Field Guide to Spriggans Content . We come now to consideration of the Spriggan , the elusive , feminine nature spirit of the deep woods . Of course , we all know the name from the taunting children ' s joke that goes : " Guess what ? " " What ? " " Spriggan butt ! " … But beyond this juvenile jest , what can scholarship tell us about these half - flora / half - fauna creatures ? Unfortunately , though I have consulted all the standard sources , the academics of Tamriel have little to say about the spriggans ' whys and wherefores . From both legend and from authenticated stories of personal encounters , we know that spriggans are somehow mystically tied to certain copses or thickets , verdant groves which they fiercely defend against trespassers . Spriggan sap is said to be venomous , and they are known to be able to magically heal themselves when wounded , making them dangerous opponents . In addition , spriggans have some sort innate connection to the animals and plants that inhabit their sacred groves , and there are many verified accounts of animals fighting at their sides against intruders . These allies include not just animals that are naturally aggressive , such as bears or swarms of hornets , but even usually timid creatures like deer and elk . Whether these animal allies defend spriggans out of love or friendship , or whether they are magically summoned by an innate spell ability on the part of the spriggan , is an open question , and a matter of some debate among those who study mystizoology . There is no doubt , however , that spriggans are creatures of a magical nature , as is clearly evidenced by the powerful qualities of the so - called " taproot s " that are harvested from their bodies when slain . These taproots are prized by alchemists for their undeniable arcane properties , which enable the concoction of complex potions from powerful reagents that are otherwise immiscible . As to their origins , that is a mystery that so far none have solved . We find accounts of " Spryggain Groaves " dating all the way back to the beginning of the First Era , as well as mention of " tree - daughters " in the ancient myths of Y ' ffre and the Earth Bones . Their common name seems to derive from " sprig , " the Nedic term for a fresh green twig or offshoot , but beyond that everything about their origins is obscure . From a purely physical standpoint spriggans certainly come in several forms , with reports of a variety of barks and foliage . This may represent different strains or sub - species , or it may simply be a reflection of the spriggan ' s mystical connection with its local flora . Spriggans seem to resemble the plants of the groves wherein they live , even reflecting the seasonal nature of those who reside in the deciduous forests of northern Tamriel . In the opinion of this scholar , the so - called spring , summer , autumn , and winter spriggans are all the same creatures merely undergoing seasonal metamorphosis . Some have gone so far as to assert that spriggans have a hierarchy , with lesser members of the species owing allegiance to the greater , who are sometimes termed " spriggan matron " or even " spriggan earth mother . " Here is where we must draw the line between scholarship and storytelling : though a spriggan ' s form outwardly resembles that of a human female , there is no evidence whatsoever that they can engage in intelligent behavior , or that they can organize into hierarchical groups . The creatures of the natural world , even those that are quasi - magical , behave entirely according to instinct , and to endow them with human emotion or thought is mere sentimentalism . If you ' re partial to that sort of fanciful twaddle , I refer you to the works of Lady Cinnabar of Taneth , who produces it in great reams .