Thar be Goblins! Part 1/4

Christmas Special on Greek Midwinter Magic

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Midwinter approaches, so welcome to a 4-part seasonal special covering Greek customs and magicoreligious practices throughout the festive season.

But first I must warn you about Greek Christmas goblins!

Greek folklore makes much of goblins - known as Kallikantzaroi (with localised variants on the name) - who cause havoc on Earth during the 12 days of Christmas. There are many traditions and beliefs surrounding them and how to protect oneself from them. They are said to return to the underworld on Epiphany, when the priesthood blesses all the waters in the land.

This is the first in a four-part series on the Kallikantzaroi, their origins, and their stories.

Here in Part 1 I have selected and translated (unabridged) a bumper collection of original wondertales about Greek Christmas Goblins, tying into a video recording available from Treadwell…