And what is a Goblin?

2022-07-05

Chris has Kora Burton on the show to talk about goblins, and the word "goblin" as it was used leading up to the writing of George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. What exactly was a goblin, and how was it differentiated (if at all) from other mischievous little creatures (such as elves, pukka, etc.)? Were George MacDonald and Christina Rossetti responsible for the bad rap goblins have gotten since--in Tolkien and elsewhere? We reference this book a great deal: British Goblins, by Wirt Sik...

Chris has Kora Burton on the show to talk about goblins, and the word "goblin" as it was used leading up to the writing of George MacDonald's The Princess and the Goblin. What exactly was a goblin, and how was it differentiated (if at all) from other mischievous little creatures (such as elves, pukka, etc.)? Were George MacDonald and Christina Rossetti responsible for the bad rap goblins have gotten since--in Tolkien and elsewhere?

We reference this book a great deal: British Goblins, by Wirt Sikes.

At the top, I read from Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti, which predated The Princess and the Goblin.

Come back next week for Part II of The Princess and the Goblin, featuring producer Logan Huggins and podcast cofounder Anika Smith!

Thanks as always to Logan for producing this episode!

If you want to weigh in on this episode (or any other), email us at Inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you.

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