Analogues of house spirits exist in the culture and folklore of many countries, differing only in some habits and names. The ancient Romans still had their own home keepers, but the belief in brownies is still alive.
The first brownies
One of the earliest mentions of brownies is found in ancient Roman folklore, where they were deified and called family lares. These spirits were associated with the houses of the Romans and their surroundings. Laras were asked for help in connection with various household and family problems. It was believed that the Laras favor those who honor the traditions of the family, but punish those who violate them.
In Norway, brownies are called "nisse" by analogy with creatures from Scandinavian mythology who kept order in the house, but were not averse to playing a trick on a person. According to the Norwegians, nisse are of short stature, have an old appearance and long arms. Despite their decrepit appearance, these creatures have tremendous physical strength.
In the mythology of Northern Europe and Germany, there are such creatures as kobolds, which translated from German means "lords of the premises." With a good disposition, kobolds favor their owners, but if they offend them, they arrange chaos and riots.
Brownies in modern culture
There are brownies in the British Isles, and of several types. So, brownies are considered the closest relatives of brownies, they are very similar to them in appearance and in their behavior. Brownies take a long look at those whom they want to serve, but if they like the owners, they do their job conscientiously.
The British leave food to their brownies unnoticed - there is a legend that if you pay brownies for their work or donate clothes instead of the rags they wear, these creatures will think that they want to bribe them, get offended and leave the house forever.
Another type of English brownie is the boggart. In general, these spirits are very friendly towards the owners of the house, but, like many brownies, they are capable of practical jokes and even evil tricks. Moving to another house does not always help get rid of the boggart - despite the fact that these creatures are tied to a home, it is believed that they can move with their household members.
The Spanish and Portuguese call their brownies duende. It is believed that these spirits cannot be driven away by either holy water or prayers, and you can get rid of them only by moving to a new house. Duende are not always friendly - they scare people at night, do not let them sleep and make a lot of noise. In order to make friends with the duende, they are given milk, which is believed to be very fond of them.
Good house spirits do not exist in the culture of all countries, but where they are, they are treated with honor and respect. Otherwise, instead of order and home comfort, you can get a lot of headaches and troubles.
