Hobgoblin (fairy) - Definition and Overview

Hobgoblin is a term typically applied in folktales to a friendly or amusing goblin. The name originally referred to that of folklore character Robin Goodfellow but has grown to be defined as a different species of goblin or fairy. The name is often interchangeable with "bugbear", "bogeyman", "bugaboo" or "bogie", and the term "hobgoblin" has grown to mean a superficial object that is a source of fear or trouble.

The term originated in the 1530s, from hob, meaning elf, from Hobbe, a variant of Rob (Hick for Richard, Hodge for Rodger) an abbreviation or alternative form of Robin Goodfellow, an elf in German Folklore.

The creature is often commonly used in the bestiaries of fantasy role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, where it is portrayed as a larger, stronger, smarter and more menacing cousin of the goblin, but not as high up on the goblinoid hierarchy as bugbears. A hobgoblin appears in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream under the name Puck.