The Brownie
Northern English and Scottish Origins
A Solitary Fairy
Alternative Spellings:
Broonie, Brouny, Browney, or Browny.
A Few Fae similar to the Brownie:
Hobgoblin, Domovoi, Tomte/Nisse, Gruagach, Dökkálfar, Tonttu, and sometimes the Puca.
Well-Known For:
Short tempers, affinity for household chores, love of cakes, honey and cream, and an intolerance for gifts.
What is a Brownie?
Friend or Foe, little helper or frightening poltergeist. The Brownie (the English word for this particular fairy) is complex and refuses to fit neatly into a little box. About the only thing to truly mark a Brownie as such, is its proclivity to perform tedious chores such as sweeping, churning butter, tidying messes, herding or harvesting — to name a few. They do not tire as we do and seem to truly enjoy the repetitive nature of chores mortals find laborious . Due to this, it’s entirely possible to have a very positive relationship with this fairy, which is quite unique to most solitary fairies. If, however, they are offended, angered or feel someone is in need of fair punishment, the afore mentioned chores will not only be neglected by the Brownie, but it may add to the chaos. In this state, the Brownie is so changed that we’ve given it another name. A Boggart.
What is a Boggart?
The last thing you want in your home is a Boggart, they will torment those living in their home to no end. Think haunted house, things that go bump in the night, items flying across the room. We might normally attribute such unexplained phenomena with spirits or ghosts. There is a theory stipulating that a Brownie was once a human, so in some way it could be argued that a Brownie is a type of ghost. This concept is also possible in regard to many types of fairies and elementals. However, these fairies are not the ghosts we’ve familiarised ourselves with. A Boggart may haunt a home, attached as they tend to get, but a hovering phantom they are not. Their appearance has been known to shift along with their temperament once they’ve turned Boggart and the already unattractive Brownie can become something truly animalistic and terrifying (if you manage to catch a glimpse). The best thing anyone might be able to do in such cases would be an attempt to appease it. Hopefully you’ll know what the offence was and be able to rectify the infraction quickly. If not, a deep household cleaning along with some gifts of their favourite cakes or cremes would be advisable. Probably best to also remain mindful of any bad language, they can be quite sensitive.
The Brownie’s Appearance
Brownies have been reported to be about the size of a small child, or smaller, with the face of an old man. It’s believed there are female brownies, but most recorded sightings have been largely male. Some stories describe them as brown, hairy creatures who are not particularly attractive. Truly, most often their unkempt nature causes some fright to those humans who happen to spot one. In The Brownie Of Blednoch by William Nicholson a description of one Brownie so terrified those who saw him, they feared him even when he posed no threat and was begging to be of service to anyone who would have him.
“There’s a hole where a nose should hae been;
And the mouth’s like a gash which a horn had ri’en”
The story goes on to describe the Brownie named Aiken Drum as having a long blue beard, clawed hands that dragged along the ground as he walked and a hairy body clothed only in weeds. His appearance was so startling that no one wanted him near, not even the neighbourhood dogs.
Not all Brownie’s are described as instilling as much fear, but neither are any said to be attractive. They have even been known to look more animalistic than human with their overly long and thin arms and misshapen faces. Even when someone spots a Brownie and remains unafraid, it seems human's have a terrible time looking upon them. In many stories, over and over again, we attempt to cloth them to hide their scant or missing clothing. It isn’t hard to imagine why they would choose to work at night, therefore, to avoid our meddlesome and judgemental kind.
The Fragile Relationship with a Brownie
Although their appearance may be alarming, they are quite good natured with a fierce streak of loyalty. Some Brownies may become so attached to a family that they will continue on in their service for generations. This is not to say they do not also dabble in mischief. They are most pleased to punish with pranks and tricks those whom they deem lazy. Missing your keys? Yeah... it's one of their absolute favourite tricks. Likely, you're not quite as forgetful as you think you are. Their moral compass is strong and results in their long-lasting loyalty and helpfulness to humans. They do have a highly sensitive nature, however, and their loyalty shouldn’t be tested. If you stray too far from their moral path, you'll probably find yourself forgetting things more and more often. If, however, you keep them in good spirits, they're likely to love you deeply and stand by you through all the long, hard household work that tends to pile up.
Most Brownies are shy, elusive creatures who only work in the late night hours. As we already know, they enjoy performing pranks on the "lazy". Do not think this is something they will tolerate themselves, however. A young girl who was very good friends with a household brownie. She never forgot to give him creme and they were quite amicable. One day, she thought it a grand idea to play a little trick on her brownie friend. Instead of the usual milk, she left the brownie a bowl of stale urine. None of the fae are ever good natured about being the butt of such pranks as our young lady was about to find out for herself. The next evening, a great commotion was heard all about the property. When the racket was investigated, the girl was discovered to be thrashing around banging into this and that, screaming all the while as the Brownie attacked her. Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. He left post haste and never lifted a finger to help that poor misguided young lady again.
Brownies and Their Clothing
They do not seem to place much concern on their clothing. Of course, there are exceptions, as there is a story of a Brownie who happily continued on in service to a family as long as they continued to cloth him in fine linen, but as soon as he was given an inferior cloth to wear, he left in an outraged huff. In most cases, unless you’re trying to be rid of a Brownie, it’s best to leave them clothed as they may or may not be. For an offering of clothing will deeply offend the Brownie and cause them to pack up and leave forth-with. It’s just as possible that the afore mentioned clothing may indeed thrill the Brownie, but still result in its immediate, happy departure. So incredibly fulfilled with their new gear, they lose the desire to continue in service.
The best thing to placate and keep a Brownie in your home satisfied and helpful rather than ruffled and taxing is food. Always remember when desiring to give something to a Brownie to make sure you only leave the cream or cakes within their reach. If it’s too obviously a gift they will at best not accept it and at worst become offended and leave altogether. The heart of a Brownie is won through the belly though, so don’t forget their treats. They are known to be very fond of cream, or even a small bowl of milk with a bit of cream and or honey as well as sweet cakes. Each Brownie will have their own preference and it’s best to follow their lead.