräuche und Aberglauben　{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgoLAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA143|2=XVIII. Irrlichter}}</ref>{{Refn|Dickepôten described as a name of a "Jack-o'-Lanterns" by Thorpe.{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=158}} This is presumably the will-o'the-wisp of Altmark referred to by C. P. G. Scott<ref name="scott_cpg1895"/> and Ashliman.<ref name="Ashliman 53"/>}}

=== Goldemar's traces ===
Although [[King Goldemar]] (or Goldmar), a famous kobold from [[Castle Hardenstein]], had hands "thin like those of a frog, cold and soft to the feel", he never showed himself.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=256}} King Goldemar was said to sleep in the same bed with Neveling von Hardenberg. He demanded a place at the table and a stall for his horses.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=256}} The master of [[Hudemühlen Castle]], where Heinzelmann lived, convinced the kobold to let him touch him one night.

When a man threw ashes and tares about to try to see King Goldemar's footprints, the kobold cut him to pieces, put him on a spit, roasted him, boiled his legs and head, and ate him.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|pp=256–257}}

=== Fire phenomena ===
[[File:Hertz(1922)Bruder Rausch-illustr-Staffen-p080-Feuermännlein.jpg|thumb|Feuermännlein (little "fiery man") {{right|{{small|―Franz Staffen (illustr.) in Hertz (1922)[1882] ''Bruder Rausch: ein Klostermärchen'', 10te Abenteur}}}}]]
The kobold is said to appear as an oscillating fire-pillar ("stripe") with a part resembling a head, but appears in the guise of a black cat when it lands and is no longer airborne ([[Altmark]], Saxony).{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=155}} Benjamin Thorpe likens this to similar lore about the ''[[Drak (mythology)|dråk]]'' ("drake") in Swinemünde (now [[Świnoujście]]), Pomerania.{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=155}}

A legend from the same period taken from [[Pechüle]], near [[Luckenwald]], says that a ''drak'' (apparently corrupted from {{lang|de|Drache}} meaning "drake" or "dragon"{{Refn|Ashliman states the kobold is otherwise known as ''{{linktext|Drache}}'' which is standard non-dialect German for "dragon", but he prefers to render this as "drake".<ref name="Ashliman 53"/>}}) or kobold flies through the air as a blue stripe and carries grain. "If a knife or a fire-steel be cast at him, he will burst, and must let fall what which he is carrying".{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=156}} Some legends say the fiery kobold enters and exits a house through the chimney.<ref name="Ashliman 53">{{harvp|Ashliman|2006}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=nHzDEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 |2=Fire}}", p. 53.</ref> Legends dating to 1852 from western [[Uckermark]] ascribe both human and fiery features to the kobold; he wears a red jacket and cap and moves about the air as a fiery stripe.{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=156}} Such fire associations, along with the name ''drake'', may point to a connection between kobold and dragon myths.<ref name="Ashliman 53"/>

A {{interlanguage link|fire drake|ja|ファイアー・ドレイク}} could also refer to the [[will-o'-the-wisp]] during the [[Shakespeare]]an period.<ref name="ShakHenryVIII-ed-boswell1821"/>{{Refn|Ashliman also makes note that "fire drake" referred to a will-o'-the-wisp in England too, at one time.<ref name="Ashliman 53"/>}} And "fire drake" was used as shorthand for ''dråk'' of Pomerania{{efn|Kitteredge cites {{harvp|Jahn|1886}} ''Volkssagen aus Pommern und Rügen'', pp. 105ff, 110, etc.}} by literary scholar [[George Lyman Kittredge]],{{efn|Just as Ashliman used "drake" for the Pomeranian ''drak''.}}  who went on to explain, that the German wisps, called {{lang|de|Irrlicht}} or {{lang|de|[[Feuermann (ghost)|Feuermann]]}} ("fiery man") are conflate with, or rather indistinguishable from the German fire-drakes (''dråk'').<ref name="kitteredge-firedrake">{{harvp|Kittredge|1900|p=431}}, n3, cont. to p. 432.</ref> To the ''Irrlicht'' is attached a folk belief about the fire-light being the soul of unbaptized children{{Refn|According to the appended note by anthologist Rochholz,<ref name="rochholz1862"/> cited by Kitteredge.}} a motif already noted for the kobold. And the cited story of the ''Feuermann'' ([[Lusatia|Lausitz]] legend) explains it to be a wood-kobold ({{lang|de|Waldkobold}}) which sometimes entered houses and dwelled in the fireplace or chimney, like the [[Wends|Wendish]] "drake".<ref name="haupt1862"/>

But the ''HdA'' does not furnish kobold names for "fire" or "wisp", and instead, {{lang|de|Dråk, Alf, Rôdjackte}} which are said to fly through air like a flaming hay-pole ({{lang|de|Wiesbaum}}) laden with grain or gold (according to Pommeranian lore)<ref name="ZfVk01-jahn&meyercohn"/>{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|p=159}} have all been categorized under the "I dragon names" category.{{Refn|''HdA'', "Kobold", n 67) 68) 69) citing Zfdk 1,<ref name="ZfVk01-jahn&meyercohn"/>}} The connection between the fiery drak and the dragon-associated name in the Austrian dialect {{lang|de|Tragerl}} for [[shooting star]]<!--Sternschneppen--> is commented on by Ranke.{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|p=159}} (cf. {{section link||Animal form}} below for lore of kobolds hatching from eggs, thus leading to comparisons with [[basilisks]] and dragons).

=== Animal form ===

Other kobolds appear as non-human animals.{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|loc=p. 4, note*}} Folklorist [[D. L. Ashliman]] has reported kobolds appearing as wet cats and hens.<ref name="Ashliman 46"/>

In Pomerania there are several tales specimens that a kobold, ''puk'', or {{lang|de|'''rôdjakte/rôdjackte'''}} hatches from a yolk-less chicken egg ({{lang|de|Spâei, Sparei}}),{{sfnp|Berger|2001|p=163}}{{Refn|More specifically a kobold or {{lang|de|rôdjakte}} from an egg in Jahn, No. 154. from Kratzig (now [[Kraśnik Koszaliński]]).<ref>{{harvp|Jahn|1886}} No. 154 "Das Spâei", p. 129</ref> and Haas (1896) from Rügen, two tales.<ref>{{harvp|Haas|1899}} No. 69 "Das Sparei"; No. 70 "Puk soll ausgebrütet werden", pp. 76, 77.</ref>}} and in other tales, a kobold (aka "redjacket") appears in a cat's guise<ref>{{harvp|Jahn|1886}} No. 135 "Das Dorf Konerow", from Konerow village now incorporated into [[Wusterhusen]], [[Vorpommern-Greifswald]]; {{harvp|Jahn|1886}} No. 146 "Die beiden Rôdjäckten in Gollnow", from Gollnow (now [[Goleniów]]) village in {{interlanguage link|Kreis Naugard|de}}</ref> or a ''puk'' appears as a hen.<ref>{{harvp|Haas|1912}} No. 53. "Der Puk als Hahn".</ref>{{sfnp|Berger|2001|p=167}}

The comparison is readily made to the legend of the hen-hatched [[basilisk]], and Polívka makes further comparisons to lore involving hens and dragons.<ref name="polivka1918"/>

Thorpe has recorded that the people of Altmark believed that kobolds appeared as black cats while walking the earth.{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=155–156}} The kobold Hinzelmann could appear as a black [[marten]] ({{langx|de|schwartzen Marder}}) and a large snake.<ref name="Grimms-DS075-hinzelmann"/>{{rp|111}}{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|pp=244–245}}

One lexicon glosses the French term for werewolf, ''[[loup-garou]]'', as kobold.{{Refn|Rädlein (1711), Loup-garou as Bär-Wolff, German Wehr-Wolff and Kobold,<ref name="raedlein-dict1711"/> cited by Grimm ''DW'' "Kobold" 1. 1) b).}} This is somewhat underscored by the remark that [[werewolf]] transformation was considered an ability of sorcerers with [[unibrow]], which was a physical mark shared with the Schratel spirit (as wood sprite).{{sfnp|Simrock|1855|p=439}}

These do not comprise an exhaustive list of what forms the kobold can take on. The ''hinzelmann'' besides the cat appears as a "dog, hen, red or black bird, buck goat, dragon, and a fiery or bluish form", according to an old encyclopedic entry.<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-kobold"/> Ranke (1910) gave a similar list for kobold transformations which includes [[bumblebee]] (''{{linktext|Hummel}}'').{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|p=152}}

==Activities and interactions==
=== Offerings and retributions ===
A kobold expects to be fed in the same place at the same time each day.<ref name="Praetorius1666"/>

But it is known that the kobold becomes extremely dedicated to caring for its household, performing the chores and services in its maintenance, as in the case of the Hinzelmann.<ref>Feldmann (1704), Cap. XII. {{lang|de|Hintzelmann ist ein fleißiger Aufseher auf die Hausshaltung}} [Hintzelmann is a diligent overseer of the household], pp.126–139. {{harvp|Grimms|1816|p=106}}; {{harvp|Keightley|1850|p=242}}</ref> The association between kobolds and work gave rise to a saying current in 19th-century Germany that a woman who worked quickly "had the kobold" ("sie hat den Kobold").{{sfnp|Grimms|1816|p=91}}<ref name="Moore1847"/>

Legends tell of slighted kobolds becoming quite malevolent and vengeful,<ref name="Rose 40, 183"/><ref name="Praetorius1666"/> afflicting errant hosts with supernatural diseases, disfigurements, and injuries.{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|p=5}} Their pranks range from beating the servants to murdering those who insult them.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=139–142}}<ref name="Rose 151–2">Rose 151–2.</ref>

In the story of the Chimmeken of the [[Mecklenburg Castle]], (''supra'', dated 1327 given by Kantzow) the milk customarily put for the sprite by the kitchen was stolen by a kitchen-boy (''Küchenbube''), and the spirit consequently left the boy's dismembered body in a kettle of hot water.<ref name="kantzow-ed-kosegarten"/>{{Refn|A variant about '''Chimmeke''', localized in [[Loitz]] also exists.<ref name="graesse1867"/>}}<ref name="lecouteux-dict-dwarfnames"/> In comparison, a more amicable {{lang|de|pück}} anecdotally served monks at Mecklenburg monastery, bargaining for multicolored tunic with lots of bells in return for his services.{{Refn|Comparison made by Haas (1896)<ref name="hass1896"/> The latter tale occurs in Grimm (1854) {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCqo5yNwmGEC&pg=PA479|2=''Deutsche Mythologie'', p. 479}}, 3te Ausgabe, Band I, and "II" is a misprint, {{=}} {{harvp|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883}}, {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=P8AoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA503 |2='''1''': 503}}.}}

