Encounter Atlas

Creature index / Fairies and little people

Duendes

Also called Duende, Trasgo, Trasno, Follet, Tata Duende, Martinico

The small house and forest spirits of Spanish-speaking lands, from Spanish trasgos to Belize's Tata Duende.

Duende probably comes from dueño de casa, 'master of the house'. In Spain a duende is a small spirit that lives in a home, moves and hides things, makes noises in cupboards and plays tricks, much like a brownie or kobold. Spain has many regional cousins: trasgos in Asturias, trasnos in Galicia, follets in Catalonia and the big-headed martinicos of Castile.

The belief crossed the Atlantic. In Mexico and the American Southwest, duendes are small gnome-like beings said to live in the walls of houses, sometimes in children's bedrooms, and to trim the toenails of children who don't wash. Among the Mixtec and Zapotec of Oaxaca they are linked to the mossy cloud forests. In Belize, Tata Duende is a thumbless forest spirit who guards the woods and may lead people astray.

In 1676 the Spanish friar Antonio de Fuentelapeña wrote a whole book, El ente dilucidado, arguing that duendes were real, invisible creatures. The flamenco sense of duende, a mysterious power in music, comes from the same word.

What witnesses report

  • Objects moved or hidden around the house
  • Noises inside walls or cupboards
  • A small figure in a big hat in the woods
  • Children who say they have a little friend

Famous cases

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    Related

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