Bugbear
A bugbear is a
boogeyman (or bugaboo or babau or cucuy), and other creatures of folklore, all of which were historically used in some cultures to frighten disobedient children.[1]
Etymology
Its name is derived from the
Old Scots
bogill (goblin), and cognates most probably English "bogeyman" and "bugaboo".
In
medieval England, the bugbear was depicted as a creepy bear that lurked in the woods to scare children. It was described in this manner in The Buggbears,[2] an adaptation, with additions, from Antonio Francesco Grazzini’s La Spiritata (‘The Possessed [Woman]’, 1561).[3]
In a modern context, the term bugbear may also mean pet peeve.[4]
In popular culture
Bugbears appear in a number of modern fantasy literature and related media, where they are usually minor antagonists.[5] They also appear as monsters, described as large, hairy goblinoids, in the canon of popular fantasy role-playing games.[6][7]
The show My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic introduced bugbears to the series in the 100th episode Slice of Life. Bugbears in the show are depicted as being literal to the name, being a four-armed panda with the antennae, wings, and stinger of either a wasp or bumblebee.
See also
- Moss people
- Sprite (creature)
- Wirry-cow
- Yōkai
References
Look up bugbear in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
- ISBN 0-19-861186-2.
- ^ ISBN 0-14-004753-0.
- ^ Bond, R. Warwick. "Early Plays from the Italian" (PDF). warburg.sas.ac.uk. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
- ^ "Definition of BUGBEAR". www.merriam-webster.com. 13 July 2023.
- ISBN 978-1-00-075120-8.
- ^ "Bugbear - Pathfinder Wiki". Pathfinder Wiki. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Bugbear - D&D Beyond". D&D Beyond. Retrieved 24 May 2020.