Kobold

Kobolds are spirits of German folklore. The name comes from "Kobe" = house, hut and the word "hold" = comely, good (Paul Hermann, "Deutsche Mythologie") and is often translated in English as goblin.

The most common version, Heinzelmännchen, is similar to Robin Goodfellow and brownies: as household elves of ambivalent nature, they sometimes perform domestic chores, but play malicious tricks if not appeased (Hinzelmann is a particular example).

Kobold is often used in German to translate the word 'Leprechaun', a type of Irish fairy goblin.

Another type of kobold, more similar to the gnome, haunts mines and other underground places. The name of the element cobalt comes from kobold, after the poisonous and troublesome nature of the typical arsenical ores of this metal (cobaltite and smaltite) which polluted other mined elements (compare nickel).

"Kobold" is also an uncommon surname found in German speaking areas.

Kobold Family History in America

Elmer Kobold

The site of the Battle of the Rosebud[[1]] was owned and ranched by Elmer “Slim” Kobold for over forty years before the land was designated a Montana state park in 1978. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s, pressure to extract coal from the area near Decker, Montana and under The Rosebud Battlefield, where significant coal reserves exist, induced Mr. Kobold to work at preserving and protecting the Battle of the Rosebud site for future generations. He led many interested people on tours of the area, explaining the course of the battle, showing significant archaeological spots, studying and cataloging artifacts, and preserving Native American art. In 1972, with the aid of FWP, he gained designation for the land in the National Register of Historical Places. Inclusion in the Registry affords protections from actions by the Federal Government or its agencies. The letting of Oil and Gas leases to Federal Mineral Rights is included in this protection. Partly as a result of Kobold’s preservation efforts, Rosebud Battlefield State Park (RBBF) was acquired by FWP in 1978 utilizing Coal Tax Fund monies by direction of the Montana State Legislature[2]

Kobolds in fantasy fiction

See also Kobolds in gaming

In the fantasy novel Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke, one of the main characters is a kobold. However, she is called a "Brownie" in the English version. (She has a humanoid shape, but furry and with a head like a cat's.)

In the fantasy novel Fablehaven: The Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull, a kobold infiltrates the main characters' middle school and begins to work all kinds of nasty mischief. In this book the kobold is described as a bald, scaberous, pus-oozing mosnter who takes the shape of an eighth grade boy to get close to his victims.

In the fantasy novel The Spirit Ring by Lois McMaster Bujold, kobolds inhabit mines in the fantasy world in which the book takes place. The first kobold in the book is described as about two feet tall, brown, and with black eyes. Kobolds as presented in this book also enjoy milk, and the way they drink it is described as cat-like.

In the fantasy novel Revenge of the Shadow King by J S Lewis and Derek Benz, kobolds are mercenaries hired by Morgan La Fey. They can see through solid objects and are resistant to iron, which kills other faeries. They are a kind of goblin with armor, used to working in mines.

Neil Gaiman's novel American Gods returns to the traditional legend, depicting Hinzelmann as an ambivalent spirit that guards an apparently perfect small Wisconsin town.

Terry Brooks series Landover features two kobolds. One is the King's protector, while the other is the castle cook. Their names are Parsnip and Bunion.

Robert A. Heinlein's novel Friday contains numerous references to kobold dwarfs. They are "living artifacts", or genetically engineered beings, drawn from human stock, but built to be the perfect miners.

Larry Niven's novel Protector has much of the action take place in a small, secret, artificial world named "Kobold", and built to resemble M. C. Escher's famous 1953 painting Relativity.

In the Suikoden series of video games, Kobolds are sapient anthropomorphic dogs.

In the PC MMORPG Ragnarok Online, Kobolds are anthropomorphic warrior dogs.

In the MMORPG series Everquest, Kobolds are warlike anthropomorphic dogs that especially inhabit the Steamfont Mountians area around the city of Ak'anon.

In the MMORPG computer game World of Warcraft, Kobolds are anthropomorphic rats. They are often found in mines and have candles atop their heads.

In Quest for Glory I: So You Want To Be A Hero by Sierra, one of the quests involves a meeting with a kobold.

In Dungeons & Dragons, kobolds are small lizard-like people that often live in underground, mine-like dens filled with traps.

In Robert Rankin's novels The Book of Ultimate Truths and Raiders of the Lost Car Park one of the characters is called Arthur Kobold. He is referred to as a kobold in some sections.

In Magic: the Gathering, Kobolds are red-aligned creatures most well known for costing nothing to cast.

In the Suikoden series, Kobolds are a type of recruitable character.

In Neverwinter Nights 2, there is a merchant named Deekin, who happens to be a Kobold.