A similar episode of the vengeful {{lang|de|Hüdeken}}{{Refn|name="praetorius-feltcap"}} (normalized as {{lang|de|Hütchen}}{{Refn|Grimms ''DS'',<ref name="Grimms-DS074-huetchen"/> and Francisci.<ref name="francisci1690"/>}}) occurs in a chronicle of [[Hildesheim]], c. 1500,{{Refn|[[Johannes Trithemius]] ''Chronicon Hirsaugiense, '' (1495–1503),<ref name="schelwig1692"/> translated by Ritson,<ref name="ritson1831"/> and called an "old chronicle", in {{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=141–142}}}}{{Refn|These tales are regurgitated by Praetorius also, marked as #2.{{sfnp|Praetorius|1666|pp=375–378}}}}{{Refn|Also in Grimm's ''Deutsche Sagen'' "No. 74 Hütchen, a composite from several sources other than Praetorius,<ref name="Grimms-DS074-huetchen"/> including modern oral tradition,{{sfnp|Aschner|1909|p=63}} with the kitchen tale at {{harvp|Grimms|1816|pp=100–101}}.}}{{Refn|One of the Grimms' DS sources is [[Erasmus Francisci]] (1690)'s version.<ref name="francisci1690"/>}} where the sprite exacted vengeance from the kitchen boy of the castle{{Refn|name="schelwig-stift"}} who had the habit of throwing kitchen filth on him; the sprite strangled the lad in his sleep, leaving the severed body parts cooking in a pot over the fire. The head cook who complained was pushed from the heights to his death.{{Refn|That the kobold "pushed (''{{linktext|stieß}}'')" the master cook off the bridge occurs in Grimms' ''DS''{{sfnp|Grimms|1816|p=101}}<ref name="Bunce1878"/> as in the various sources, i.e. Francisci,{{sfnp|Francisci|1690|p=796}} Tritemius<ref name="schelwig1692"/> and Ritson's translation,<ref name="ritson1831"/> via Weyler. Thus the "illusory" bridge in Heine appears to be an embellishment.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=141–142}}}}{{Refn|The murder of the "Bishop of Hildesheim's Kitchen-boy" is retold in nursery rhyme fashion by [[M. A. B. Evans]] (1895).<ref name="evans1895"/>}}

According to [[Max Lüthi]], the household spirits' being ascribed such abilities reflect the fear of the people who believe in them.{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|p=5}}

The bribe left to the household spirit was a combination of milk and bread according to multiple sources. In the printed edition of ''Der vielförmige Hintzelmann'' (1704), Hintzelmann was supposed to be provided with a bowl of sweet milk with white bread crumbled over it (as illustrated in the book).<ref>{{harvp|Feldmann|1704}} {{URL|1=https://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/id/PPN672184966?tify=%7B%22pages%22%3A%5B162%2C163%5D%2C%22view%22%3A%22info%22%7D |2=Cap. X Von des Geistes Hintzelmanns Kammer und Mahlzeit}} pp. 108ff. "Schüssel voll süsser Milch worinnen weiß Brodt gebrocket.. und auf seinen Tisch stellen mussen."</ref>{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|pp=241, 243}} The offering was to be milk and ''{{linktext|Semmel}}'' (bread roll) also according to a lexicon for [[Altmark]].{{Refn|[[:de:Johann Friedrich Danneil|Danneil, Johann Friedrich]] (1839),<ref name="danneil-dict1839"/> quoted in Grimm, ''DW'' "Kobold".}} The offering was described as [[panada]] (bread [and milk] soup) in the French retelling by Saintine.<ref name="saintine1862"/>

Novelist [[Heinrich Heine]] noted in connection with the present (Hildesheim) tale that the favourite food was the [[gruel]] for the Scandinavian ''[[Nisse (folklore)|nisse]]''.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|p=142}}

=== Other dairy lore ===
As a sort of the reverse of the offering, one tradition claims that the kobold will strew wood chips (sawdust, {{lang|de|Sägespäne}}) about the house and putting dirt or cow manure in the milk cans. And if the master of the house leaves the wood chips and drinks the soiled milk, the kobold is pleased and takes up residence at the household.{{sfnp|Grimms|1816|p=91}}{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=239}}{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|p=143}}

The bribe put out for the kobold may be butter, for example, the Niß Puk of the Bombüll farmstead at [[Wiedingharde]] in Schleswieg-Holstein would tend to the {{linktext|milchcows}}, but demanded a morsel of butter on a plate each evening, and the Puk would choke the best milking cow if it was not provided.<ref>{{harvp|Müllenhoff|1845}} "CDXLVI.Niß Puk in der Luke" [446 Niss-Puk in the (gable) hatch-window], pp. 231–232.</ref>

According to the lore from [[South Tyrol]] (now part of Italy), the Stierl farmstead at {{ill|Unterinn|de}} experienced the trouble where the farmer's wife could not make [[butter]] for all her churning in the bucket ({{lang|de|Kübel}}).{{Refn|group="lower-alpha"|This is similar to the lore that the mine-kobold (properly ''kobel'') was thought responsible for swapping silver with then worthless cobalt; the silver-mining operation also involved used of the bucket ''Kübel'', which Muerller-Fraureuth conjecturesd was the root of the sprite's name ''kobel''.<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906"/>}} The farmer decided it was the doings of a kobold, and went down to the basement where lived Kröll Anderle who was learned in the magic books,{{efn|Of this character, there is a separate legend, "109. Vom Kröll Anderle" is told in Heyl, p. 290.}} and Anderle gave instructions to dip a glowing hot skewer into the liquid while churning the bucket under the eaves, which succeeded. But the kobold driven out repaid the farmer's wife with a hot log leaving her a permanent burn injury.<ref name="heyl1897"/>

===Good-evil duality===
[[Archibald MacLaren]] has attributed kobold behaviour to the virtue of the homeowners; a virtuous house has a productive and helpful kobold; a vice-filled one has a malicious and mischievous pest. If the hosts give up those things to which the kobold objects, the spirit ceases its annoying behaviour.{{sfnp|MacLaren|1857|p=224}} Hinzelmann punished profiligacy and vices such as miserliness and pride;{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=246}} for example, when the haughty secretary of Hudemühlen was sleeping with the chamber maid, the kobold interrupted a sexual encounter and hit the secretary with a broom handle<ref>{{harvp|Feldmann|1704}} Cap. XX. "Hintzelmann straffet einen Schreiber ab/ wegen seiner Hoffart und Courtesie", pp. 224–238: "{{lang|de|Besenstiel}} (broom handle)", p. 228</ref>{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=250}} King Goldemar revealed the secret transgressions of clergymen, much to their chagrin.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=256}}

Even friendly kobolds are rarely completely good,{{sfnp|Lüthi|1986|p=4}} and house kobolds may do mischief for no particular reason. They hide things, push people over when they bend to pick something up, and make noise at night to keep people awake.<ref name="Chantilly 98"/>{{sfnp|Saintine|1862|p=290}} The kobold Hödeken of Hildesheim roamed the walls of the castle at night, forcing the watch to be constantly vigilant.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=141–142}} A kobold in a fishermen's house on the [[Dahme (River)|Wendish Spree]], about a [[German mile]] ({{convert|7.5|km|mi}}) from the [[Köpenick]] quarter of Berlin, reportedly moved sleeping fishermen so that their heads and toes lined up.<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} No. 86.1 "Kobolde", p. 81</ref>{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=83–84}} King Goldemar enjoyed strumming the harp and playing dice.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=256}}

=== Good fortune ===
A kobold can bring wealth to his household in the form of grain and gold.<ref name="Ashliman 46"/> In this function it often is called [[Drak (mythology)|Drak]]. A legend from [[Saterland]] and [[East Friesland]] tells of a kobold called the ''Alrûn'' (which is the German term for [[mandrake]]). In the tale from Nordmohr/[[Nortmoor]], E. Friesland, now Low Saxony) despite standing only about a foot tall, the creature could carry a load of rye in his mouth for the people with whom he lived and did so daily as long as he received a meal of biscuits (''[[Zwieback]]'') and milk.<ref name="kuhn&schwarz-PartC-XVI-220">{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} "C. Gerbräuche und Aberglauben", "XVI. Dråk, kobold" No. 220, p. 423</ref>{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=156–157}} Kobolds bring good luck and help their hosts as long as the hosts take care of them.

The kobold Hödekin, who lived with the bishop of Hildesheim in the 12th century, once warned the bishop of a murder. When the bishop acted on the information, he was able to take over the murderer's lands and add them to his bishopric.{{sfnp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=141–142}}

The house-spirit in some areas were called ''Alrûn'' ("mandrake"), though this was also the name of a trinket sold in bottles,{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=49}} which instead of being genuine mandrake could be any doll shaped from some plant root.<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-gluecksmaennchen"/> And the saying ''to have an Alrûn in one's pocket'' means "to have luck at play".{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=156–157}} However, kobold gifts may be stolen from the neighbours; accordingly, some legends say that gifts from a kobold are demonic or evil.<ref name="Ashliman 46"/> Nevertheless, peasants often welcome this trickery and feed their kobold in the hopes that it continue bringing its gifts.<ref name="Dowden2000"/> A family coming into unexplained wealth was often attributed to a new kobold moving into the house.<ref name="Ashliman 46"/>

=== Eradication ===
Folktales tell of people trying to rid themselves of mischievous kobolds. In one tale, a man with a kobold-haunted barn puts all the straw onto a cart, burns the barn down, and sets off to start anew. As he rides away, he looks back and sees the kobold sitting behind him. "It was high time that we got out!" it says.{{sfnp|Ashliman|2006|p=47}} A similar tale from [[Köpenick]] tells of a man trying to move out of a kobold-infested house. He sees the kobold preparing to move too and realises that he cannot rid himself of the creature.<ref>{{harvp|Ashliman|2006}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=nHzDEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA91 |2=Kobold}}", pp. 91–92.</ref>

[[Exorcism]] by a Christian priest works in some tales; in certain versions of the Hödekin in the kitchen of the castle [[enfeoffed]] to the Bishop of Hildesheim, the bishop managed to exorcise Hödekin using  "ecclesiastical censures"<ref name="ritson1831"/> or church-spells.<ref name="Bunce1878"/> The attempts to expel the Hintzelmann from the Castle Hudemühlen by a nobleman and later by an exorcist trying to use a book of holy spells were foiled; it later left of its own will.<ref>{{harvp|Grimms|1816}} No. 75 "Hintzelmann", pp.110–111, 113–114, 127;  {{harvp|Keightley|1850|pp=244–245, 247, 254}}</ref>

Insulting a kobold may drive it away, but not without a curse; when someone tried to see his true form, Goldemar left the home and vowed that the house would now be as unlucky as it had been fortunate under his care.{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=257}}

==Other specialized kobolds==
Other than the mine spirit kobold above, there are others "house spirits" that haunt shops, ships, etc. places of various professions.

