Spriggan

"The Spriggans are found only in burrows, or detached stones, with which it is unlucky for people to be in. Someone wrote: " This is known, that they were a remarkably mischievous and thievish tribe. If ever a house was robbed, a child kidnapped, cattle carried away, or a building demolished, it was the work of the Spriggans. Whatever commotion took place in earth, air, or water, it was all put down as the work of these spirits. Wherever the giants have been, there the Spriggans have been also. It is usually considered that they are the ghosts of the giants; certainly, from many of their feats, we must suppose them to possess a giant's strength. The Spriggans have the charge of buried treasure."

Spriggans were apparently related to the trolls of Scandinavia. Spriggans were depicted as grotesquely ugly, wizened old men with large child-like heads. They were said to be found at old ruins, cairns, and barrows guarding buried treasure. Although small, they were usually considered to be the ghosts of giants, with the ability to swell to enormous size. They were also said to act as fairy bodyguards.

Spriggans were notorious for their unpleasant moods, and are down to do mischief against those who offended them. They raised sudden whirlwinds to terrify travellers, sent storms to blight crops, and sometimes stole children, leaving their ugly changelings in their place. They were blamed if a house was robbed or a building collapsed, or if cattle were stolen. In one story, an old woman got the better of a band of spriggans by turning her clothing inside-out to take their loot.

Spriggans appear as magical, treelike creatures. Spriggans generally appear in wooded areas, guarding hidden glades, cave entrances, or forest ruins. They are hostile, attacking them on sight. They also possess the ability to command woodland creatures to fight alongside them.

In the “Beyond the Spiderwick trilogy”, a creature named Sandspur is discovered to be Spriggan.

Spriggans are known not to be messed with in multiple places, folklore, games, movies, shows, and they each have their different reasons why. For example, there’s a myth that Spriggans created all life, trees, nature, ect.

The Spriggan comes from Cornish Mythology.