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Difference between revisions of "Wight"

m (Reverted edit of Janus, changed back to last version by Admin)
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'''Wight''' is an obsolete word for a "human" or other intelligent "being" and derives from the same root as forms of ''to be'', such as ''was'' and ''were''. In modern German "Wicht"  means both "small person, dwarf" as well as  "unpleasant person".  
'''Wight''' is a Middle English word for a creature or a living being, especially a human being. In modern English today, it is also used in fiction for human-like creatures.  




==Etymology==
Wight omes from Old English word wiht akin to Old High German wiht, which derives from the same root as forms of to be, such as was and were. The word is a cognate with Dutch wicht, German Wicht, Old Norse vættir and Swedish vätte. Modern German "Wicht" means "small person, dwarf", and also "unpleasant person"; in Low German it means "girl". It is not related to the English word "witch".


==Origin==


The word '''Wight''' is used only comparatively recently to give an impression of archaism and mystery, for example in the works of ''J. R. R. Tolkien'', where are corpses with a part of their decayed soul.  
==Nature==
Probably inspired by Scandinavian Mythology, as Tolkien also used the word to denote human-like creatures, such as [[Elves]] or [[ghost]]s ("wraiths") - most notably the [[undead]] ''Barrow-Wights''.  
Wight has been used comparatively recently to give an impression of archaism and mystery in literature, for example in the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, where wights are corpses with a part of their decayed soul. Probably inspired by Scandinavian folklore (of vættir), Tolkien also used the word to denote human-like creatures, such as elves or ghosts ("wraiths") - most notably the undead Barrow-Wights.  


Some subsequent writers seem to have been unaware that the word did not actually mean ghost or wraith, and so many works of fantasy fiction, role-playing games (such as Dungeons & Dragons) and video games use the term as the name of spectral creatures resembling Tolkien's Barrow-wights.
Some subsequent writers seem to have been unaware that the word did not actually mean ghost or wraith, and so many works of fantasy fiction, role-playing games and computer and video games use the term as the name of spectral creatures very similar to Tolkien's Barrow-wights, such as Dungeons & Dragons' wights.




==Art / Fiction==


==Wights in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore==
Examples of the word used in classic English literature and poetry:


From the same Germanic root, the Icelandic word ''vættr'' designates some kind of supernatural being.
* Geoffrey Chaucer (1368-1372), The Book of the Duchess, line 579:
At times, even the gods of Norse mythology are called ''vættir''. However, the most common usage appears to be in reference to ''sjóvættir'' (sea-wights) and ''landvættir'' (land-wights).
:"Worste of alle wightes."
''Landvættir'' were said to be chthonic beings of specific farms and wild places. When Norse seafarers approached land, they reportedly took off the carved dragons from the bows of their longships, so as not to frighten or insult the ''landvættir'' as they might be bringers of bad luck.  


In modern day Iceland, stories still abound of the ''landvættir'' (also known as ''huldufólk'', the hidden people, often hard to distinguish from ''álfafólk'', i.e. [[elf|elves]]). It is said that work crews building new roads will sometimes divert the road around particular boulders which are known to be the homes of these people.
* Geoffrey Chaucer (1368-1372), Prologue of The Knight, line 72-73:
:"In all his life, to whatsoever wight.
:He was a truly perfect, gentle knight."


[[Scandinavian folklore]] features a class of beings similar to the Old Norse ''landvættir''. They are known by many names, although the most common are ''vättar'' in southern Sweden, ''vittra'' in northern Sweden and ''huldrefolk'' in Norway (though it should be noted that the singular ''vittra'' and ''huldra'', respectively, refer to a solitary and quite different being). Henceforth, they are referred to as "wights" in this article. The Norwegian ''vetter'' is used much in the same way as the Old Norse ''vættir'', whereas the corresponding word in Swedish or Danish is ''väsen'' or ''væsen'' (being), also akin to ''was'' and ''were''.
* Geoffrey Chaucer (circa 1379-1380), The House of Fame, line 1830-1831:
:"We ben shrewes, every wight,
:And han delyt in wikkednes."