The [[Klabautermann]] (cf. also {{section link||Klabautermann}} below) is a kobold from the beliefs of fishermen and sailors of the [[Baltic Sea]].{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=240}} [[Adalbert Kuhn]] recognized in northern Germany the form {{lang|de|Klabåtersmanneken}} (syn. {{lang|de|Pûkse}}) which haunted [[flour mill|mills]] and ships, subsisted on the milk put out for them, and in return performed chores such as milking cows, grooming horse, helping the kitchen, or scrubbing the ship.<ref>{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}}, "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=TgoLAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA15 |2=No. 17 Klabåtersmanneken oder Pûkse}}", p. 15</ref>

The ''[[bieresel]]'', sometimes called a type of kobold<!--"Cobold" in Schmidt--><ref name="schmidt1759"/>{{Refn|name="kuhn&schwartz-bieresel"}} live in breweries and the beer cellars of inns or pubs, bring beer into the house, clean the tables, and wash the bottles, glasses and casks. The family must leave a can of beer,{{Refn|name="kuhn&schwartz-bieresel"|Kuhn&Schwartz (1848) under section "XVI. Dråk, kobold",<ref name="kuhn&schwarz-PartC-XVI-221">{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} "C. Gerbräuche und Aberglauben", "XVI. Dråk, kobold" No. 221 (Bieresel, von Grochwitz bei Torgau), p. 423</ref> translated by Thorpe under section "Dråk-Kobold-Fire-drake".{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|p=157}}}}  (cf. [[Fremlin's Brewery#Hodfellow and the origin of Gremlins|Hödfellow]]) and must treat the kobold with respect, never mocking or laughing at the creature.

===Klabautermann===
{{main|Klabautermann}}
[[Image:Klabautermann on ship.jpg|thumb|A Klabautermann on a ship, from ''Buch Zur See'', 1885.]]
The [[Klabautermann]] is a spirit that dwells in ships, according to the beliefs of the seafaring folk around the [[Baltic Sea]] in Germany and Netherlands, etc.{{sfnp|Kirby|Hinkkanen|2013|p=48}} The spirit has been classed as a ship-kobold{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|pp=162–163}}<ref name="brewer1880-klabotermann"/> and is sometimes even called a "kobold".{{sfnp|Kirby|Hinkkanen|2013|p=48}} The Klabautermann typically appears as a small, pipe-smoking humanlike figure wearing a red or grey jacket,<ref name="Kirby&Hinkkanen2000"/> or yellow attire,  wearing nightcap-style sailor's hat<ref name="brewer1880-klabotermann"/> or a pair of yellow hoses and [[riding boot]]s, and a "steeple-crowned" pointy hat.{{Refn|name="Obersteuermann-Werner"|Kuhn&Schwartz, with first mate (''Obersteuermann'') Werner from Hamburg as informant.<ref name="kuhn&schwarz-PartC-XVI-222"/>{{sfnp|Thorpe|1852|pp=49–50}}}}

Klabautermanns may be benevolent and aid the ship's crews in their tasks, but also be a menace or nuisance.<ref name="Kirby&Hinkkanen2000"/><ref name="Ellet1846"/> For example, it may help pump water from the hold, arrange cargo, and hammer at holes until they can be repaired.<ref name="Ellet1846"/> But they can pull pranks with the tackle lines as well.<ref name="Ellet1846"/>

The Klabautermann is associated with the wood of the ship on which it lives. It enters the ship via the wood used to build it, and it may appear as a ship's carpenter.<ref name="Kirby&Hinkkanen2000"/> It is said that if an unbaptized child is buried in a heath under a tree, and that timber is used to build a ship, the child's soul will become the klabautermann which will inhabit that ship.{{sfnp|Ranke|1910|pp=162–163}}

==Parallels==
Kobold beliefs mirror legends of similar creatures in other regions of Europe, and scholars have argued that the names of creatures such as [[goblin]]s and ''[[kabouter]]s'' derive from the same roots as ''kobold''. This may indicate a common origin for these creatures, or it may represent cultural borrowings and influences of European peoples upon one another. Similarly, subterranean kobolds may share their origins with creatures such as [[gnome]]s and [[dwarf (folklore)|dwarves]].

Sources equate the domestic kobold with creatures such as the Danish {{lang|da|[[Nisse (folklore)|nis]]}}{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=239}}<ref name="Bunce1878"/> and Swedish [[tomte]],<ref name="runeberg1947"/> Scottish [[Brownie (mythology)|brownie]],{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=239}}<ref name="Baring-Gould1913"/> the Devonshire [[pixie|pixy]],<ref name="Baring-Gould1913"/> English [[boggart]],<ref name="Bunce1878"/> and English [[hobgoblin]].{{sfnp|Keightley|1850|p=239}}

If the definition of kobold is extended beyond the house sprite and extended to mine spirits and subterranean dwellers (aka [[gnome]]s), then the parallels to mine-kobolds can be recognized in the Cornish [[knocker (folklore)|knocker]] and the English [[bluecap]]<ref name="taillepieds1588-tr-summers">[[Montague Summers|Summers, Montague]], {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=wJY0AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA216 |2=p. 216, note 4.}} in [[:fr:Noël Taillepied|Taillepied, Noël]] (1933) [1588] ''A Treatise of Ghosts: Being the Psichologie, Or Treatise Upon Apparitions'', Translated by Summers, London: Fortune Press.</ref> as well as the Welsh [[coblynau]].<ref name="black1893"/>

Irish writer [[Thomas Keightley]] argued that the German kobold and the Scandinavian [[tomte|nis]] predate the Irish [[fairy]] and the Scottish [[Brownie (mythology)|brownie]] and influenced the beliefs in those entities, but modern folklorist [[Richard Mercer Dorson]] noted Keightley's bias as a strong adherent of Grimm, embracing the thesis of regarding ancient Teutonic mythology as underlying all sorts of folklore.<ref name="Dorson1999"/>

British antiquarian Charles Hardwick ventured a theory that the spirits like the kobold in other cultures, such as the Scottish [[boggart|bogie]], French [[goblin]], and English [[Puck (mythology)|Puck]] were also etymologically related.{{Refn|[[John Roby|Roby, John]] (1829). ''Traditions of Lancashire''. Quoted in Hardwick, p. 139.<ref name="Hardwick1872"/> The sources spell the word ''khobalus''.}} In keeping with Grimm's definition, the ''kobaloi'' were spirits invoked (i.e., used as [[invective]]?) by such tongue-wagging rogues.<ref name="Liddell&Scott-kobalos">Liddell and Scott (1940). ''[[A Greek–English Lexicon]]''. s.v. "{{URL|1=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3D%2358260&redirect=true |2=koba_l-os, ho}}". Revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones with the assistance of Roderick McKenzie. Oxford: Clarendon Press. {{ISBN|0-19-864226-1}}. Online version retrieved 25 February 2008.</ref>

The ''[[zashiki-warashi]]'' (lit. 'sitting-room lad') of [[Japanese folklore]] parallels the kobold.<ref name="makita1973"/><ref name="tsunoda2007"/> Many points of commonality have been pointed out, for instance, the house inhabited by the sprite flourishes, but will fall to ruin once it leaves. The ''warashi'' is also of prankish nature,{{sfnp|Tsunoda|2007|p=24}} but does not actually help out with household chores.{{sfnp|Tsunoda|2007|p=24}} Both sprites can be appeased by offerings of favorite food, which is {{interlanguage link|sekihan|ja|赤飯|lt=''azuki-meshi''}} ("[[Adzuki bean|adzuki]] rice") for the Japanese version.{{sfnp|Tsunoda|2007|p=24}}

==In culture==
===Literary references===
German writers have long borrowed from German folklore and fairy lore for both poetry and prose. Narrative versions of folktales and fairy tales are common, and kobolds are the subject of several such tales.<ref>Gostwick, Joseph (1849). "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=9_UOAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA224 |2=Redmantle}}", ''German Literature''. Edinburgh: William and Robert Chambers, p. 221</ref>
The kobold is invoked by [[Martin Luther]] in his [[Luther Bible|Bible]], translates the Hebrew ''[[lilith]]'' in [[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 34:14 as ''kobold''.<ref>"[http://bible.cc/isaiah/34-14.htm Isaiah 34:14: Parallel Translations]", ''Biblos.com''. Retrieved 8 November 2007</ref><ref>Jeffrey, David Lyle, ed. (1992). ''A Dictionary of Biblical Tradition in English Literature''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. {{ISBN|0-8028-3634-8}}, p. 452.</ref>

In [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]'s ''[[Goethe's Faust|Faust]]'', the kobold represents the [[Greek element]] of earth.{{Refn|{{blockquote|<poem>Salamander shall glow,
Undine twine,
Sylph vanish,
Kobold be moving.

Who did not know
The elements,...
</poem>|Goethe|tr. Hayward}}}} This merely goes to show that Goethe saw fit to substitute "kobold" for the gnome of the earth, one of [[Paracelsus]]'s four spirits.<ref name="goethe-tr-hayward1855"/> In ''Faust'' Part II, v. 5848, Goethe uses ''Gütchen'' (syn. ''Güttel'' above) as synonym for his gnome.<ref name="HdA-Burren-guetel"/><ref name="goethe-ed-thomas1897"/>

===Theatrical and musical works===
A kobold is musically depicted in [[Edvard Grieg]]'s lyric piece, opus 71, number 3.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

''Der Kobold'', Op. 3, is also Opera in Three Acts with text and music by [[Siegfried Wagner]]; his third opera and it was completed in 1903.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

The kobold characters [[Pittiplatsch]] occurs in modern East German puppet theatre. [[Pumuckl]] the kobold originated as a children's radio play series (1961).{{cn|date=July 2025}}

===Games and D&D literature===
Kobolds also appear in many modern fantasy-themed games like ''[[Clash of Clans]]'' and ''[[Hearthstone]]'', usually as a low-power or low-level enemy. They exist as a playable race in the ''[[Dark Age of Camelot]]'' video game. They also exist as a non-playable rat-like race in the ''[[World of Warcraft]]'' video game series, and also feature in tabletop games such as ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''. In ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', the [[Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)|kobold]] appears as an occasionally playable race of lizard-like beings. In ''[[Might and Magic]]'' games (notably ''[[Might & Magic Heroes VII|Heroes VII]]''), they are depicted as being mouse-dwarf hybrids. In the video game ''[[Home Safety Hotline]]'', Kobolds appear as humanoid creatures with dog-like faces.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

=== Fantasy novels and anime ===
The fantasy novel ''[[Record of Lodoss War]]'' adapted into anime depicts kobolds as dog-like, based on earlier versions of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', resulting in many Japanese media depictions doing the same.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

In the novel ''[[American Gods]]'', by [[Neil Gaiman]], Hinzelmann is portrayed as an ancient kobold<ref name="olesen2012"/> who helps the city of Lakeside in exchange for killing one teenager once a year.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

In the novel ''[[The Spirit Ring]]'' by [[Lois McMaster Bujold]], mining kobolds help the protagonists and display a fondness for milk. In an author's note, Bujold attributes her conception of kobolds to the [[Herbert Hoover]]  and [[Lou Henry Hoover]] translation of ''[[De re metallica]]''.{{cn|date=July 2025}}

==See also==
{{Commons category|Kobolds}}
* {{annotated link|The Bottle Imp}}
* {{annotated link|Friar Rush}}
* {{annotated link|Gremlin}}
* {{annotated link|Hödekin}}
* {{annotated link|Kobold (Dungeons & Dragons)}}
* {{annotated link|Gütel}}
* {{annotated link|Niß Puk}}
* {{annotated link|Yōsei}}

==Explanatory notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
;Citations
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="agricola1614">{{cite book|last=Agricola |first=Georgius |author-link=Georgius Agricola |editor=Johannes Sigfridus |chapter=37 |title=Georgii Agricolae De Animantibus subterraneis |place=Witebergæ |publisher=Typis Meisnerianis |year=1614|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=laGePXl89xwC&pg=PA78 |pages=78–79}}</ref>

