Little People of Folklore: Fact or Fiction?

Micro human characters have existed in many stories and tales throughout ancient history. Some miniscule characters have complex and intricate civilizations and others live more like tiny cavemen.

No matter what, the thought of populations of little people is intriguing and it sparks the imagination. But, one important question remains. Are they fact or fiction? Read on to learn more about the different types of little people from folklore, past and present, so you can decide for yourself!

Elves

Elves first appeared in Norse mythology. Often associated with Christmas and Santa’s Workshop, elves are known for being crafty, nimble, quick and for having long and pointed ears. Elves are the mascot for Keebler brand snack foods, they appear in countless films, are thought to sneak inside and repair broken shoes in the middle of the night. They are also main characters in the role playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Hobbits

Straight from Middle Earth, Hobbits are a smaller, hungrier and furrier version of regular people. Known for their habits of comfort, domestic finery and all around ability to reveal in all things cozy, Hobbits are found in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s stories tell the tales of the brave and reluctant Baggins’ family adventures aided by many other types of little people.

Gnomes

These aren’t just cute and highly collectible lawn ornaments, gnomes are the bearded and stocky characters who are known to be fierce and loyal battle companions. Gnomes are thought to be jolly and good natured, until they are made to act in self-defense and protect their territory, in which case they are strong willed adversaries.

Ogres

These creatures represent the nastier, less polite ways of people. Ogres are crude, disgusting beasts with no regard to manners or hygiene standards. They usually speak in gruff, coarse tones and have long, swinging and muscular arms and are known to bicker amongst themselves and have a lot of internal dissent.

Fairies

These winged people of the forest are thought to be magical, beautiful and graceful beings. Featured in a multitude of books, poems, movies and songs, fairies can bring money for lost teeth and grant wishes, as in the case of the Fairy Godmother in the classic Cinderella story.

Dwarfs

The word dwarf has Germanic and Norse origins. Made extremely popular by the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves animated tale, dwarves are known for having a largely male population. Like the gnome, for whom they are often confused as being, dwarves tend to stick to their own kind and forge loyal bonds. They also have long beards and stubby limbs, like the gnome.

Lilliputians

These tiny people are most prominently featured in Gulliver’s Travels. They are known for being petty and argumentative people who fight over trivial matters, such as how to cook an egg. Lilliputian became such a popular term in the English language after this book came out, that the word Lilliputian is now in the dictionary and means “small or miniscule, trivial.”