#goblinjournal

I’ve been on a constant journey of worldbuilding lately, a project that I don’t really expect to have an end. I’ve been working on building a culture around goblin folklore and their appearance in myths, stories, movies, and art. I’m going to use this post to collect all the pieces of this culture I share to Tumblr. 

This is a FICTIONAL culture, created by me. It is inspired by the goblincore aesthetic, the art of Brian and Wendy Froud, the Labyrinth movie, folklore, mythology, and anything else which contains goblins. I am still trying to make sure that anything I use is not copied from anyone, and am still building up parts of the culture slowly so that each piece is my own and I’m not stealing from anyone else. 

Types of Goblins in Human Folklore

The Goblin Lifecycle

Goblin Families

Goblins and Individualism

UPDATE: I have added a different list for my goblin witchcraft posts, as I am building a witchcraft path around my goblin culture as well.

Goblin Witchcraft Links; 

Principles of Goblin Magick

Making a Goblin Altar

UPDATE: The next list is a collection of the goblin holidays I have created! 

DISCLAIMER: so i have been working on and compiling information to create a goblin field journal/goblin witchcraft practice for the past year. This is the first piece of this project I am posting to Tumblr, though I have some more on Instagram @shelbydraw01 if you want to check out some other pages in the field journal. For the most part this information is my own, based on the goblincore aesthetic and my personal ideas. 

Onto the lifecycle of the goblin! 

Baby: raised either by a single parent or as part of community upbringing, baby goblins are super fragile, and if they are not cared for correctly they can die incredibly quickly. Depending on the tribe, some goblin communities may lose up to 1/3 of their small children a year. Baby goblins are placed in surroundings that would sympathetically ‘ensure their survival’. Placing sleeping babies in fresh dirt, making protective amulets, and blessing anything around the baby is incredibly common. Most families will have unique protection methods. 

Child: rambunctious, high energy, scrambling creatures. A child who sits still is plotting mischief. Goblin children are constantly moving and most sleep crawl as well. They love to climb and explore. When their first set of teeth fall they are allowed to attend apprenticeships and start helping with jobs around the community. All goblin children are still required to stay closest to the living spaces of adults, though they no longer need amulets or blessings unless the family continues this custom. 

Grumplekid: goblin equivalent of teenagers, they are generally moody, secretive, and solitary. They seek out specifically dark and hidden places, though they are not yet allowed to venture far from the group alone. Most will move in groups doing independant activities. They also begin their collections at this stage, especially shiny things. Goblins will stay in this tage until they lose their second set of teeth and achieve ‘The Venturing’ a coming of age ceremony. 

‘The Venturing’: when a goblin uses their second set of teeth, they go through a ceremony. Both sets of their teeth are hung on their clothes, and they are paraded around the tribe/camp/cave/market shwoing everyone they have become an adult. They then make an announcement (loud as they possibly can) what they’re going to do as an adult. This process, no matter what the outcome is met with immense joy from everyone. Goblins view this as the greatest celebration in life, as it signals a goblin is finally strong enough to do what they please without dying from childhood. 

Adult: adult goblins follow the path from their Venturing and rarely switch careers. Goblins like a sense of security in work, and they may age prematurely through stress from changing jobs, too many children dying, or from some other extremely anxious event. They may settle down to care for children or may continue to adventure without them. 

Senior: elder goblins (whether actually old or stress induced age), look after the customs and practices of the tribe. They are consulted when younger goblinns need apprenticeships, or when there is a quarrel in the community. While they look docile and frail, they are not incapable of protecting the trible if they need to, though they will often disappear to die as well.