<ref name="agricola1657-gloss">{{cite book|last=Agricola |first=Georgius |author-link=Georgius Agricola |chapter=Animantium nomina latina, graega, q'ue germanice reddita, quorum author in Libro de subterraneis animantibus meminit |title=Georgii Agricolae Kempnicensis Medici Ac Philosophi Clariss. De Re Metallica Libri XII.: Quibus Officia, Instrumenta, Machinae, Ac Omnia Denique Ad Metallicam Spectantia, Non Modo Luculentissime describuntur; sed & per effigies, suis locis insertas ... ita ob oculos ponuntur, ut clarius tradi non possint |location=Basel |publisher=Sumptibus & Typis Emanuelis König |year=1657 |orig-year=1530 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uCClFLX0CwUC&pg=PA762 |at=p. [762]<!--761ff--> |quote={{smallcaps|Dæmonum}}: ''Dæmon subterraneus trunculentus'': bergterufel; ''mitis'' bergmenlein/kobel/guttel}}</ref>

<ref name="agricola-tr-hoover1912">{{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Agricola|Hoovers trr.|1912}}|last=Agricola |first=Georgius |author-link=Georgius Agricola |others=Translated by [[Herbert Hoover|Hoover, Herbert Clark]] and [[Lou Henry Hoover]] |title=Georgius Agricola De Re Metallica: Tr. from the 1st Latin Ed. of 1556 (Books I–VIII) |location=London |publisher=The Mining Magazine |year=1912 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MfFYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA217 |at=p. 217, n26}}; {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=TvFYAAAAYAAJ7|2=Second Part}}, Books IX–XII</ref>

<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-gluecksmaennchen">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Ersch|editor1-first=Johann Samuel |editor1-link=Johann Samuel Ersch |editor2-last=Gruber|editor2-first=Johann Gottfried |editor2-link=Johann Gottfried Gruber |entry=Glücksmännchen |title=Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste |volume=1 |location=Leipzig |publisher=Brockhaus |year=1860|entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQndsknDKBAC&pg=PA303 |pages=303–304}}</ref>

<ref name="Allgemeine-Ency-kobold">{{cite encyclopedia|editor-last=Leskien |editor-first=August |editor-link=August Leskien |entry=Kobold |title=Allgemeine Encyclopädie der Wissenschaften und Künste |volume=2 |location=Leipzig |publisher=Brockhaus |year=1885|entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gPlBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA372 |pages=372–373}}</ref>

<ref name="AllgReal-Ency-kobold">{{cite encyclopedia|editor-last= |editor-first= |editor-link= |entry=Kobold |title=Allgemeine deutsche Real-Encyclopädie für die gebildeten Stände |volume=5 |edition=5 |location=Leipzig |publisher=Brockhaus |year=1819 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rNVo8Jvv8rwC&pg=PA455 |pages=455–456}}</ref>

<ref name="arrowsmith1977">{{cite book|last=Arrowsmith|first=Nancy |author-link=<!--Nancy Arrowsmith--> |title=Field Guide to the Little People: A Curious Journey Into the Hidden Realm of Elves, Faeries, Hobgoblins and Other Not-So-Mythical Creatures |location=Woodbury, Minnesota |publisher=Llewellyn Worldwide |year=2009 |orig-year=1977 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVShTntxrowC&pg=PA126 |page=126 |isbn=<!--0738715492, -->9780738715490}}</ref>

<ref name="Baring-Gould1913">{{cite wikisource|last=Baring-Gould |first=Sabine |author-link=Sabine Baring-Gould |chapter=Chapter IX Pixies and Brownies |title=A Book of Folklore |location=Lonodon |publisher=Collins Cleartype Press |year=1913 |wslink=A Book of Folklore |chapter-url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/A_Book_of_Folklore/Chapter_9 |page=223}}</ref>

<ref name="bartsch1879-petermaenchenn">{{cite book|editor-last=Bartsch |editor-first=Karl |editor-link=Karl Bartsch |chapter=No. 85 Das Petermännchen zu Schwerin |title=
Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Meklenburg |volume=1 |location=Wien |publisher=Wilhelm Braumüller |year=1879 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1BMHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA66
 |pages=66–74}}</ref>

<ref name="black1893">{{cite journal|last=Black |first=William George |author-link=William George Black |title=Ghost miners |journal=Notes and Queries |series=8 |date=18 March 1893|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nECFbfG0znIC&pg=PA205 |pages=205–206}}</ref>

<ref name="makita1973">{{cite journal|last=Makita |first=Shigeru |author-link=:ja:牧田茂 |title=World authority on folklore: Yanagita Kunio |journal=Japan Quarterly |volume=20 |date=1973 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ABIVAAAAMAAJ&q=kobold |page=286<!--283–293--> |quote=kobold-like boy-sprites said to dwell in old houses (''zashiki-warashi''), the beaked, shell-backed water imps known as ''kappa''.. }}</ref>

<ref name="brewer1880-klabotermann">[[E. Cobham Brewer|Brewer, E. Cobham]] (1880), "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=fzoFAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA520|2=Klabotermann}}". ''The reader's handbook of allusions, references, plots and stories''. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott.</ref>

<ref name="brewers-dict-cobalt">{{cite dictionary|last=Brewer |first=Ebenezer Cobham |author-link=Ebenezer Cobham Brewer |entry=Cobalt |title=Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Giving the Derivation, Source, Or Origin of Common Phrases, Allusions, and Words that Have a Tale to Tell |edition=new, revised, corrected, and enlarged |volume=1 |location=London |publisher=Cassell |year=1898 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x2lJAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA267 |page=267}}</ref>

<ref name="britten1884">{{cite book|last=Britten |first=Emma Hardinge |author-link=Emma Hardinge Britten |title=Nineteenth century miracles, or, Spirits and their work in every country of the earth : a complete historical compendium of the great movement known as "modern spiritualism" |location=New York |publisher=Published by William Britten : Lovell & Co.|year=1884|url=https://archive.org/details/nineteenthcentur01brit/page/32/mode/2up |pages=32–33}}</ref>

<ref name="brueckner-dict-skrzat">{{cite dictionary|last=Brückner |first=Alexander |author-link=Alexander Brückner |entry=Skrzat |title=Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego |volume=8 Pušlisko-Stalmach |location= Kraków |publisher=Nakładem Krakowskiej Spółki Wydawniczej |year=1926 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iV8VAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA497 |page=267}}</ref>

<ref name="Bunce1878">{{cite book|last=Bunce |first=John Thackray |author-link=John Thackray Bunce |title=Fairy Tales, Their Origin and Meaning: With Some Account of Dwellers in Fairyland |location=London |publisher=Macmillan |year=1878 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EltMAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA138 |pages=138–142|isbn=978-0-608-32300-8 }}</ref>

<ref name="Chantilly 98">The Writers of Chantilly (2002). "Knock, Knock, Knock!", ''We Celebrate the Macabre''. Xlibris. ISBN 1401066062. p. 98</ref>

<ref name="danneil-dict1839">[[:de:Johann Friedrich Danneil|Danneil, Johann Friedrich]] (1839) s.v. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=XSVbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA111 |2=Kobbold}}", ''Wörterbuch der altmärkisch-plattdeutschen Mundart'' pp. 111–112</ref>

<ref name="diefenbach-dict-procubare">s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YFP7sdVk08sC&pg=PA285 |2=*Procubare}}", [[Lorenz Diefenbach|Diefenbach, Lorenz]] (1867). ''Novum glossarium latino-germanicum'', p. 304. Citing '7V. vrat. sim.' 9</ref>

<ref name="diefenbach-dict-sources">[[Lorenz Diefenbach|Diefenbach, Lorenz]] (1867) ''Novum glossarium latino-germanicum'' "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=YFP7sdVk08sC&pg=PR22 |2=Quellen}}", p. xxii</ref>

<ref name="Dorson1999">Dorson, Richard Mercer (1999). "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=DiCjLRGRkS4C&pg=PA5 |2=The Antiquary Folklorists}}". ''History of British Folklore, Volume I: The British Folklorists: A History''. Taylor & Francis. {{ISBN|0-415-20476-3}}, p. 54.</ref>

<ref name="Dowden2000">{{cite book|last=Dowden |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Dowden |title=European Paganism |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2000 |url=<!--no preview https://books.google.com/books?id=b-QfhYxtKScC--> |pages=229–230 |isbn=0-415-12034-9}}; reprinted in:
{{cite book|last=Dowden |first=Ken |author-link=Ken Dowden |title=European Paganism |location= |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2013 |orig-year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Aqtvs6IaaYC&q=kobold |pages=229–230 |isbn=<!--1134810210, -->9781134810215 }}</ref>

<ref name="duennhaupt1980-bibl-praetorius">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Dünnhaupt |first=Gerhard |author-link=Gerhard Dünnhaupt |entry=Johann Praetorius |title=Bibliographisches Handbuch der Barockliteratur: hundert Personalbibliographien deutscher Autoren des siebzehnten Jahrhunderts |volume=2 |location= |publisher=Hiersemann |year=1980 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?q=katzen |page=1424|isbn=<!--3777280291, -->9783777280295}}</ref>

<ref name="Ellet1846">{{cite journal|last=Ellett |first=Elizabeth F. |author-link=Elizabeth F. Ellet |title=Traditions and Superstitions |journal=The American Whig Review: A Whig Journal |volume=III |location=New York |publisher=George H. Colton |date=January 1846 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mn_QAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA107 |pages=107–108<!--105–109-->}}</ref>

<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-heinzelmaenchen">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Kluge |editor1-first=Friedrich |editor1-link=Friedrich Kluge |editor2-last=Seebold |editor2-first=Elmar |editor2-link=Elmar Seebold |entry=Heinzelmännchen |title=Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache |edition=25 |location= |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |year=2012 |orig-year=1899 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6FSSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA406 |page=406 |isbn=<!--3110223651, -->9783110223651 }}</ref>
<ref name="EtymWortb2012-ed-kluge&seebold-kobold">{{cite encyclopedia|editor1-last=Kluge |editor1-first=Friedrich |editor1-link=Friedrich Kluge |editor2-last=Seebold |editor2-first=Elmar |editor2-link=Elmar Seebold |entry=Kobold |title=Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache |edition=25 |location= |publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG |year=2012 |orig-year=1899 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6FSSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA510 |page=510|isbn=<!--3110223651, -->9783110223651 }}</ref>

<ref name="evans1895">{{cite book|last=Evans |first=M. A. B. |author-link=M. A. B. Evans |others=Illustrated by William A. McCullough |chapter=The Kobold and the Bishop of Hidesheim's Kitchen-boy |title=Nymphs, Nixies and Naiads: Legends of the Rhine |location=New York |publisher=G.P. Putnam's sons |year=1895 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ktAAAAAYAAJpg |page=33<!--31–35--> |isbn=<!--0738715492, -->9780738715490}}</ref>

