Talk:Brownie (mythology)
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- I'm really not sure about this, but can anyone confirm that "brownie points" is a phrase actually derived from the brownie creature? I've always figured it came from the name "brown-noser"... And I just asked my mom and she said she thought it came from the level or grade system used in Girl Guide Brownies.
- I don't know which came first or which is more common, but I have definitely seen both meanings in use: the negative meaning of Brownie points from brown-nosing, and the positive meaning of brownie points from the Girl Guides. --Woggly 12:05, 25 Dec 2004 (UTC)
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[edit] first-person used? Original research?
"He could be seen supposedly only by those who had the second sight; yet I have heard of instances where he made himself visible to people not so gifted."
What's with the use of the first person here? Is the contributor claiming himself as a source? This is hardly acceptable by Wikipedia standards.
Not to mention the fact that a lot of the mythology/folklore in this article is presented as absolute fact, which is not acceptable either.
[edit] total skite
This article is garbage and needs to be completely rewritten. Could someone please tag it for improvement or deletion?
[edit] Elves?
Brownies generally are not Elves. They are likely from Celtic mythology not Scandinavian. Also, Brownies are generally short whereas Elves are not. The Celtic version of the Elf is the Sidhe. - Hesselius
- The term "elf" is used much more generically than you are aware. Goldfritha 19:33, 19 November 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Citations?
Brand in his description of Zetland observes
that not above forty or fifty years ago, every family had a brownie, or evil spirit, so called, which served them, to which they gave a sacrifice for his service; as when they churned their milk, they took a part thereof, and sprinkled every corner of the house with it, for Brownie’s use; likewise, when they brewed, they had a stone which they called ‘Brownie’s stane’, wherein there was a little hole into which they poured some wort for a sacrifice to Brownie. They also had some stacks of corn, which they called Brownie’s Stacks, which, though they were not bound with straw ropes, or in any way fenced as other stacks used to be, yet the greatest storm of wind was not able to blow away straw off them.
1. Who TF is Brand? 2. Where did this quote come from 3. Why has this uncited quote gone unnoticed for so long? Bifgis 04:50, 4 December 2006 (UTC)
- Near as I can tell, the only other place this is quoted on the web is here - it's an ebook of The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Keightley (1870). The quote (in the section called Orkneys) is the same, attributed to Brand, "Description of Orkney, Zetland, &c. Edin. 1703." Keightley doesn't say who Brand is, though. -Tocky 04:32, 6 January 2007 (UTC)
- A bit more Googling, and I'm relatively sure it's this guy, John Brand. Keightley makes a few references to Brand's Popular Antiquities. I'd say it's a pretty sure bet that this quote is from him. -Tocky 07:43, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
