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Simonside

The Duergar?

Citing from an earlier reference, that grand folklorist Katherine Briggs ("A Dictionary of Fairies," 1976) describes Duergars as "the worst and most malicious order of fairies"; being "black dwarves of the north of England, always full of malice and the enemies of mankind." (a bit like Yanks in Iraq then!) A tale is told of them in F. Grice's "Folk Tales of the North Country" (1944), pp.130-33...

taken from a welsh dic; du = black, god = duw,and goddess = duwies. God also has du in its makeup, giving rise to a black god as in irish mythology. Taking the other part of the word,(in welsh this is) ergyd= a blow, and ergydio= to strike. Not exactly a match but interesting, this other half could have a meaning to strike as in dwarf (old blacksmiths?) Goblins/gods. Of course it could all be nonsense.....