Lutin

Lutin

A lutin (pronounced in French /lytɛ̃/) is the French name for a type of hobgoblin (an amusing goblin), in French folklore and fairy tales. Female lutins are called "lutines".

A lutin, sometimes called a "Nain Rouge" ("red dwarf" [http://www.bartleby.com/81/11883.html] ), is like a hobgoblin in the mythology of Normandy, similar to house-spirits of England, Germany and Scandinavia. It sometimes takes the form of a horse, and in this shape is called Le Cheval Bayard. [websters-online-dictionary]

Lutin is generally translated into English as: brownie, elf, fairy, gnome, goblin, hobgoblin, imp, leprechaun, pixie, pixy, puck, or sprite. [websters-online-dictionary]

In a French fairy tale, "Le Prince Lutin", written in 1697 has a description of the "air, water and terrestrial lutin": "You are invisible when you like it; you cross in one moment the vast space of the universe; you rise without having wings; you go through the ground without dying; you penetrate the abysses of the sea without drowning; you enter everywhere, though the windows and the doors are closed; and, when you decide to, you can let yourself be seen in your natural form." ["Le Prince Lutin", written by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy and published in her book "Fairy Tales" ("Les Contes des Fees") in 1697.]

In this story a red hat with two feathers makes the Lutin invisible.

Lutins also assist Père Noël in Lapland.

Lutins in Quebec

Belief in lutins also spread to North America, particularly the Canadian province of Quebec, as spirits in the form of either pets (such as dogs or rabbits) or other common animals. Cats which are completely white are especially considered likely to be lutins, although seemingly any distinctive animal which dwells on or near the home may be regarded as such. These lutins may be good or evil, with good lutins being attributed powers ranging from control of the weather, to shaving the beard of the master of the house before he woke on Sundays. Evil or offended lutins may harass the house-owner with any number of minor troubles, such as blunting a scythe or filling shoes with pebbles. Salt is considered abhorrent to them, and they are thought to go out of their way to avoid crossing it when spilled on the ground. [ cite journal
title =Folk-Lore Scrap-Book: Lutins in the Province of Quebec
journal =The Journal of American Folklore
volume =5
issue =19
pages =327–328
date =1892
url =http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8715%28189210%2F12%295%3A19%3C327%3ALITPOQ%3E2.0.CO%3B2-B
format = PDF
accessdate = 2007-07-09 ]

ee also

* Imp
* Brownie (England and Scotland)
* Cofgodas (England)
* Domovoi (Russia)
* Hob (England)
* Kobold (Germany)
* Kofewalt (Germany)
* Shellycoat (England)
* Leprechaun (Ireland)

ource

* [http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/Lu/Lutin.html Websters Online Dictionary: Lutin - French]
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/tfm/tfm177.htm The Fairy Mythology (France) by Thomas Knightly (1870)]
*


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • lutin — lutin …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • Lutín — Lutín …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lutin — [ lytɛ̃ ] n. m. et adj. • 1564; a. fr. neitun « monstre marin » puis luitun « démon malicieux »; lat. Neptunus, dont le nom figure dans une liste de démons du VIIe siècle I ♦ N. m. 1 ♦ Petit démon espiègle et malicieux qui est supposé se… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • lutin — LUTIN. s. m. Sorte de demon, esprit folet. On dit qu il y a un lutin dans cette maison. On dit prov. qu Un homme fait le lutin, pour dire, qu Il fait du bruit, qu il tempeste, qu il folastre, qu il badine. On dit, d Un homme agissant qui donne… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Lutin — Un lutin au chapeau rouge typique, réalisation par Godo, octobre 2011, technique mixte crayon et tablette graphique. Le lutin est une créature humanoïde nocturne de petite taille, issue au sens strict du folklore et des croyances populaires de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • lutin — (lu tin) s. m. 1°   Espèce de démon qui vient la nuit tourmenter les hommes, et qui est d une nature plutôt malicieuse que méchante. •   En cherchant la cause de cela, je ne veux pas, mademoiselle, soupçonner de vous rien de mauvais, ni remarquer …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • LUTIN — s. m. Suivant l opinion populaire et superstitieuse, Espèce de démon ou d esprit follet qui vient la nuit tourmenter les vivants. On prétend qu il y a un lutin dans cette maison. On dit que ce vieux château est plein de lutins. Fig. et fam., C… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

  • LUTIN — n. m. Suivant l’opinion populaire et superstitieuse, Sorte de démon ou d’esprit follet qui vient la nuit tourmenter les vivants. Fig. et fam., C’est un lutin, un vrai lutin, se dit d’un Enfant très pétulant. On dit dans un sens analogue Faire le… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 8eme edition (1935)

  • lutin —    French name for a hobgoblin common in French folklore and fairy tales. The lutin is either male or female; a female is called a lutine. The lutin is comparable to house spirits such as brownies, and to elves, fairies, gnomes, imps, leprechauns …   Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology

  • Lutin — Zeichnung eines Kobolds Kobold ist ein Begriff für Haus und Naturgeister. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Mythologisch 2 Literarische Figur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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