The term
sprite means is a broad term referring to a number of
preternaturalThe preternatural or praeternatural is that which appears outside or beyond the natural. While this may include what is more commonly called the supernatural, it may also simply indicate extremity — an ordinary phenomenon taken 'beyond' the natural...
legendary creatureA legendary creature is a mythological or folkloric creature .-Description:Some creatures, such as the dragon and griffin, have their origin in traditional mythology and have been believed to be real creatures...
s. The term is generally used in reference to
elfAn elf is a creature of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming men and women of great beauty living in forests and underground places and caves, or in wells and springs...
-like creatures, including
fairiesA fairy is a type of mythological being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.The word fairy derives from the term fae of medieval Western...
, and similar beings (although not earth beings), but can also signify various spiritual beings, including
ghostA ghost has been defined as the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person, although in popular usage the term refers only to the apparition of such a person...
s.
The word "sprite" is derived from the
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
"spiritus" (spirit). Variations on the term include "spright" (the origin of the adjective "sprightly", meaning "spirited" or "lively") and the
CelticCeltic mythology is the mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the religion of the Iron Age Celts. Like other Iron Age Europeans, the early Celts maintained a polytheistic mythology and religious structure...
"spriggan". The term is chiefly used in regard to elves and fairies in
European folkloreEuropean folklore:*Northern Europe**Estonian folklore**Finnish folklore** Lithuanian folklore**Scandinavian folklore*Western Europe**Alpine folklore**Dutch folklore**French folklore**German folklore**Italian folklore**Swiss folklore**British Isles...
, and in
modern EnglishModern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
is rarely used in reference to
spiritThe English word "spirit" has many differing meanings and connotations, but commonly refers to a supernatural being or essence — transcendent and therefore metaphysical in its nature: the Concise Oxford Dictionary defines it as "the non-physical part of a person"...
s or other mythical creatures. Sprites can also be lightning strikes and problems involving electricity.
Belief in sprites
The belief in diminutive beings such as sprites,
elvesAn elf is a creature of Germanic mythology. The elves were originally thought of as a race of minor nature and fertility gods, who are often pictured as youthful-seeming men and women of great beauty living in forests and underground places and caves, or in wells and springs...
,
fairiesA fairy is a type of mythological being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.The word fairy derives from the term fae of medieval Western...
, pixies,
gnomeA gnome is a fictional humanoid creature characterized by its extremely small size and subterranean lifestyle. The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus...
s, Japanese
yōkaiare a class of preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous kitsune or snow woman Yuki-onna. Some possess part animal and part human features . Yōkai generally have a sort of spiritual or supernatural powers...
, the Spanish and Latin-American
duendeA duende is a fairy- or goblin-like mythological creature. While its nature varies throughout Spain, Portugal and Spanish-speaking America, analogues from other cultures include the Danish-Norwegian Nisse, the French lutin and nain rouge, the Irish clurichaun, leprechaun, and far darrig, the Manx...
and various
Slavic fairiesFairies in Slavic mythology come in several forms and their names are spelled differently based on the specific language. Among the ones listed below there were also khovanets , dolia , polyovyk or polevoi , perelesnyk , lesovyk or leshyi , blud , mara Fairies in Slavic mythology come in several...
has been common in many parts of the world, and might to some extent still be found within neo-spiritual and religious movements such as "druidism" and
Ásatrú in the United States is a form of Germanic Neopaganism, in particular inspired by the Norse paganism as described in the Eddas and as practiced prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia....
. The belief in spiritual beings, particularly
ghostA ghost has been defined as the disembodied spirit or soul of a deceased person, although in popular usage the term refers only to the apparition of such a person...
s, is almost universal to human culture.
In some elemental magics, the sprite is oft believed to be the elemental of air (see also
SylphSylph is a mythological creature in the Western tradition. The term originates in Paracelsus, who describes sylphs as invisible beings of the air, his elementals of air...
). Another variation is the
water spriteA water sprite is a general term for a legendary creature, an elemental spirit associated with water, according to alchemist Paracelsus. Water sprites are said to be able to breathe water or air, and in some cases, can fly. They are mostly harmless unless threatened.These creatures exist in...
.
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