Many aspects of the dwarves in [[Norse mythology]] lived on in the Scandinavian belief in wights. They were thought to be similar in appearance to humans, even strikingly beautiful, but smaller, often clad in grey and living underground. Therefore, they were also called ''de underjordiske'' (the subterranean ones). The cautious peasant in old Scandinavia should always warn the wights before spilling hot water on the ground, or else grave retribution, such as disease, accidents or killed livestock, was to be expected. Wights had their own minute cattle, from which they nevertheless got a tremendous amount of milk. They were also described as having the ability go invisible from human sight whenever they wished to, as well as transform into animals (toads being a disguise of choice). This made them hard to observe, save brief glimpses; children, however, were thought to be much more capable to see through the magic of the wights.
* William Shakespeare (circa 1602), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Sc. III:
:"O base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield?"


The ''tomte'' or ''nisse'' is a solitary vätte, living on the farmstead. He is usually benevolent and helpful, which can not be said about a mischievous ''illvätte''.  However he can cause a lot of damage if he is angry, such as killing livestock.
* John Milton (1626), On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough, verse vi
:"Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight..."


The stories about the Norwegian huldrefolk have taken on many aspects usually associated with [[Troll]]s in southern Sweden and Denmark. For example, the women of the huldrefolk were said to be quite beautiful, with the one exception being their long cow-like tails.  She was in Swedish called the "skogsrå".
They take great pains to hide these tails so as not to be detected for what they are. They are also often described as having a back like a hollow log. The Huldra often attempted to seduce men in the forest or mountains. Moreover, the huldrefolk sometimes [[kidnap]]ped infants and replaced them with their own ugly ''huldrebarn'' ([[changeling]]).
The collected Norwegian folk tales of Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jorgen Moe contain many stories about huldrefolk.




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*[[changeling]]
*[[changeling]]
*[[corpses]]
*[[vættir]]
*[[Jinn]]
*[[Jinn]]
*[[undead]]




==Link==


{{wikipedia}}
[[Category:Fairy creatures]]
[[Category:Corporeal undead]]
[[Category:Corporeal undead]]
[[Category:Scandinavian folklore]]
[[Category:English mythology]]
[[Category:Scandinavian mythology]]

Revision as of 14:20, 28 December 2007

Wight is a Middle English word for a creature or a living being, especially a human being. In modern English today, it is also used in fiction for human-like creatures.


Etymology

Wight omes from Old English word wiht akin to Old High German wiht, which derives from the same root as forms of to be, such as was and were. The word is a cognate with Dutch wicht, German Wicht, Old Norse vættir and Swedish vätte. Modern German "Wicht" means "small person, dwarf", and also "unpleasant person"; in Low German it means "girl". It is not related to the English word "witch".


Nature

Wight has been used comparatively recently to give an impression of archaism and mystery in literature, for example in the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, where wights are corpses with a part of their decayed soul. Probably inspired by Scandinavian folklore (of vættir), Tolkien also used the word to denote human-like creatures, such as elves or ghosts ("wraiths") - most notably the undead Barrow-Wights.

Some subsequent writers seem to have been unaware that the word did not actually mean ghost or wraith, and so many works of fantasy fiction, role-playing games and computer and video games use the term as the name of spectral creatures very similar to Tolkien's Barrow-wights, such as Dungeons & Dragons' wights.


Art / Fiction

Examples of the word used in classic English literature and poetry:

  • Geoffrey Chaucer (1368-1372), The Book of the Duchess, line 579:
"Worste of alle wightes."
  • Geoffrey Chaucer (1368-1372), Prologue of The Knight, line 72-73:
"In all his life, to whatsoever wight.
He was a truly perfect, gentle knight."
  • Geoffrey Chaucer (circa 1379-1380), The House of Fame, line 1830-1831:
"We ben shrewes, every wight,
And han delyt in wikkednes."
  • William Shakespeare (circa 1602), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act I, Sc. III:
"O base Hungarian wight! wilt thou the spigot wield?"
  • John Milton (1626), On the Death of a Fair Infant Dying of a Cough, verse vi
"Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight..."


See Also