Pech (mythology)
Encyclopedia
The pech were a type of gnome
-like creatures in Scottish
mythology
. They were of short height but extremely strong. In one fairy tale
, an old blind pech is on his deathbed. He asks his sons if he can feel their arm muscles, to feel how strong they've grown. His sons play a prank on him, giving him a metal cup instead of one son's arm. He snaps the metal cup with his fingers, shattering it, to the amazement of the sons. Even sick on his deathbed, he is stronger than his young healthy sons.
The Pech were thought to be one of the aboriginal builders of the stone megaliths of ancient Scotland, along with giants
. They might be related to the Picts
and pixie
s of Scotland. They seem to be related to the word 'peck', as in Peter Piper's 'peck of pickled peppers'. A peck
was a small amount, as in 'add pinch of salt'. This may be related to the pech's short stature. However, the amount may have grown over the years; it was between nine and thirteen litres dry measure by 1824.
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
-like creatures in Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
. They were of short height but extremely strong. In one fairy tale
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
, an old blind pech is on his deathbed. He asks his sons if he can feel their arm muscles, to feel how strong they've grown. His sons play a prank on him, giving him a metal cup instead of one son's arm. He snaps the metal cup with his fingers, shattering it, to the amazement of the sons. Even sick on his deathbed, he is stronger than his young healthy sons.
The Pech were thought to be one of the aboriginal builders of the stone megaliths of ancient Scotland, along with giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
. They might be related to the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and pixie
Pixie
Pixies are mythical creatures of folklore, considered to be particularly concentrated in the areas around Devon and Cornwall, suggesting some Celtic origin for the belief and name.They are usually depicted with pointed ears, and often wearing a green outfit and pointed...
s of Scotland. They seem to be related to the word 'peck', as in Peter Piper's 'peck of pickled peppers'. A peck
Peck
A peck is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent to 2 gallons or 8 dry quarts or 16 dry pints. Two pecks make a kenning , and four pecks make a bushel....
was a small amount, as in 'add pinch of salt'. This may be related to the pech's short stature. However, the amount may have grown over the years; it was between nine and thirteen litres dry measure by 1824.
External links
- ElectricScotland.com Nov. 17 newsletter, includes an article from Peter Wright about the Pechs