A History of Goblins

This book examines the history of goblins from the Middle Ages to the present. It shows that goblinswhether interpreted as creatures, objects, ideas, or peoplewere historically contingent and grounded in an often-hazy interplay between folkloric and folkloresque traditions. As products of their historical environ­ments, goblins have been imagined and reimagined throughout history. Their various incarnations include demons working on behalf of Satan, residents of Fairyland making mischief for humans, and cave-dwelling villains in Tolkien's or Dungeons & Dragons ' fantasy universes.

Some authors, often early modern and modern Anglophone elites, used goblins as crude, destructive mimicries of what they deemed abnormal. They chose to label certain humans as goblins to indicate those people fell outside of normative ideas about proper appearances and behavior. In the twenty-first century, however, goblins have seen a sympathetic reappraisal; now, they are often portrayed in ways that see these longstanding stereotypes as assets in an age of unreasonable societal expectations.

Provides the first peer-reviewed, book-length history of goblins Uses interdisciplinary methods and sources to consider goblins across historical contexts Considers folkloric and folkloresque interpretations of goblins, from benevolent helpers to irredeemable, villains

Autorentext

Matt King is an Associate Professor of History at the University of South Florida, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2018, specializing in medieval history. His first book was Dynasties Intertwined: The Zirids of Ifriqiya and the Normans of Sicily.

His recent work has pivoted to the world of folklore and its folkloresque derivations. He published a 2024 article in the journal Folklore, “Taxonomizing Goblins from Folklore to Fiction,” and was part of a team that created a role-playing-game system (derived from more complex rulesets like Dungeons & Dragons) for use in group therapy settings.

Klappentext

“Drawing from a deep well of historical beliefs, folkloric traditions, and literary representations, King shows how nineteenth- and twentieth-century depictions of goblins as malevolent spirits and villainous agents rife with racial overtones have receded in the wake of more sympathetic interpretations of these preternatural creatures as we embrace and celebrate our ‘goblin mode.’”

— Scott G. Bruce, Professor of History, Fordham University, USA, and editor of The Penguin Book of Demons

This book examines the history of goblins from the Middle Ages to the present. It shows that goblins—whether interpreted as creatures, objects, ideas, or people—were historically contingent and grounded in an often-hazy interplay between folkloric and folkloresque traditions. As products of their historical environ­ments, goblins have been imagined and reimagined throughout history. Their various incarnations include demons working on behalf of Satan, residents of Fairyland making mischief for humans, and cave-dwelling villains in Tolkien’s or Dungeons & Dragons’ fantasy universes.

Some authors, often early modern and modern Anglophone elites, used goblins as crude, destructive mimicries of what they deemed abnormal. They chose to label certain humans as goblins to indicate those people fell outside of normative ideas about proper appearances and behavior. In the twenty-first century, however, goblins have seen a sympathetic reappraisal; now, they are often portrayed in ways that see these longstanding stereotypes as assets in an age of unreasonable societal expectations.

Matt King is an Associate Professor of History at the University of South Florida, USA. He received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2018, specializing in medieval history. His first book was Dynasties Intertwined: The Zirids of Ifriqiya and the Normans of Sicily.

His recent work has pivoted to the world of folklore and its folkloresque derivations. He published a 2024 article in the journal Folklore, “Taxonomizing Goblins from Folklore to Fiction,” and was part of a team that created a role-playing-game system (derived from more complex rulesets like Dungeons & Dragons) for use in group therapy settings.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction to A History of Goblins.- Chapter 2: Medieval Origins.- Chapter 3: Early Modern Variations.- Chapter 4: Goblins of Nations and Empires.- Chapter 5: Goblins in Literature and Theater of the 19th Century.- Chapter 6: Of Orcs and Goblins.- Chapter 7: Tabletop Goblins.- Chapter 8: Goblin Modes.- Chapter 9: A Goblin Conclusion.