Brownies
Land of Origin: Scotland.
Other Origins:
These faeries are also known in Canada and the United States, certainly brought over with Scottish immigrants.
Other Names:
House Brownie, Little Man. He is called Nis in Denmark. In Russia they are called Domonvoi and have been known to cry like
a Beansidhe when death is approaching a member of their chosen family, and to warn of fires. In North Africa they are called
Yumboes. The Chinese call them Choa Phum Phi. The English sometimes know them as Hobs.
Element: Earth.
Appearance and Temperament:
The house Brownie of Scotland is one of the most benevolent and kind faeries you could hope to meet. They are very small
dwarf faeries who always appear as males with coal black eyes. They wear little suits of green, blue, or brown, and small
caps made of felt. Their ears are slightly pointed and they have long, nimble finger.
Time Most Active: At night all year long.
Lore:
The house Brownie looks for a deserving human to aid, one who is humble and gracious and is good to nature and other people.
And he hunts for a warm house, one in which he feels he can be comfortable - that means one with no cat! They like the attic,
woodshed, or cellar of a human home best. Heat these areas for them, and feed them well to keep them. Their favorites foods
are milk, honey, ale, and cake.
The Brownie is said to reward kindness shown to him by helping out around the house and on the farm, by bringing food and
firewood, and by chasing away ill-meaning spirits from your dwelling. Brownies are still common to the Scottish Highlands
and on the Hebrides Islands, but are rarely heard of elsewhere.
Because of their generous nature Brownies hate misers and cheats, and cannot tolerate lying, and detest pretentiousness. Like
their cousins the Leprechauns they like to cobble, but they will work on a pair of shoes rather than on only one.
Because Brownies are completely nocturnal some people believe they, like vampires, can never appear in sunlight. Brownies
can go abrod in the daylight, but they prefer not to.
Roosters, long sacred to the Sun Gods of Europe, are the familiars (animals who help in magick and ritual) of Brownies. They
crow at dawn, not - as human arrogance would have us believe - to tell us to wake up, but to announce to the Brownies that it
is time to go to bed. This is especially important as some non-Scottish species of house Brownies will die if exposed to sunlight.
Some Scots even believed Brownies could take the form of roosters and could help around the house in this physical form. The Mother
Goose rhyme "I Had a Little Rooster" reflects this belief. The rhyme tells of the rooster doing dishes and baking bread.
Most Brownies are keenly intelligent. The only exception is the Dobie who, though dull-witted, still has a large heart. Dobies greatly
wish to be of help to their human hosts but usually only make grand messes due to their lack of intellect.
Another Scottish Brownie is called a Killmoulis, and he protects and looks after mills in exchange for a bit of bread and a spot at his
adopted family's fireplace.
Where to Find Them:
Induce them to come to your home by leaving out food for them, and by showing kindness to all living creatures. They can easily be found
almost anywhere in Faeryland, which may be the best place to contact them.
How to Contact:
Brownies cannot be beckoned to you, but will only come when they are sure you are the sort of person they want to help and approach.
Magickal and Ritual Help:
All household tasks; protection of home, family, and animals. They can, if they choose to, lend their energy to prosperity spells. It
never hurts to ask their help. They will give it if they feel your request is a proper one.
The best way to get a Brownie to work with you is to offer it the sort of home and environment it likes on the astral plane in your astral
residence. Over time you will no doubt develop a sense of mutual trust and will begin doing small kindnesses for each other. Build your
relationship from there. It will be immensely rewarding.
