Eytahs and Fhirnas
"It had been a long winter, our cow had not provided any milk, and our dog, that stupid coward, suddenly barked at nothing. It was then I saw a sight I would not forget in my lifetime. A little man, no bigger than an eight-winters old child, but with a beard and dressed as I do."
The eytah and fhirnas are mythological creatures that originated from rural areas, often describe to bring fortune or disaster to the people they surround themselves with, as their nature is that of a Vathir. According to the folklore, the eytahs prefer living in cellars, in the barn, or the attic at farmers, some prefer living in nature, close to the aldenfolk and dancing with them all night, but most folklore stories tell of eytahs on farms doing tricks, helps the farmer, or in extreme cases kills.
The Eytah
Eytah is a little man, no more than 90 cm, some think of him as a surface Ghrefeims due to his size. His clothes are made from tattered earth-coloured fabric, and he wears a brown hood. Eytahs often have pets, called fhirnas, who can shift their appearance. The eytah can be good, as long as he is fed or clothed, most preferable is nalbinding clothing with wool, to keep him warm in the otherwise rather cold places he prefered to live in. He loved eating sweet porridge and would often get a knob of butter in his porridge during festivities.
"It was then the little man smiled wickedly at me. And only then I heard my cows moo loudly. I ran into the shed, and once more the little man, who had now opened all the gates for the cows to run freely."
If an eytah is unhappy with the household, he will take revenge, by tying the cows' tails together, making his fhirnas kill the farmer's dog, or even killing the best cow the farmer owns. If it were an agricultural farm, he would make sure the harvest turned bad.
The Fhirnas
Fhirnas are often shy from people, so it is rarely a dynbodaul can claim they have seen one. Those who claim so, explain it is a large blackish hound with light grey eyes, often described as a wolf, but more menacing. The fhirnas can turn invisible, make it seem they vanish into thin air, and they can shapeshift. They love hunting the poor farmer's dog for fun, and howl at it, until it barks at the air, and gets scolded by the farmer.
"The next thing I hear was a loud growl and then a howl. The cows ran out of the shed frightened by seemingly nothing."
Some believe the fhirnas were the creatures who were near the Godwenbyth, the tree of life, when the pilgrims corrupted the tree, turning the creatures into the shapeshifting fhirnas.
"I learned later, that I had forgotten to feed the eytah, and he had been angry with me. So my lesson for today is, always remember to leave a bowl of sweet porridge for the little man, otherwise, he will make your living days a nightmare."
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