An imp is a mythology being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word may perhaps derive from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree.
Imps are often described as troublesome and mischievous more than seriously threatening or dangerous, and as lesser beings rather than more important supernatural beings. The attendants of the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.
Etymology
The
Old English noun
impa meant a young shoot or scion of a plant or tree, and later came to mean the scion of a
Dynasty, or a child in general.
Starting in the 16th century, it was often used in expressions like "imps of serpents", "imp of hell", "imp of the devil", and so on; and by the 17th century, it came to mean a small demon, a
Familiar spirit of a
witch. The Old English noun and associated verb
impian appear to come from an unattested
Late Latin term *
emputa (
impotus is attested in the
Salic law), the neuter plural of 'natural, implanted, grafted'.
[ Oxford English Dictionary, 1st edition, 1899, s.v. 'imp']
History
Unlike the Christian folklore, demons in Germanic legends were not necessarily always evil. Imps were often mischievous rather than evil or harmful. In some religions, they were attendants of the
deity.
[ Monaghan, Patricia. "Imp", The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore, Infobase Publishing, 2014, p.250 ]
The Lincoln Imp
A legend in
Lincolnshire dating to the 14th-century recounts that the devil, being annoyed with the completion of the cathedral, paid a visit, accompanied by two imps who proceeded to wreak havoc in the building. An angel appeared and ordered them to stop. One turned to throw a rock at the angel and was instantly petrified.
For the tiniest angel, with amethyst eyes,
And hair spun like gold, 'fore the alter sic did rise,
Pronouncing these words in a dignified tone
"O impious imp, be ye turned to stone!"[ O'Neill, Susan. Folklore of Lincolnshire, The History Press, 2012 ]
While his companion fled, the unfortunate imp remains enslaved by the Angel Choir at the east end of the cathedral.
Other descriptions
Imps are often shown as small in stature and not good-looking. Their behaviour is described as being wild and uncontrollable, much the same as fairies', and in some cultures they are considered the same beings, both sharing the same sense of free spirit and enjoyment of all things fun. It was later in history that people began to associate fairies as being good and imps as being malicious and evil. However, both creatures were fond of
pranks and misleading people. Most of the time, these pranks were harmless fun, but some could be upsetting and harmful, such as the switching of babies or leading travelers astray in places unfamiliar to them. Although imps are often thought of as being
Immortality, they can be damaged or harmed by certain weapons and enchantments, or be kept out of people's homes by
Apotropaic mark.
Imps were also portrayed as Loneliness little creatures in search of human attention, using jokes and pranks to attract human friendship. This often backfired when people became annoyed with the imp's endeavours, usually driving it away.
Even if the imp was successful in getting the friendship it sought, it still often played pranks on its friend, either out of boredom or simply because this was the nature of the imp. This trait led to using the word “impish” for someone who loves pranks and practical jokes. Eventually, it came to be believed that imps were the familiar spirit servants of and , where the little demons served as spies and informants. During the time of the witch hunts, supernatural creatures such as imps were sought out as proof of witchcraft, though often the so-called imp was merely a black cat, a lizard, a toad or some other form of uncommon pet.
Objects
Imps have also been described as being “bound” or contained in some sort of object such as a
sword or a
crystal ball. In other cases, imps were simply kept in a certain object, and then summoned only when their masters had need of them. Some even had the ability to grant their owner's wishes, much like a
jinn. This was the object of the 1891 story
The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson, which told of an imp contained in a bottle that would grant the owner their every wish, but their soul would be sent to
Hell if they didn't sell the bottle to a new owner before their death.
Culture
Imps can be found in art and architecture throughout the world, most of the time carefully and painstakingly hidden and only being found by the most interested and observant of people.
See also
External links
