Also called Brùnaidh, Urisk (in some areas).
The tale
The brownie is a shaggy, ragged household spirit of Scotland and the Borders, who does farm and household chores by night in return for a bowl of cream and a bannock. He is loyal to a family, sometimes for generations. If anyone gives him new clothes or insults his work, he leaves for ever, sometimes in a rage.
When they are met
- nightly
- on moving into a home
- at harvest
Staying on their good side
- a bowl of cream or milk and a bannock left by the hearth
- never offer clothes, which drive him away
- never criticise his work
Honouring them, or keeping safe
- Keep your home tidy and leave a small offering on the hearth or windowsill.
- Thank the unseen helpers in your life, human and otherwise.
What their tales teach
- household harmony
- gratitude for help
- home blessing
Symbols
- the bowl of cream
- the ragged coat
- the hearth
Sources
- Briggs, A Dictionary of Fairies
- Scott, Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border
- Keightley, The Fairy Mythology
More Celtic folklore
- The Banshee The keening woman of the fairy mound
- Selkies The seal folk who come ashore
- The Púca The shape-shifter of November
- The Aos Sí The people of the fairy mounds
- The Kelpie The water horse of the lochs
- The Tylwyth Teg The Fair Family of Wales
- Leprechaun The solitary fairy shoemaker
- Clurichaun The fairy of the wine cellar