Pixies and pasties (was Ton-tongue toffies and other tongue twisters)

[Ken Hutchinson]

No: HPFGUIDX 157345

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Geoff Bannister"
<gbannister10 at ...> wrote:
>
> 
> Cornish pixies on the other hand are mischievous little characters, 
> often portrayed as men with pointed hats and possibly distant 
> relatives of leprechauns.
> 
> I do wish you non-UK people would get up to speed.As Professor 
> Kirke remarks in 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', "I wonder 
> what they do teach them at these schools." Mark you, Gilderoy 
> Lockhart could probably cope with a room full of flying pasties 
> better he did with the pixies....
> :-)
>

Ken:

Geoff, I admit our local schools are woefully inadequate when it comes
to teaching us the folklore of Cornwall. Perhaps you can enlighten us
further. My wife and I just got back from a short trip to southwestern
Wisconsin. One of the places we visited was Mineral Point, a former
mining town that once had a large population of transplanted Cornish
miners. Apparently our good Wisconsin mines were infested with
creatures known as Tommyknockers who were blamed for being the cause
of lost tools and other mining mishaps. Smart miners were always
careful to leave behind offerings of food to appease them.
Tommyknockers do not seem to be mentioned in HP and here is where you
could help. Is a Tommyknocker the same thing as a Cornish Pixie, or a
relative, perhaps?

Ken ;-)