<ref name="francisci1690">{{cite book|last=Francisci |first=Erasmus |author-link=Erasmus Francisci |title=Der Höllische Proteus; oder, Tausendkünstige Versteller: vermittelst Erzehlung der vielfältigen Bildverwechslungen erscheinender Gespenster, werffender und poltrender Geister, gespenstischer Vorzeichen der Todes-Fälle, wie auch andrer abentheurlicher Händel, arglistiger Possen, und seltsamer ... |location=Nürnberg |publisher=In Verlegung W.M. Endters |year=1690 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YPlkAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA792 |page=793 (pp. 792–798)}}</ref>

<ref name="fentsch1865">{{cite book|last=Fentsch |first=Eduard |author-link=<!--Eduard Fentsch--> |chapter=4ter Abschnitt. Volkssage und Volksglaube in Oberfranken |editor-last=Riehl |editor-first=Wilhelm Heinrich |editor-link=Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl |title=Bavaria: Landes- und volkskunde des königreichs Bayern |volume=3 |location=München |publisher=J. G. Cotta |year=1865 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VgJAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA306 |pages=305–307<!--(pp. 267–309)-->}}</ref>

<ref name="gask1912">{{cite book |title= The Fairies and the Christmas Child |chapter= Chapter IX: The Little White Feather |last=Gask |first=Lilian |author-link= Lilian Gask |others=Illustrated by [[Willy Pogany|Willy Pogány]] |location= London |publisher= Harrap & Co., n.d. |publication-date= 1912 |pages= 186–196 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/fairieschristmas00gask/page/186/mode/2up}}; {{URL|1=https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/gask/child/child.html |2=HTML version}} @ UPenn digital library</ref>

<ref name="goethe-ed-thomas1897">{{cite book|last=Goethe |first=Johann Wolfgang von |author-link=Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |editor-last=Thomas |editor-first=Calvin |editor-link=Calvin Thomas (linguist) |title=Faust, the Second Part |volume=2 |location=Boston |publisher=D.C. Heath |year=1897 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ohU_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA366 |page=366}}</ref>

<ref name="goethe-tr-hayward1855">{{cite book|last=Goethe|first=Johann Wolfgang von |author-link=Johann Wolfgang von Goethe |translator=Abraham Hayward |translator-link=Abraham Hayward |title=Faust |edition=6 |location=London |publisher=Edward Moxon |year=1855 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uQj4P1FXrooC&pg=PA38 |page=38}}</ref>

<ref name="graesse1856">{{cite journal|last=Grässe |first=Johann Georg Theodor |author-link=Johann Georg Theodor Grässe |title=Zur Geschichte des Puppenspiels |journal=Die Wissenschaften im neunzehnten Jahrhundert, ihr Standpunkt und die Resultate ihrer Forschungen: Eine Rundschau zur Belehrung für das gebildete Publikum |volume=1 |publisher=Romberg |year=1856|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rnUsBl0V_78C&pg=PA660 |pages=559–660<!--636–675-->}}</ref>

<ref name="graesse1867">{{cite book|last=Grässe |first=Johann Georg Theodor |author-link=Johann Georg Theodor Grässe |chapter=469. Der Chimmeke in Loitz |title=Sagenbuch des preussischen Staats |volume=2 |location=Glogau |publisher=Carl Flemming |year=1867 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nIyBNYBJknkC&pg=PA496 |page=496}}</ref>

<ref name="Grimms-DS071-kobold">{{harvp|Grimms|1816}}. ''Deutsche Sagen'' No. 71 "Kobold", pp. 90–92</ref>
<ref name="Grimms-DS074-huetchen">{{harvp|Grimms|1816}}. ''Deutsche Sagen'' No. 74 "Hütchen", pp. 97–103</ref>
<ref name="Grimms-DS075-hinzelmann">{{harvp|Grimms|1816}}. ''Deutsche Sagen'' No. 75 "Hinzelmann", pp. 103–128</ref>
<ref name="Grimms-DS076-klopfer">{{harvp|Grimms|1816}}. ''Deutsche Sagen'' No. 76 "Klopfer", p. 128</ref>

<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobalt">[[Brothers Grimm|Grimms]]; [[Rudolf Hildebrand|Hildebrand, Rudolf]] (1868). ''Deutsches Wörterbuch'', Band 5, s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERSZv4n2zpEC&pg=PA1537 |2=Kobalt}}"</ref>
<ref name="Grimms-DW-kobold">[[Brothers Grimm|Grimms]]; [[Rudolf Hildebrand|Hildebrand, Rudolf]] (1868). ''Deutsches Wörterbuch'', Band 5, s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=ERSZv4n2zpEC&pg=PA1547 |2=Kobold}}"</ref>

<ref name="hass1896">{{cite book|last=Haas |first=Alfred |author-link=:de:Alfred Haas (Volkskundler) |title=Aus pommerschen Hexenprozessakten: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte des pommerschen Volksglaubens
 |location=Stetten |publisher=F. Hessenland |year=1896 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f7JNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA13 |page=13}}</ref>

<ref name="haupt1862">{{cite book|last=Haupt |first=Karl |author-link=:de:Karl Haupt (Volkskundler) |chapter=60. Der Feuermann. |title=Sagenbuch der Lausitz: ¬Das Geisterreich |volume=1 |location=Leipzig |publisher=Wilhelm Engelmann |year=1862 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n2EAAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA60 |page=60}}</ref>

<ref name="HdA-Burren-guetel">Burren<!--first name wanting--> (1931). "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=89G1DwAAQBAJ&pg=RA3-PA181 |2=Gütel, Gütchen, Jüdel, Jütel, usw. (Dämonenname)}}". ''HdA'', '''3'''<!--Band 3 Freen-Hexenschuss-->: 1233–1236--></ref>

<ref name="HdA-Marzell-alraun">Marzell, Heinrich  (1927). "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwsNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA311 |2=Alraun}}". ''HdA'', '''1'''<!--Band 1 Aal-Butzemann-->: 312–324--></ref>
<ref name="HdA-Jacoby-boppelgebet">Jacoby, Adolf (1927). "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwsNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1479 |2=Boppelgebet}}". ''HdA'', '''1'''<!--Band 1 Aal-Butzemann-->: 1479–1480</ref>

<ref name="HdA-Ranke-butz">[[Kurt Ranke|Ranke, Kurt]] (1927).{{anchor|CITEREFRanke1927}} "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=mwsNAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1763 |2=Alp (Alptraum)}}". ''HdA'', '''1'''<!--Band 1 Aal-Butzemann-->: 1763–1764</ref>
<ref name="HdA-Ranke-schrat">{{cite dictionary|ref={{SfnRef|Ranke|1936}} |last=Ranke |first=Kurt |author-link=Kurt Ranke |entry=Schrat, Schrättel (Schraz, Schrätzel) |editor1-last=Bächtold-Stäubli |editor1-first=Hanns |editor1-link=:de:Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli |editor2-last=Hoffmann-Krayer |editor2-first=Eduard  |editor2-link=Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer |title=Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens |volume=Band 7 Pflügen-Signatur |location=Berlin |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |date=1987 |orig-date=1936 |url=https://archive.org/details/handworterbuch-des-deutschen-aberglaubens-vollstandig-band-01-bis-10-berlin-1987/page/n3053/mode/2up |pages=1285–1286<!--1285–1290--> |isbn=3-11-011194-2}}</ref>

<ref name="HdA-WeiserAall-kobold">{{cite dictionary|ref={{SfnRef|Weiser-Aall|1933}} |last=Weiser-Aall|first=Lily |author-link=Lily Weiser-Aall|entry=Kobold |editor1-last=Bächtold-Stäubli |editor1-first=Hanns |editor1-link=:de:Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli |editor2-last=Hoffmann-Krayer |editor2-first=Eduard  |editor2-link=Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer |title=Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens |volume=Band 5 Knoblauch-Matthias |location=Berlin |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |date=1987 |orig-date=1933 |url=https://archive.org/details/handworterbuch-des-deutschen-aberglaubens-vollstandig-band-01-bis-10-berlin-1987/page/n1827/mode/2up |pages=31–33<!--29–47-->|isbn=3-11-011194-2}}</ref>

<ref name="Hardwick1872">[[Charles Hardwick (antiquary)|Hardwick, Charles]] (1980 [1872]). ''Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-lore''. Lancanshire: Ayer Publishing. {{ISBN|0-405-13333-2}}.</ref>

<ref name="hawhee2020">{{cite book|last=Hawhee |first=Debra |author-link=<!--Debra Hawhee--> |title=Rhetoric in Tooth and Claw: Animals, Language, Sensation |location= |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=2020 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AL4lEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA60 |page=60 |isbn=<!--022670677X, -->9780226706771}}</ref>

<ref name="heyl1897">{{cite book|editor-last=Heyl |editor-first=Johann Adolf |editor-link=<!--Johann Adolf Heyl--> |chapter=38. Der Kobold auf dem Stierlhof |title=Volkssagen, Bräuche und Meinungen aus Tirol |location=Brixen |publisher=Kath.-polit. Pressverein |year=1897 |pages=227–228}}</ref>

<ref name="hilgers2001a">{{cite book|last=Hilgers |first=Heribert A. |author-link=:de:Heribert A. Hilgers |chapter=Die Herkunft der Kölner Heinzelmännchen |editor-last=Schäfke |editor-first=Werner |editor-link=:de:Werner Schäfke |title=Heinzelmännchen: Beiträge zu einer Kölner Sage |location= |publisher=Kölnisches Stadtmuseum |year=2001a |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZUSAQAAIAAJ&q=Weyden |page=49<!--25–55--> |isbn=<!--0738715492, -->9780738715490}}</ref>
<ref name="hilgers2001b">{{cite book|last=Hilgers |first=Heribert A. |author-link=:de:Heribert A. Hilgers |author-mask=2 |chapter=Kopischs „Heinzelmännchen“ auf Kölsch |editor-last=Schäfke |editor-first=Werner |editor-link=:de:Werner Schäfke |title=Heinzelmännchen: Beiträge zu einer Kölner Sage |location= |publisher=Kölnisches Stadtmuseum |year=2001b |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZUSAQAAIAAJ&q=Restauration |page=119<!--87–122--> |isbn=<!--0738715492, -->9780738715490}}</ref>

<ref name="horton2024">{{cite book|last=Horton |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Horton (theologian) |chapter=Chapter 3. Shaman to Sage § Assimilation to an Erstwhile Minor Shamanic Deity |title=Shaman and Sage: The Roots of "Spiritual but Not Religious" in Antiquity |location= |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |year=2024 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TG7QEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT129 |pages= |isbn=<!--1467467901, --> 9781467467902}}</ref>

<ref name="johansons1962">{{cite journal|last=Johansons |first=Andrejs |author-link=:lv:Andrejs Johansons |title=Der Kesselhaken im Volksglauben der Letten |journal=Zeitschrift für Ethnologie |volume=87 |year=1962 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BW0rAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Stätte%22|page=74}}</ref>

<ref name="johansson1883">{{cite journal|last=Johansson|first=Karl Ferdinand |author-link=<!--Karl Ferdinand Johansson--> |title=Sanskritische Etymologien |journal=Indogermanische Forschungen |volume=2 |date=1893 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58BDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA50 |page=50<!--1–64-->}}</ref>

