A hob is a type of small mythological household spirit found in the English Midlands, Northern England, and on the Anglo-Scottish border, according to traditional folklore of those regions. They could live inside the house or outdoors. They are said to work in farmyards and thus could be helpful; however if offended they could become nuisances. The usual way to dispose of hobs was to give them a set of new clothing, the receiving of which would make the creatures leave forever. It could, however, be impossible to get rid of the worst hobs.
âÂÂHobâ is a diminutive form of the name Robin, which is itself a diminutive form of the name Robert.
Hob is sometimes a generic term given to a goblin, bogle or brownie. The name Hob became associated with the mythical creature as âÂÂa piece of rude familiarity to cover up uncertainty or fearâÂÂ; essentially, calling a mystical creature by a common nickname was a way to make the concept less frightening and the nickname eventually became the common term.
As well as the brownie, another cognate exists in the Scandinavian nisse or tomte; all are thought to be derived from the household gods of olden times, known in England as the (Old English for âÂÂhouse-godsâÂÂ), of which the brownie and hob are indeed a survival.
The term 'hob' is also linked in the north of England to the Old English þyrs and Old Norse þurs, meaning 'giant' or 'monsterâÂÂ. These roots give rise to dialectal variants such as hob-thrush, hob-thrust and hob-dross, recorded across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire.
Hobs have been described as small, hairy, wizened men. Hobs were viewed as kind but mischievous spirits, helpful to local people in need. One famous hob lived near Runswick Bay in a hobhole; this hob was believed to be able to cure young children of kink-cough (whooping cough). Parents would bring their ailing young to the hob's cave dwelling and recite the following:
Hobs are generally considered household spirits who preferred to be about at night. Hobs were not tied to a particular place but seemed to come and go as they chose. A hob would help the farmer in the field or the shopkeeper in his store. The householder had to be careful in dealing with a hob so as not to offend it. If a farmer were to speak poorly of a hob on his farm, the hob might retaliate by breaking dishes and turning loose livestock. Most importantly, a hob must not be given a gift of clothing, as this would be greatly resented and might cause a helpful hob to leave immediately.
A recurring motif in northern folklore is that when a hob is offered clothesâÂÂoften a coarse shirt or hoodâÂÂhe vanishes, offended. This is often marked by a rhyme, such as: âÂÂHa! a cap and a hood, / HobâÂÂll never do mair good.â (Sturfit Hall)
âÂÂGin Hob mun hae nowght but a hardinâ hamp, / HeâÂÂll come nae mair nowther to berry nor stamp.â (Hart Hall, Glaisdale)
These couplets often signal the end of a hobâÂÂs aid, linking him to the wider European motif of the departing brownie or tomte.
Farndale in the North York Moors is separated from its neighbour Rosedale to the east by a high but relatively level moorland promontory known as Blakey Ridge. On the east side of that ridge is a topographical feature known as Hobb Crag, overlooking the village of Rosedale Abbey. A local story relates how a farmer in Farndale was so troubled by a Hob that he decided to move to another farm â just to get rid of that Hob.
Note the local dialect word flittin which may be derived from the Old Norse language.
It was customary for a local hob to have a local name and a local habitation.
Some "Hob" names may suggest their mischievous personality:
The name Hob-thrush may be derived from Hobbe Hyrste or Hob o' t' hyrst â "Hob of the hurst".
See also WiKtionary : Old English < > ..."hurst, hillock, eminence, height, wood, wooded eminence".
The following names may be derived from Hobbe Hyrste:
Similar names are found in disparate parts of the country â it is possible that these were introduced by migrant workers while moving between employments, especially those involved with mining and railway construction.
The habitation was usually a topographical feature, such as a hill, crag, hole, cave or island.
Often the feature would be within view of the farm or local settlement:
WiKtionary: The name element hole might relate to:
It was common for Hob place names to be associated with tumuli:
Many topographical features, especially in North Yorkshire, are named "Hobs". Dickins provides dozens of attested hob place-names across Northern England, many associated with barrows, springs, or moorlands.