Compendium 4
of the
Spirit Beings in European Folklore
-series covers an area that starts with Wallonia and continues via France and the Pyrenees, through the Iberian Peninsula, to Italy and Greece. This results in a very diverse and colourful collection of spirit beings, due to the many included Basque nature-spirits or
Ireluak
, the Spanish
Duendes
, the Celtic spirits of Brittany, the prankster Italian
Folletti
and the creatures from Greece. Some creatures from Breton folklore are particularly gruesome, such as the hollow-eyed
Ankou
, the
Werewolf
-like
Bugul-nôz
, or the ghostly and Will-o'-the-wisp-like
Yan-gant-y-tan
, who roams the night roads with his five lit candles. Most Italian ghosts are less gloomy, while the Iberian Peninsula is home to everything ranging from the 'Beauty' to the 'Beast'. Compendium 4 contains - amongst other things - many kinds of dwarf-spirits or
Goblins
(
Lutins, Nutons, Folletti, Farfadettes, Korrigans, Minairons
) various seductive and feminine spring creatures,
Wild Man
-varieties (
Basajaunak, Jentilak
) and an extensive section on the
Incubus-Succubus
. It is fascinating to discover how many types of European spirit beings (from
Kobold
to many female spring-spirits), described in the other Compendiums, can be traced back to creatures from Ancient Greece.
discusses 270 spirit beings in detail, includes their alternative names, additional references to subordinate beings and a unique selection of illustrations.