<ref name="jungmann-dict-skřet">{{cite dictionary|last=Jungmann |first=Josef |author-link=Josef Jungmann |entry=SKŘET |title=Slownjk česko-německý |volume=4 S–U |location=Prague |publisher=Knjžecj arcibiskupská tiskárna, Josefa wdowa Fetterlowá |date=1838 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ht6Y2QgJSK0C&pg=PA119 |pages=119}}</ref>

<ref name="kantzow-ed-kosegarten">{{cite book|last=Kantzow |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Kantzow |editor-last=Kosegarten|editor-first=Johann Gottfried Ludwig |editor-link=Johann Gottfried Ludwig Kosegarten |title=Pomerania, oder Ursprunck, Altheit und Geschicht der Völcker und Lande Pomern, Cassuben [&c.] |location=Greifswald |publisher=in Commission bey Ernst Mauritius |year=1816 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rmcIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA333 |page=333}}</ref>

<ref name="keightley1828">{{cite book|last=Keightley |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Keightley |chapter=Heinzelmännchen |title=The Fairy Mythology |volume=2 |location=London |publisher=William Harrison Ainsworth |year=1828 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IctcAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA29 |pages=29–31}}</ref>

<ref name="Kirby&Hinkkanen2000">{{cite book|last1=Kirby |first1=David |author1-link=David Kirby (historian) |last2=Hinkkanen |first2=Merja-Liisa |author2-link=<!--Merja-Liisa Hinkkanen--> |title=The Baltic and the North Seas |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |orig-year=2000 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bm9c02nBqOcC&pg=PA48 |pages= |isbn=<!--1136169547,--> 9781136169540}}</ref>

<ref name="koehler1867">{{cite book|last=Köhler |first=Joseph August Ernst |author-link=:de:Ernst Köhler (Volkskundler) |chapter=XIII. Sagen §50. Das Heugütel |title=Volksbrauch, Aberglauben, Sagen und andre alte Ueberlieferungen im Voigtlande: Mit Berücks. d. Orlagau's u. d. Pleißnerlandes. Ein Beitr. z. Kulturgeschichte d. Voigtländer |location=Leipzig |publisher=Fleischer |year=1867|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GW4AAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA476 |page=476}}</ref>

<ref name="kretschmer1928">{{cite journal|last=Kretschmer |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Kretschmer |title=Weiteres zur Urgeschichte der Inder |journal=Zeitschrift für vergleichende Sprachforschung auf dem Gebiete der indogermanischen Sprachen |volume=55 |date=1928 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zYpVkrS47n8C&pg=PA87 |at=p. 89 and p. 87, n2<!--pp. 75ff-->}}</ref>

<ref name="kriechbaum1920">{{cite journal|last=Kriechbaum |first=Eduard |author-link=<!--Eduard Kriechbaum--> |title=Das Donnerloch |journal=Heimatgaue: Zeitschrift für oberösterreichische Geschichte, Landes- und Voklskunde |volume=1 |date=1920 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sKq4soCFjiQC&pg=PA189|pages=188–189}}</ref>

<ref name="kuenzig1930">{{cite journal|last=Künzig |first=Johannes |author-link=:de:Johannes Künzig |title=Ghost miners |journal=Badische Heimat |volume=17 |date=1930 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ELsrAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA2-PA112 |pages=112ff}}</ref>

<ref name="kuhn&schwarz-PartC-XVI-222">{{harvp|Kuhn|Schwartz|1848}} "C. Gerbräuche und Aberglauben", "XVI. "Der klabautermann sitzt.." No. 222, p. 423</ref>

{{void|<ref name="London Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia|last= |first= |author-link=<!--no byline--> |entry=Fairy of the Mine |title=[[The London Encyclopædia, or Universal Dictionary of Science, Art, Literature, and Practical Mechanics, Comprising a Popular View of the Present State of Knowledge]] |volume=IX |location=London |publisher=Thomas Tegg |year=1829|entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YUEKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA23 |pages=23–24}}<!--Cites Agricola, so this is more Agricola's Bergmännlein than kobold--></ref>}}

<ref name="lecouteux-dict-bergmännchen">{{cite dictionary|last=Lecouteux |first=Claude |author-link=Claude Lecouteux |entry=BERGMÄNNCHEN (''Bergmännlein, Bergmönch, Knappenmanndl, Kobel, Gütel; gruvrå'' in Sweden) |title=Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic |publisher=Simon and Schuster |date=2016 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vmAoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT58 |pages= |isbn=<!--162055481X, -->9781620554814}}</ref>
<ref name="lecouteux-dict-dwarfnames">{{cite dictionary|last=Lecouteux |first=Claude |author-link=Claude Lecouteux |entry=Dwarf names|title=Encyclopedia of Norse and Germanic Folklore, Mythology, and Magic |publisher=Simon and Schuster |date=2016 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vmAoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT48 |pages= |isbn=<!--162055481X, -->9781620554814}}</ref>

<ref name="LibrarySurgeonGeneral1941">{{cite book|author=Library of the Surgeon General's Office |author-link=Library of the Surgeon General's Office |chapter=Agricola |title=Index-catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon General's Office, United States Army (Army Medical Library) |edition=4 |location= |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |year=1941 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZ8UmGlwOYwC&pg=RA2-PA24 |pages=24–28}}</ref>

<ref name="lockwood1987">{{cite book|last=Lockwood |first=William Burley |author-link=William Burley Lockwood |title=German Today: The Advanced Learner's Guide |location= |publisher=Clarendon Press |year=1987 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gN8rAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Schalk%22+joker|pages=29, 32 |isbn=<!--0198158041, --> 9780198158042}}</ref>

<ref name="Lurker-dict-kobold">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Lurker |first=Manfred |author-link=<!--Manfred Lurker--> |entry=Fairy of the Mine |title=The Routledge Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Devils and Demons |edition=3 |location=London |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |entry-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vtj0wSsw1JcC&pg=PA103 |page=103 |isbn=0-415-34018-7}}</ref>

<ref name="luther1566">{{cite book|last=Luther |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Luther |chapter=Von einem Teufels-Heintzlein |title=Tischreden Oder Colloqvia Doct. Mart. Luthers |location=Eisleben |publisher=Gaubisch |year=1566 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6LLjw0c9ckC&pg=PA619 |page=619}}</ref>

<ref name="luther1846">{{cite book|last=Luther |first=Martin |author-link=Martin Luther |editor-last=Förstemann |editor-first=Karl Eduard |editor-link=:de:Karl Eduard Förstemann |chapter=135. Von einem Teufels-Heinzlein |title=D. Martin Luther's Tischreden: oder, Colloquia |location=Leipzig	|publisher=Gebauer'sche buchhandlung (E. Schimmel) |year=1846 |orig-year=1566 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9oITSdCVNW0C&pg=PA93 |page=93 |series=D. Martin Luther's Sämmtliche schriften 13}}</ref>

<ref name="meiger1587">{{cite book|last=Meiger |first=Samuel |author-link=:de:Samuel Meiger|chapter=III. Bok, II. Capittel: Van den laribus dometicis edder husknechtkens, de men ok ''Wolterken'' under ''Chimken'' an etliken örden nömet |title=Den Panurgia Lamiarum, Sagarum, Strigum, ac Veneficarum totius cohortis Magicæ Cacodaemonia. |volume=3 |location=Hamburg |publisher= |year=1587 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dKLwVT40D8EC&q=Chimken&pg=PP391 |at=III.ii}}</ref>

<ref name="meyers1980">{{cite book|last=Meyers |first=Fritz |author-link=:de:Fritz Meyers |title=Riesen und Zwerge am Niederrhein: ihre Spuren in Sage, Märchen, Geschichte und Kunst |location=Duisburg |publisher=Mercator-Verlag |date=1980|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JUTaAAAAMAAJ&q=striegeln |page=9 |isbn=<!--3874630838, -->978-3-874-63083-2}}</ref>

<ref name="Moore1847">{{cite book|last=Moore |first=Edward |author-link=<!--Edward Moore, son of John Moore (regicide)--> |editor-last=Heywood |editor-first=Thomas |editor-link=Thomas Heywood (antiquarian) |chapter=Castle Street |title=The Moore Rental |location=Manchester |publisher=Charles Simms and Co.|date=1847 |url=https://archive.org/details/moorerental01moorgoog |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWFVAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA60 |page=60|isbn=978-0-384-39965-5 }}</ref>

<ref name="muellenhoff1849">{{cite journal|last=Müllenhoff |first=Karl |author-link=Karl Müllenhoff |title=Der Mythus von Beóvulf |journal=Zeitschrift für deutsches Alterthum |volume=7 |date=1849 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D6UNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA426 |pages=425–426<!--419–441-->}}</ref>

<ref name="muellenhoff1849-tr-shippey">{{cite book|last=Müllenhoff |first=Karl |author-link=Karl Müllenhoff |chapter=59 Karl Müllenhoff 1849 |editor1-last=Shippey |editor1-first=T. A. |editor1-link=T. A. Shippey |editor2-last=Haarder |editor2-first=Andreas |editor2-link=<!--Andreas Haarder--> |title=Beowulf: The Critical Heritage |publisher=Routledge |date=2005|orig-date=1998 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tmmIAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA6-PA49 |page=49 |isbn=<!--1134970935, -->9781134970933}}</ref>

<ref name="mueller-fraureuth1906">{{cite book|last=Müller-Fraureuth |first=Karl |author-link=<!--Karl Müller-Fraureuth-->|chapter=Kap. 14 |title=Sächsische Volkswörter: Beiträge zur mundartlichen Volkskunde |location=Dresden |publisher=Wilhelm Baensch |year=1906 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EFdsAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA26 |pages=25–26|isbn=978-3-95770-329-3 }}</ref>

<ref name="NdZfVk4.3">''NdZfVk''. 4. 3, i.e., {{cite journal|last=Weiser-Aall |first=Lily |author-link=Lily Weiser-Aall |title=Germanische Hausgeister und Kobolde |journal=Niederdeutsche Zeitschrift für Volkskunde |volume=4 |number= |date=1926 |url=<!--n/a-->}}</ref>

<ref name="notker">{{cite book|author=Notker |author-link=Notker the Stammerer |editor-last=Fleischer |editor-first=Ida Bertha Paulina |editor-link=:de:Ida Bertha Paulina Fleischer |title=Die Wortbildung bei Notker und in den verwandten Werken: eine Untersuchung der Sprache Notkers mit besonderer Rücksicht auf die Neubildungen ... |location=Göttingen |publisher=Druck der Dieterich'schen Univ.-Buchdruckerei (W. Fr. Kaestner) |year=1901 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_qM-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA20 |page=20}}</ref>

<ref name="olesen2012">{{cite book|last=Müller-Olesen |first=Max F. R. |author-link=<!--Max F. R. Olesen--> |chapter=Ambiguous Gods: Mythology, Immigration, and Assimilation in Neil Gaiman's ''American Gods'' (2001) and 'The Monarch of the Glen' (2004) |editor-last=Bright |editor-first=Amy |editor-link=<!--Amy Bright--> |title="Curious, if True": The Fantastic in Literature |location= |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |year=2012 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dakwBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA136 |at=p. 136 and note15<!--116–144--> |isbn=<!--1443843431, -->9781443843430}}</ref>

