Hob

Hob, or hobthrust, is the general name for a hobgoblin, a kindly but mischievous type of fey. The brownie is a kind of hob. Usually found in the North Country or northern Midlands of England, hobs can be more sinister. One tale related by William Henderson in Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties says there was one called Hob Headless haunting the road between Hurworth and Neasham. 

However, more often than not, hobs appear to be benevolent, as in the case of one attached to Sturfit Hall in Yorkshire; he churned milk, stoked fires, and performed other brownie-type tasks until he was offered clothing, and vanished. The reason hobs disappear when offered clothing varies on the tale. The hob attached to Sturfit Hall seemed to have been so satisfied with this payment that he decided he need work no more; however, another hob, who worked at a farm in Danby, was insulted by the quality of the clothes he was given. Of course, if the regular payment of food was ever forgotten, the hob would also leave. 

Bibliography: An Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs. Image courtesy of Google Images: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=hobgoblin&oq=hobgoblin&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1577.3776.0.4880.9.4.0.5.5.0.88.304.4.4.0....0...1ac.1.25.img..0.9.327.D8Vb_1UOxo4#bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=e8cc0832f633dba3&hl=en&q=robin+goodfellow&sa=1&tbm=isch&imgdii=_.  

Hobgoblins

According to Katharine Briggs' An Encyclopedia of Fairies, hobgoblins are friendly folk related to brownies. From the Puritans on, the word was used to refer to wicked goblins, but in Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' Puck is referred to as a hobgoblin and does not protest. 

One type of hobgoblin is the Will O' the Wisp. Briggs says that hobgoblins are generally good-humoured, though they do love practical jokes, and must not be crossed. Wikipedia says they're small, hairy men who do small, odd jobs round the house just as a brownie would. In return, they expect food; but offer them clothing, and they will depart. They can, if Puck is to be believed, shape shift. 

In JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit, the Uruks or Uruk-hai were originally written as hobgoblins, back before Tolkien realised hobgoblins were of small stature. Perhaps following this mistake, the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) uses hobgoblins as a larger, more menacing type of goblin. Other role-playing games have also followed suit. 

For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobgoblin.

Image from Google Images: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=hobgoblin&oq=hobgoblin&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1577.3776.0.4880.9.4.0.5.5.0.88.304.4.4.0....0...1ac.1.25.img..0.9.327.D8Vb_1UOxo4#bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&fp=d750b992d784f8&hl=en&q=Puck&sa=1&tbm=isch&facrc=0%3Bpuck%20midsummer%20night's%20dream%20drawing&imgdii=_&imgrc=_.

Elves

Elves were sometimes thought to be male faeries -- in England, this especially applied to small faery boys. In general, the term 'elf' in England referred to the smaller trooping faeries, although in Scotland, elves were human sized, and Faeryland was called 'Elfame.' 

In Scandanavia, faeries were also called elves, and were either light elves or dark elves, similar to the Scottish Seelie and Unseelie Courts. The light elves were like England's trooping faeries, and in Christian times, Scandanavian elves (or huldre folk) destroyed cattle, stole humans away, and avenged any injuries done to them in the same way that the Scottish faeries did. Huldre maidens dressed in grey with white veils, and were beautiful but had long cows' tails. If a man was dancing with a huldre girl and noticed her tail, he must not betray her, but instead tactfully mention that she was losing her garter. He would then be rewarded by perpetual prosperity. 

Danish elves loved to steal human food, such as dough. Though beautiful from the front, Danish elves or ellewomen were hollow from behind. 

Publications such as Goedys' Lady's Book, published by Louis A Goedy, popularised the idea of the Christmas elf in the nineteenth century, and JRR Tolkien's famous The Hobbit brought elves into high fantasy in the twentieth century. 

Bibliography: An Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs.

Webography: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elves.

Picture courtesy of Google Images: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=elf&oq=elf&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1727.1949.0.2324.3.3.0.0.0.0.112.264.2j1.3.0....0...1ac.1.24.img..0.3.264.r2OyC5CcxgE.    

Cowslips

Cowslips are another flower that is guarded and well-loved by the fey. Also known in the west of England as Culver's Keys, they are thought to be keys to unlock the way to faery gold. According to Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/cowslip), where we got the above image, they're also known as Fairy Cups.

