Aviva Trivia

The Irish Ballybogs are known by a variety of names including Peat Faeries, Mudbogs, Bogles (Cornish and Welsh), Bog-a-boos, Boggies, and Boggans (northern England and the Isle of Man).  As you might have guessed from their interesting array of names, these are the guardians of the bogs. 

For those of you who don’t know, a bog is an area that is quite wet, spongy, and marsh like.  A large area of open water is often centrally located in a bog.  Despite the area being poorly drained, flora characteristic to the area is abundant and the area is full of decaying plant matter.
 
Preserved human remains have been uncovered in some of the bogs of northern Europe.  This is considered evidence that people of long ago made human sacrifices to appease the fae who were known to dwell in the bogs.

The Ballybogs originated in Ireland, Wales, England, and Cornouailles.  Ballybogs are more numerous in Ireland though, because of the abundance of peat in that country.  Ireland is not rich in natural resources such as coal and oil, hence the need for peat.

The Ballybogs are quite small in size and completely covered in mud, which is no surprise considering where they hail to us from.  Indeed, these small creatures have round bodies that sit atop legs that appear to be too thin and spindly to support much of anything.  Moreover, their heads sit atop their bodies without the benefit of a neck.  Additionally, their arms are thin and weak looking.

The language of words is a mystery to them as all they can do is grunt in place of it.  Slobbering comes naturally to them, adding to their repugnant appearance.  Ballybogs are solitary creatures.  Rumor has it that they are also quite stupid- an idea that might have come about due to their lack of speaking in words.

They frequent and live in bogs and mud holes.  Although basically harmless, ballybogs are quite unpleasant to be around with their grunting, slobbering ways.  They rarely cause mischief if at all, except to lead unsuspecting travelers astray from their chosen course of travel.  No harm comes to the traveler, just a bit of frustration and dismay at being lost.

However, the English Bogle is a creature of another temperament.  He has a decidedly nasty temper and mistreats individuals who are guilty of committing crimes, lazy in their ways, or incontinent.  Unlike the Ballybog, the Bogle wears a hooded cloak.  He is a bit less round, but he is also a bit more mischievous and sneaky.