Elf Notes and Observations

Habitat: Hill forest and woodland, sometimes underground.
Size: Different types range from around 3 inches (7.5cm) to more than 6 feet (180cm) tall.
Appearance: Delicate, slim, humanlike features. Same males have wispy beards. Long , fine hair from light blond to black. Pointed ears. Slender arms and legs. Long elegant fingers. Clothes made from leaves and wild plants. Some have wings and can fly.
Coloration: Skin tones vary from pale to dark.
Voice pattern: Soft but clear and precise. Speak English perfectly but have their own language.

Character: Extremely intelligent. Capricious in nature. Expert with bows and arrows.
Very sociable , elves live in communities with a royal family ruling over them. The Queen is usually more powerful than the king.
Feeding habits: Mainly vegetarian.
Special powers: Their music is entrancing. They are capable of creating illusion

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare was written more than 400 years ago and it is quite difficult for us to understand properly nowadays because the language he uses is so old-fashioned, but Shakespeare clearly knows a bit about faerie world. He doesn’t get everything totally right , though.
The story is all about the king and queen of the faeries, who are called Oberon and Titania. They are going to the wedding of the duke of Athens. This is one of the things Shakespeare got wrong. Oberon and Titania are obviously elves, who are the most powerful people in the faerie world and would never willingly mix with humans even 400 years ago.
( The Chronicles Of Spiderwick ) .

Habitat: Close to humans , under floorboards or in outhouses, caves, tunnels.
Size: Varies up to approximately 28 inches (70 cm) tall.
Appearance: Large, pointed ears.
Voice pattern: Whining nasal tone. Often sarcastic.
Character : Annoying prankster. Can be helpful but also a thief. A loner.
Feeding habits: Eats anything
Eyes: they have eyes that can move in different directions. They also have sets of secondary “eyes” that can detect body or motion.
Special powers: Some types appear to possess limited magic skills and can vanish or transform themselves.



Goblins are said to be even more ugly than gnomes. The first stories involving goblins came from France . They always seem to be on the move, which is why they don’t dig or build permanent homes but prefer to sleep in caves, among roots, or even in people’s houses.
They are tricksters and enjoy making life difficult for human beings. Favorite goblin tricks include turning signposts to point in the wrong direction and hiding everyday objects.

( The Chronicles Of Spiderwick , The Truth About Fairies by Philip)