Belief in fairies has existed from earliest times, but the concept and description of the creatures varies widely, from the tiny old men, or leprechauns, of Irish legend, to beautiful enchantresses like the Germanic Lorelei, to human-eating giants, or ogres. Particular kinds of fairies include the Arabic jinni, the Scandinavian troll, the Germanic elf, and the English pixie. Although usually represented as mischievous and capricious, they could also be loving and bountiful. In Gaelic folklore the belief in fairies was very widespread until recently. Some say the fairies are a folk memory of a former race of people, who lived underground in mound-like dwellings.
Many people see the fairies as a non-human race of nature spirits.
They could be good, and beautiful, or bad, and ugly. They are mischievous spirits who enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done them, even unintentionally, and so accidents and diseases are considered their work. They are popular in the folklore of Egypt, Syria, Iran, Turkey, and North Africa. The troll is the Scandinavian equivalent and is variously portrayed as a friendly or mischievous dwarf or as a giant, that lives in caves, in the hills, or under bridges. Mischievous creatures, half man, half goat.