Sailing Sprites

Medieval Wismar ship, Willy Stöwer, 1902. Public domain.

Among many nations, there are Wee Folk who join human sailors as they cross the seas.  These folk also look much like elves, but they are distinguished by travelling specifically with human being on boats and ships.  Among them are certain types of Kobolds called Klabautermänner in Germany.

Sailing Sprites are mostly invisible, unless a ship is doomed, so there are few records of sightings.  The records that do exist claim they are dressed like the sailors on their ships, but they are about half the height of a human being.  They are stouter than human beings, and most have an aged appearance.  They are said to be very jolly and friendly.

The Sailing Sprites actively participate in sailing, and can be especially important as navigators and lookouts.  They cannot be seen by the sailors, and are seldom heard, but they warn of upcoming danger by telepathy, and sailors who are attuned to their presence have their attention drawn to the problems that lie ahead.  Sailing Sprites used to accompany lookouts in the crow’s nest, or sat on the bowsprits of sailing vessels in areas where there were shoals, keeping an eye out.

Klaboutermann, 1885. Public domain.

Sailing Sprites also joined the crew in songs and dancing, and their music is said to have been very beautiful. Their imaginative influence was translated by many storytellers into elements of their tales, making them much more entertaining than they would have been.

Sailing Sprites live all over the world.  They travel the seas, and even on riverboats and barges, and can be found as far from the sea as Switzerland.

There are few legends about Sailing Sprites, but they are very important to understand, if one is to get an understanding of Wee Folk in general.  The reason for this is that they have been instrumental in the migrations of other Wee Folk, and account for the large numbers of leprechauns, for example, in North America.

I should mention that in my studies of the families and life cycles of Wee Folk, I have been unable to get information about female Sailing Sprites. I have assumed that they were so similar to the males that they were not usually distinguished. There could easily be some other explanation.

Sailing Sprites are not endangered, but many of them have retired from sailing and gone to other things.  I am aware of an inn in Illinois that has a retired Sailing Sprite involved in its management, though the human management is only barely aware of this.  I have been told that some retired Sailing Sprites have set up residence at ski slopes in New England.  Much more commonly, they live at tourist spots on the coasts of New England, and the Gulf shore of Florida.  There are two I am aware of living in Petaluma, California, and I have been told there are a number of them living on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, particularly along the shores of Puget Sound.