<ref name="polivka1918">{{cite journal|last=Polívka |first=Georg<!--sic--> |author-link=Jiří Polívka (linguist) |others=[[Johannes Bolte]] |title=Die Entstehung eines dienstbaren Kobolds aus einme Ei |journal=Zeitschrift für Volkskunde |volume=18 |date=1928 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GYKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA42 |pages=41–56}}</ref>

<ref name="Praetorius1666">[[Johannes Praetorius (writer)|Prateorius]] on ''Poltergeister'' (hobgoblins) haunting the house, quoted in English by {{harvp|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985|pp=139–141}}, translated from (1666) ''Anthropodemus Plutonicus'', Band 1, "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=OzJmAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA363&q=Poltergeistern |2=VIII. von Hausmännern"}}, p. 363–364</ref>

<ref name="raedlein-dict1711">Rädlein, Johann (1711) s.v. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7tRAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA501 |2=Loup-garou}}", ''Europäischer Sprach-Schatz'' '''2''': 501</ref>

<ref name="reichold1926">{{cite book|editor-last=Reichold |editor-first=Andreas |editor-link=<!--Andreas Reichold--> |others=Scherenschnitte (papercutting) von [[:de:Hans Schaefer|Hans Schaefer-Osseck]] |chapter=Das Schrezelein in Hartungs |title=Nordoberfränkische Sagen |edition=2 |location=Lichtenfels, Bavaria |publisher=H. O. Schulze |date=1926 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i6LYAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA26 |page=26}}</ref>

<ref name="ritson1831">{{cite book|last=Ritson |first=Joseph |author-link=Joseph Ritson |chapter=Tale V. Hutgin |title=Fairy Tales|location=London |publisher=Payne & Foss |year=1831 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gg5fAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA72 |pages=72–75}}</ref>

<ref name="rochholz1862">{{cite book|last=Rochholz |first=Ernst Ludvig |author-link=:de:Ernst Ludvig Rochholz |chapter=8.3) Irrlich unter Dach |title=Naturmythen: neue Schweizersagen |location=Leipzig |publisher=B. G. Teubner |year=1862 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OD8PAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA178 |page=178}}</ref>

<ref name="runeberg1947">{{cite book|editor-last=Runeberg|editor-first=Arne |editor-link=Arne Runeberg |title=Witches, demons, and fertility magic; analysis of their significance and mutual relations in West-European folk religion |series=Commentationes Humanarum Litterarum XIV.4 |location=Helsinki |publisher=[[Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters|Suomen Tiedeseura]] |date=1947 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UulFAQAAIAAJ&q=kobold |page=144 |quote=Closely akin with the tomte is the Swedish ''goanisse'' and the Scanian ''vättar'' which carry things to their favourites from other people's farms. The Danish ''Nisse'' show also the same trait. Sometimes these beings do not live in the house but outside of it and become wood-and field-spirits. A relative of the Swedish tomte is the ''Kobold'' of the German folklore.}}</ref>

<ref name="saintine1862">{{cite book|last=Saintine |first=Xavier-Boniface |author-link=X. B. Saintine |chapter=XII. § Un Kobold au service d'une cuisinière |others=Illustrated by [[Gustave Doré]] |title=La Mythologie du Rhin |location=Paris |publisher=Librairie de L. Hachette et Cie |year=1862 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZkIKAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA287 |pages=287–289}}; {{cite book|last=Saintine |first=Xavier-Boniface |author-link=X. B. Saintine |author-mask=2 |others=Translated by Maximilian Schele de Vere; Illustrated by [[Gustave Doré]] |chapter=XII. §A Kobold in the Cook's Employ |title=La Mythologie du Rhin |location=Akron, Ohio |publisher=Saalfield Publishing Company |year=1903 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wLA_AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA317 |pages=315–317}}</ref>

<ref name="schaefer&pisarek&gritsch2020">{{cite book|last1=Schäfer |first1=Florian |author1-link=:de:Florian Schäfer (Sagenforscher) |last2=Pisarek |first2=Janin |author2-link=:de:Janin Pisarek |last3=Gritsch |first3=Hannah |author3-link=<!--Hannah Gritsch--> |chapter=2. Die Geister des Hauses. § Der Kobold |title=Hausgeister!: Fast vergessene Gestalten der deutschsprachigen Märchen- und Sagenwelt |location=Köln |publisher=[[Böhlau Verlag]] |date=2020 |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wJjkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA34 |page=34<!--176–--> |isbn=<!--3412520306, -->9783412520304}}</ref>

<ref name="schelwig1692">{{cite book|last=Schelwig |first=Samuel |author-link=:de:Samuel Schelwig |chapter=XVI. Frage. Wofür die Spiritus Failiares, das ist die Dienst-Geister welche sich von den Menschen zu allerhand Verrichtung bestellen und gebrauchen lassen, [etc.] |title=Cynosura Conscientiae, Oder Leit-Stern Des Gewissens, Das ist: Deutliche und Schrifftmäßige Erörterung vieler, [etc.] |location=Frankfurt |publisher=Plener |year=1692 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X6eHXAtmGowC&pg=PA394 |at=p. 394, note *, cont. to p. 396}}</ref>

<ref name="schmidt1759">{{cite book|last=Schmidt |first=Johann Georg |author-link=:de:Johann Georg Schmidt (Apotheker) |chapter=Das XIV. Capitel |title=Die gestriegelte Rockenphilosophie |edition=5 |location=Chemnitz　|publisher=Stößel |date=1759 |orig-date=1705 |pages=725–726}}</ref>

<ref name="Schrader1908">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Schrader |first=Otto |author-link=Otto Schrader (philologist) |entry=Aryan Religion |title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics |volume=2 |location=New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |year=1906 |entry-url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofr002hast/page/24/mode/2up?q=hearth |page=24}}; {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=oEATAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA24 |2=(1910) edition}}</ref>

<ref name="scott_cpg1895">{{cite journal|last=Scott |first=Charles P. G. |author-link=<!--Charles P. G. Scott--> |title=The Devil and His Imps: An Etymological Inquisition |journal=Transactions of the American Philological Association |volume=26 |date=1895 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KEgbAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA144 |page=144<!--79–146-->|jstor=2935696 |doi=10.2307/2935696|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

<ref name="ShakHenryVIII-ed-boswell1821">{{cite book|last=Shakespeare |first=William |author-link=William Shakespeare |editor-last=Boswell |editor-first=James |editor-link=<!--James Boswell--> |others=Illustrated by Edmond Malone |title=Richard III. Henry VIII |publisher=R. C. and J. Rivington |date=1821 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AwMzAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA486 |page=485 |series=The Plays and Poems of William Shakespeare 19}}</ref>

<ref name="simrock1855">{{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Simrock|1855}} |last=Simrock|first=Karl Joseph |author-link=Karl Joseph Simrock |title=Handbuch der deutschen Mythologie: mit Einschluss der nordischen |edition=6 |location= |publisher=A. Marcus |year=1887 |orig-year=1855 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kKYqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA451 |page=451|isbn=978-0-524-02323-5 }}</ref>

<ref name="steier-dict1705">[[Kaspar von Stieler|Stieler, Kaspar von]] (1705) s.v. {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=iI0ingbONhQC&pg=PA1060 |2=Spiritus familiaris}}", ''Des Spatens Teutsche Sekretariat-Kunst'' '''2''':1060 : "ein Geist in eineme Ringe, Gäcklein oder Haaren"</ref>

<ref name="strackerjan1867-no265">{{cite book|last=Strackerjan |first=Ludwig |author-link=:de:Ludwig Strackerjan |chapter=256. Alrunen sind Geister.. |title=Aberglaube und Sagen aus dem Herzogthum Oldenburg |volume=1 |location=Oldenburg |publisher=Gerhard Stalling |year=1867 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0UMQAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA396 |pages=396–397}}</ref>

<ref name="taylor1919">{{cite journal|last=Taylor |first=Archer |author-link=Archer Taylor |title=Schrätel und Wasserbär |journal=Modern Philology |volume=17 |number=6 |date=October 1919 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9I1JAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA305 |pages=305–306<!--305–324-->|doi=10.1086/387273 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

<ref name="tordoff2023">{{cite book|last=Tordoff|first=Robert |author-link=<!--Robert Tordoff --> |title=Aristophanes: Cavalry |location=Leipzig |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2023 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5FHeEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA46 |pages=46–47 |isbn=<!--1350065706, -->9781350065703}}</ref>

<ref name="trochus1517">{{cite book|last=Trochus |first=Balthasar |author-link=<!--Balthasar Trochus -->|section=Sequuntur multorum deorum nomina.. |title=Vocabulorum rerum promptuariu[m] |location=Leipzig |publisher=Lottherus |year=1517 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QjNoAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP9 |page=A5}}</ref>

<ref name="tsunoda2007">{{cite book|last=Tsunoda |first=Yoshiharu |author-link=<!--角田義治--> |title=Nihon to seiyō no yōkai kurabe: yōkai densetsu hyakuwa shū |script-title=ja:日本と西洋の妖怪比べ: 妖怪伝説百話集 |publisher=Miki Shobo<!--幹書房--> |date=2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i8OUxDoN4BMC&pg=PA22 |pages=21–22|isbn=<!--4902615231, -->9784902615234}}</ref>

<ref name="vernaleken1859">{{cite book|editor-last=Vernaleken |editor-first=Theodor |editor-link=:de:Theodor Vernaleken |chapter=60. [Alräunchen] (informant: Chr. Tester in [[Chur]]) |title=Mythen und bräuche des volkes in Oesterreich: als beitrag zur deutschen mythologie, volksdichtung und sittenkunde |place=Wien |publisher=W. Braumüller |date=1859|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dZUKAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA260 |page=260}}</ref>

<ref name="wexler2003">[[Paul Wexler (linguist)|Wexler, Paul]] (2002). ''Trends in Linguistics: {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMf3b-OTT0C&pg=PA289 |2=Two-tiered Relexification in Yiddish: Jews, Sorbs, Khazars, and the Kiev-Polessian Dialect}}''. Walter de Gruyter. {{ISBN|3-11-017258-5}}. p. 289.</ref>

<ref name="weyden1826">{{cite wikisource|last=Weyden|first=Ernst |author-link=Ernst Weyden|chapter=Heinzelmännchen |title=Cöln's Vorzeit. Geschichten, Legenden und Sagen Cöln's, nebst einer Auswahl cölnischer Volkslieder |location=Cöln am Rhein |publisher=Pet. Schmitz |year=1826 |wslink=Die Heinzelmännchen (Cöln’s Vorzeit) |wslanguage=de |url= |pages=200–202}}</ref>

{{void|<ref name="wothers2019">{{cite book|last=Wothers |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Wothers |title=Antimony, Gold, and Jupiter's Wolf: How the elements were named|location= |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2019 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PFS_DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA49 |pages=48–49 |isbn=<!--0192569902, -->9780192569905}}</ref>}}

<ref name="zapf1874">{{cite book|editor-last=Zapf|editor-first=Ludwig |editor-link=<!--Ludwig Zapf--> |title=Der Sagenkreis des Fichtelgebirges |location=Hof |publisher=Franz Büching |date=1874 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TAYhFW-gcb4C&pg=PA38 |pages=38–39}}</ref>

