Case file · Fairy lore
Coblynau of the Welsh mines
Welsh miners told of coblynau, small ugly mine fairies in miners' clothes who copied their work and knocked to lead them to rich veins of ore.
1880 CE · 52.98, -3.94 · status: legend
The account
Wirt Sikes described them in 'British Goblins' (1880) as friendly, between half a yard and almost human height, carrying tools they used busily but uselessly. They might throw harmless stones if insulted and stop knocking if miners grew greedy. Welsh emigrants carried the belief to mining districts in America.
The sceptical view
Like the Cornish knockers, a folk explanation for sounds underground and a way of talking about luck and danger in the mines.