In Medieval times, according to Wightdruids.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/cowslip), it was called Herb Peter and Key Flower, and frightened faeries were said to hide in it. It was also said to have the ability to split rocks with treasure inside.   

Bibliography: Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. 

Bluebells

Bluebells, known as 'Deadmen's Bells' in Scotland, are a flower favoured by faeries and associated with danger. The Scots give the bluebell their moniker because to hear a bluebell ring was to hear one's death knell. It is said to be one of the most powerful of all faery flowers; a bluebell wood is a place of enchantment and faery spells -- and is an extremely hazardous place to be.  

It is believed that anyone who steps into a ring of bluebells will fall under a faery spell and soon die. It is also said that bells rang out to summon the fey to their gatherings. 

Other names for bluebell include Auld Man's Bell, Wilde Hyacinth, Wood Bells, Calverkeys, and Jacinth. 

Bibliography: Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee. 
Webography: Woodland Trust (http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/our-woods/views/Pages/bluebells.aspx?wood=4293#.Uci2ufmUQng).

We found these pictures on Google Images (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=bluebells+close+up&oq=bluebells&gs_l=img.1.2.0l10.1318.4454.0.6517.9.8.0.1.1.0.42.299.8.8.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.17.img.7_I0SZCZ5AM).

Pixy-Led

To be pixy-led is to be misled by faeries. In Ireland, stepping upon a tuft of grass or stray sod will cause one to be pixy-led, although if one has angered the fey, or if a pixy is feeling mischievous, one may also be led astray. 

One may discover that an exit that was clear upon entering a specified area is suddenly gone; and nothing one does will reveal the exit. Or it may be that one finds oneself suddenly heading in a different direction to the path he wishes to take, and be unable to right himself. This spell may be broken by turning one's coat inside-out and wearing it. One may wonder what one is to do if one is not wearing a coat to begin with . . . 

It is possible that one may turn other clothes inside-out and wear them that way (we have also read that even turning a pocket inside-out works); it may have been thought that this changed one's identity or otherwise confused the faeries. However, this trick does not always work. Other methods for breaking faery spells include the use of St. John's wort, red verbena, daisies (especially little field daisies), or a staff made of rowan wood or ash. 

Bibliography: An Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs; Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee.  
Above image found at Google Images (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=pixies&oq=pixies&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1484.3017.0.3593.6.5.0.1.1.0.50.220.5.5.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.17.img.wdIa7Vq44aw#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=pixie+fairy&oq=pixy+fA&gs_l=img.1.1.0j0i10l9.666937.672418.5.674911.26.15.1.0.0.5.74.616.14.14.0...0.0.0..1c.1.17.img.8uLA8iYGG5A&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48293060,d.eWU&fp=4bdfcf4ffb0aa612&biw=1024&bih=600).

Faery Rings

Faery rings are toadstools growing in a circle. Step inside a faery ring, it is said, and you will travel to Faerie -- perhaps never to return. The rings are made by faeries or elves dancing in circles. 

Stepping inside the ring compels a human to join the wild dance, which may seem to last minutes or a couple of hours or a whole night -- but in fact would last seven years or longer, and the victim may be forced to dance to the point of exhaustion, death, or madness. Some say anyone who steps into a faery ring will die at a young age. 

Faery rings are also known as elf rings, faery circles, elf circles, or pixy rings. In the Welsh and Manx tradition, the faery rings grow overtop underground faery villages. One must not violate a faery ring by collecting dew from the grass or flowers growing there, else he risk misfortune. Destroying a faery ring is fruitless (it will only grow back) and also causes bad luck. 

Humans who are held captive in a faery ring may be rescued by someone who follows the faery music but keeps one foot outside the ring and pulls the dancer out whilst others hold onto his (the rescuer's) coat-tails. 

Other methods for rescuing someone trapped in a faery ring include tossing wild marjoram and thyme into the ring, thus confusing the faeries; touching the victim with iron; or a stick from a rowan tree may do the trick. 

Bibliography: Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee
Webography: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring).
The above image was found on Google (https://www.google.com/#gs_rn=17&gs_ri=psy-ab&gs_mss=faery%20ri&tok=8idwsvsGPsHmvQCaqJX9gA&suggest=p&cp=11&gs_id=1e&xhr=t&q=fairy+rings&es_nrs=true&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=faery+rings&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48293060,d.eWU&fp=d0df36031120a59a&biw=1024&bih=600).