<ref name="ZfVk01-jahn&meyercohn">{{cite journal|last1=Jahn|first1=Ulrich |author1-link=:de:Ulrich Jahn |last2=Meyer-Cohn |first2=Alexander |author2-link=:de:Alexander Meyer-Cohn |title=Jamund bei Coslin |journal=Zeitschrift für Volkskunde |volume=1 |date=1891|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YvxLAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA79 |pages=78–79<!--77–100-->}}</ref>

}}

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* {{cite dictionary|ref=none<!--cited by contributor for each entry-->|editor1-last=Bächtold-Stäubli |editor1-first=Hanns |editor1-link=:de:Hanns Bächtold-Stäubli |editor2-last=Hoffmann-Krayer |editor2-first=Eduard |editor2-link=Eduard Hoffmann-Krayer |title=Handwörterbuch des Deutschen Aberglaubens |volume= |location=Berlin |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |date=1936 |url= |pages=}} (Reprint 1987)
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** {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=zK00AAAAMAAJ |2=Facsimile edition}}. Göttingen: Verlag Otto Schwartz & Co. 1965
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* {{cite book|last=Golther |first=Wolfgang |author-link=Wolfgang Golther |chapter=Kobolde |title=Handbuch der germanischen Mythologie |edition=3rd. Rev. |location=Stuttgart |publisher=Magnus-Verlag |year=1908 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bPoyAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA141 |pages=141–145|isbn=978-3-88400-111-0 }}
* {{cite book|editor=Grimms |editor-link=Brothers Grimm |chapter=71. Der Kobold |title=Deutsche Sagen |volume=1 |location=Berlin |publisher=Nicolai |year=1816 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SRcFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA90 |pages=90–92}}
* {{cite book|last=Grimm |first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Grimm |chapter=XVII. Wichte und Elbe |title=Deutsche Mythologie |edition=4 |volume=1 |location=Göttingen |publisher=W. Swan Sonnenschein & Allen |year=1875 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=85GLFD-dUEoC&pg=PA413 |pages=363–428}}
** {{cite book|last=Grimm |first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Grimm |chapter=(Anmerkung von) XVII. Wichte und Elbe |title=Deutsche Mythologie |edition=4 |volume=3 |location=Göttingen |publisher=W. Swan Sonnenschein & Allen |year=1878 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VD7aAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA122 |pages=122–149}}
** {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1883}}|last=Grimm |first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Grimm |others=Translated by James Steven Stallybrass |chapter=XVII. Wights and Elves §Elves, Dwarves |title=Teutonic Mythology |volume=2 |publisher=W. Swan Sonnenschein & Allen |year=1883 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8ektAAAAIAAJ |pages=439–517}}
** {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Grimm|Stallybrass tr.|1888 }}|last=Grimm |first=Jacob |author-link=Jacob Grimm |author-mask=2 |others=Translated by James Steven Stallybrass |chapter=(Notes to) XVII. Wights and Elves §Elves, Dwarves |title=Teutonic Mythology |volume=4 |publisher=W. Swan Sonnenschein & Allen |year=1888 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uy1LAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1426 |pages=1407–1436}}
* {{cite book|last=Haas |first=Alfred |author-link=:de:Alfred Haas (Volkskundler) |title=Schnurren, schwänke und erzählungen von der insel Rügen |location=Greifswald |publisher=Julius Abel |year=1899 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QDEWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA76 |page=}}
* {{cite book|last=Haas |first=Alfred |author-link=:de:Alfred Haas (Volkskundler) |title=Pommersche Sagen |location=Berlin |publisher=Hermann Eichblatt |year=1912 |url=http://bibliotekacyfrowa.eu/dlibra/show-content/publication/41959/edition/35167/ |page=}}
* {{cite book|ref={{SfnRef|Heine|Mustard tr.|1985}}|last=Heinrich|first=Heine |author-link= Heinrich Heine |others=Translated by Helen Mustard |chapter=Concerning the History of Religion and Philosophy in Germany |title=The Romantic School and Other Essays |location= New York |publisher=Continuum |year=1985 |orig-year=1835 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=daVZAQwYDAYC&pg=PA140 |pages=128–244 |isbn=0-8264-0291-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Jahn |first=Ulrich |author-link=:de:Ulrich Jahn |title=Volkssagen aus Pommern und Rügen |location=Stettin |publisher=H. Dannenberg |year=1886 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ku5XaLu1xvwC |page=}}
* {{cite book|last=Keightley |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Keightley |title=The Fairy Mythology, Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries |location=London |publisher=H. G. Bohn |year=1850 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cByu3_ZtaAC |page=}}
* {{cite journal|last=Kiesewetter |first=Carl |author-link=:de:Carl Kiesewetter |title=Der vielförmige Hintzelmann |journal=Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie |volume=17 |date=1890 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PG7ew5WkcfoC&pg=PA9 |at=Part I, pp. 9–14}}; Part II, pp.&nbsp;64–70; Part III, pp.&nbsp;115–122
*{{cite journal|last=Kittredge |first=George Lyman |author-link=George Lyman Kittredge |title=The Friar's Lantern and Friar Rush |journal=Publications of the Modern Language Association |volume=15 |date=1900 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6NRQwEVJqU8C&pg=PA415 |pages=415–441}}
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* {{cite book|last=Lüthi |first=Max |author-link=Max Lüthi |others=Translated by [[John D. Niles]] |chapter=1. One-Dimensionality |title=The European Folktale: Form and Nature |location=Indianapolis |publisher=Indiana University Press |year=1986 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=znaLPAeek88C&pg=PA4 |pages=4–5 |isbn=0-253-20393-7<!--, 9780253203939-->}}
* {{cite book|last=MacLaren |first=Archibald |author-link=Archibald MacLaren |chapter=The Kobold |title=The Fairy Family: A Series of Ballads & Metrical Tales Illustrating the Fairy Mythology of Europe |location=London |publisher=Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts　|year=1857 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7jd6Kt7FzCQC&pg=PA223 |pages=223–233}}
* {{cite book|last=Meiche |first=Alfred |author-link=:de:Alfred Meiche |chapter=378. Das Heugütel bei den Vogtländern -- 380. Noch mehr vom Heugütel |title=Sagenbuch des Königreichs Sachsen |location=Leipzig |publisher=G. Schönfeld |year=1903 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbcUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA291 |pages=291–293}}
* {{cite book|last=Müllenhoff |first=Karl |author-link=Karl Müllenhoff |title=Sagen, Märchen und Lieder der Herzogthümer Schleswig Holstein und Lauenburg |location=|publisher=Schwerssche Buchhandlung |year=1845 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=138BAAAAQAAJ |pages=}}
** ——(1899). {{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=znaLPAeek88C&pg=PA4 |2=Reprint}}. Siegen: Westdeutschen Verlagsanstalt
* {{cite book|last=Praetorius |first=Johannes |author-link=Johannes Praetorius (writer) |others=Illustrated by Thomas Cross (fl. 1632-1682)<!--father of [[Thomas Cross (engraver)]]--> |chapter=VIII. Von Haußmännern, Laribus, Penatibus, Geniis, Kobolden, Stepgen, Ungethümen, Larven, Haussgötzen, Gütgen |title=Anthropodemus Plutonicus. Das ist, Eine Neue Welt-beschreibung Von allerley Wunderbahren Menschen: Als da seyn, Die 1. Alpmännergen, Schröteln, Nachtmähren. 2. Bergmännerlein, Wichtelin, Unter-Irrdische. 3. Chymische Menschen, Wettermännlein. ... 22. Zwerge, Dümeken |volume=1 |location=Magdeburg |publisher=In Verlegung Johann Lüderwalds |year=1666 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OzJmAAAAcAAJ&pg=RA1-PA359 |pages=359–379}} [https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10739163?page=2 digitalization]@:Münchener DigitalisierungsZentrum; [https://digital.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/hd/content/titleinfo/62738 another digicopy]@:Martin-Lutherr-Universität Halle-Wittenberg
** {{cite book|last=Praetorius |first=Johannes |author-link=Johannes Praetorius (writer) |others=Illustrated by Thomas Cross (fl. 1632-1682)<!--father of [[Thomas Cross (engraver)]]-->|chapter=<!--Frontispiece--> |title=Anthropodemvs Plvtonicus, Das ist Eine Neue Weltbeschreibung Von Allerley Wunderbahren Menschen, Als da seyn... |volume=1 |location=Magdeburg |publisher=In Verlegung Johann Lüderwalds |year=1668 |orig-year=1666 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qC9O0VIg_pwC&pg=PP8 |pages=}}<!--Alternate url: [https://books.google.com/books?id=6PtgAAAAcAAJ&pg=PP7]-->
* {{cite book|last=Ranke |first=Friedrich |author-link=Friedrich Ranke |chapter=6. Der Kobold |title=Die deutschen Vokssagen |editor1-last=von der Leyen |editor1-first=Friedrich |editor1-link=Friedrich von der Leyen |editor2-last=Ranke |editor2-first=Friedrich |editor2-link=Friedrich Ranke|editor3-last=Müller |editor3-first=Karl Alexander von |editor3-link=Karl Alexander von Müller |series=Deutsches Sagenbuch 4 |location=München |publisher=C.H. Beck |year=1910 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=y8JLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA163 |pages=149–166}}; [https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/rankef/sagen/chap007.html e-text] @Projeckt Gutenberg
*{{cite book|last=Rand |first=Harry |author-link=<!--Harry Rand--> |title=Rumpelstiltskin's Secret: What Women Didn't Tell the Grimms|location= |publisher=Routledge |year=2019 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NorCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA39 |pages= |isbn=<!--1351204149, -->9781351204149}}
* Rose, Carol (1996). ''Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia''. New York City: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|0-393-31792-7}}.
* {{cite book|last=Sommer |first=Emil |author-link=:de:Emil Friedrich Julius Sommer |title=Sagen, Märchen und Gebräuche aus Sachsen und Thüringen |volume=1|location=Halle |publisher=Anton |year=1846 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3AtOAAAAcAAJ |pages=}}
* {{cite book|last=Thorpe |first=Benjamin |author-link=Benjamin Thorpe |title=Northern Mythology, Comparing the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands |volume=III |location=London |publisher=Edward Lumley |year=1852 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SjMMAAAAIAAJ |pages=}}
* {{cite book|last=Wyl |first=Karl de |author-link=<!--Karl de Wyl--> |title=Rübezahl-Forschungen: Die Schriften des M. Johannes Prätorius |series=Wort und Brauch 5 |location=Breslau |publisher=M. & H. Marcus |year=1909|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=V6TalJ4xceMC&pg=PA76 |pages=}}

{{refend}}
{{German folklore}}
{{Fairies}}
{{Fantasy fiction}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fairies]]
[[Category:Kobolds| ]]
[[Category:Tutelary deities]]
[[Category:Goblins]]
[[Category:Pixies]]
[[Category:Legendary gnomes]]
[[Category:Elves]]
[[Category:Mining spirits]]
[[Category:German legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Household deities]]
[[Category:Sprites (folklore)]]