Goblin: The supernatural creature that travels in little gangs 

By now, you must be aware that with the year end, Oxford English Dictionary has once again announced its word of the year. It’s the phrase “goblin mode” that was a clear winner having earned majority (93 per cent) of public votes. Do you know what it means? Well, it’s a state of being or a mindset that is “unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” In other words, it’s exhibiting a behaviour and operating in whichever way you want, without worrying what the world thinks.   

Experts think that “goblin mode” is a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, a response to the anxieties and challenges associated with the return to the so-called normalcy. It’s also about daring to do things as on your own terms, something that the world might deem as unsuitable or unattainable. Say for instance, going out in your PJs. That reminds us, aren’t you wondering why on earth was goblin chosen as the driving force of the term? Is it in anyway indifferent to the ways of the world, so much so that they are being linked to anti-social and self-indulgent human behaviour? Well, the answer is yes! Remember orcs from The Lord of the Rings or the evil spirits residing in the Misty Mountains in The Hobbit? Today, let’s find out more about goblins. 

First, what is a goblin? 
Goblin is an evil, temperamental, and mischievous (often ill-intentioned) supernatural creature that is small and ugly in appearance, often found in English folklores. Just like other out-of-the world spirits such as dwarves, leprechauns, gnomes, elves, and pixies, goblins too are known to be unreliable and often as prankster too! Simply put, these diminutive humanoids with malevolent and grotesque looks and nature are best avoided. Oh, and they are hardly ever found alone and roam around in little gangs exhibiting their conflicting and magical abilities. 

Goblins in the English culture 
According to English folklores, different regions of England have distinct types of goblins. For instance, Cornwall has spriggans who tends to live in cairns and barrows. They are mostly hostile yet love guarding hidden treasures from pirates and smuggler. Then there are knockers (also called buccas), native to Wales, who are known to work in tin mines and live in caverns, springs and wells. Legends have it that they are totally indifferent to humans and often instigate mining accidents, rockslides, and cave-ins.  

Then of course, there are hobgoblins, who are those rare and nicer goblins often harmless to humans. In fact, they are domesticated (they themselves locate a house, move in, befriend the inhabitants and stay put) and help the kinds of you and me with our daily tasks. They often make their presence felt under mysterious and unsettling circumstances. They are usually not looking for trouble unless provoked or upset. If you have read William Shakespeare’s famous comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you would know about Puck. He was a hobgoblin! Shakespeare brilliantly depicts Puck as a trickster who is fond of scaring innocent ladies, turning milk sour and misleading people walking alone at night. Yet, he is also serving the protagonist King Oberon and reunites him with his Queen, while even bringing them good luck.  

Goblins in other cultures 
What’s interesting is that, goblins appear in other cultures too. For example, there’s Redcap, an Anglo-Scottish goblin who dyes its hat in human blood. How malicious is that! Then there’s Erlking the German goblin who lives in the woods and stalks children, often harming them if they stay out for too long. Even outside Europe, such as in South Korea, goblins appear as dokkaebi who reward good people and punish the evil.  

Goblins: Representing shadow self of humans 
As you can understand, goblins are pretty complex creatures who are often ambivalent in nature. At times they are pure evil, while they are also capable of being helpful and good-intentioned, unless faced with an antagonist. In other words, they are the epitome of unpredictability.  

Experts have often suggested that goblins best represent the “shadow self” of humans. It refers to that that region of human psyche that we try to keep hidden and repressed from the rest of the world – be it our anti-social side, the lazy side, the unfriendly and self-indulgent side, or the hostile or hurtful side. However, this shadow self also needs to be embraced from time to time; or as it is trending: being in sync with our goblin mode! In fact, if you really think about it, there’s also hope in this shadow as it also symbolises our wildness, wilfulness, self-expression, and creativity. It’s that part of ourselves that we understand and acknowledge, even though the world doesn’t!