The Hollow Man

Hollow is he! Hollow is me! Hollow you will be! Once you go sallow, you will fill his hollow!" --A common phrase blathered by jesters when telling the story of the Hollow Man.

"Sweet dreams to you, safe dreams for me, wander off and you will fall beneath the hollow tree." --A night time 'threat' told to children, reminding them of the dangers of stepping outside at night.

Perhaps the most well known of Elven folktales, the 'Hollow Man' is their equivalent of the Bogeyman. A buzzing, creeping monster that merrily twitches its way through the wilds. Tales of the Hollow Man have been spread through Elven culture for centuries now; and it has long become a tradition to speak these tales to the young foolish few that wish to wander out into the forests alone. The Hollow Man is a tale so cruel that adults often find it taboo to speak of, if only due to the depraved history it all leads to.

Summary

In Elven culture, children are very closely guarded and protected, even by other species standards. They are kept close and always at the side of a parent as often as possible, until they are deemed worthy enough to begin taking their rite of passage into their teenage years. Children are raised to think that they are not allowed to sleep properly without the permission of their parents, typically at midnight. If a child wanders out without the permission of their parent to sleep, then they are expected to stay awake until they return home to their parents.
Should they not stay awake however, then they risk being visited by the Hollow Man. The Hollow Man is frequently changed in appearance throughout history, with most adults favoring the 'child friendly' version of a man who's head is replaced by a full nest of bees. The Hollow Man will instead try to give them permission to sleep, urging them to slumber, and frequently offers honey and candy to earn their trust. When they finally sleep, then the Hollow Man kidnaps the child, drowning them honey.
In the old accounts, this is made even more menacing; the Hollow Man is said to 'make hollow' those he kidnaps, filling their bodies with honey and wasps, while making a special red honey from their removed viscera.

Historical Basis

Based upon an actual historical event, the Hollow Man stems from the strings of murders committed by a beekeeper named Pyrel Larice. His name, though mostly forgotten due to time, has long been purged from most documents. Elves believe that the greatest insult to any man is to leave no lasting impact upon the world -- to fade into the annals of history, forgotten, and never remembered. Pyrel was struck from any documents as this punishment, and yet, the story of the Hollow Man quickly began to buzz from town to town shortly thereafter. Some say that the Hollow Man is a true spirit, a vengeful monster, wanting to be remembered for his horrific acts, others aware of Pyrel say that it is merely a tale constructed to remember him without giving his actual name and acts credit.
Pyrel was a simple beekeeper, his honey soon becoming the talk of the town. Little would suspect him to be the one behind all the strange and bizarre disappearances of children through that year, and even fewer would expect to find one of the pots filled with red, fermenting goo. A concoction brought together from honey, and the dissolved corpse of a missing child.

Spread

The Hollow Man is spread far and wide across Elven culture; there is even a play written upon the myth, often told to children at a very young age. Many neighboring towns have also at least heard the name of the myth.

Variations & Mutation

There are a few artistic renditions of the Hollow Man -- the most common being the modern depiction of a man with a hornet's nest for a head.
Old depictions show an exceptionally gaunt man that is quite literally hollow. The skin is still present, stretched over the bone, while the lips remain absent, the holes near the cheekbones are eerily exposed, and yet, no muscle or blood; all skin.

Cultural Reception

The Hollow Man is strictly an Elven story; it is typically unknown to other cultures. Those few people outside of Elven culture that know of it find it not too dissimilar from speaking of other monstrous creatures to scare children into submission; such as the Striga, or the Laughing Hag.

In Literature

The Hollow Man -- is an eponymous play that details the travels of a small child. The boy was too eager to go on his rite of passage, and thus began an adventure through the wilds on his own. As the time grows dark, he finds himself being pursued by the Hollow man. The tale ends in two ways; the typical method ends with the boy reaching home in time, before being told he may have 'safe dreams' by his parents. The second ending leads to him being sleepy and finding himself resting beneath a tree, where the Hollow Man mutters 'sweet dreams'. The actor is then smothered with a pot full of honey, where he perishes.
The Nursery Rhyme: 'Honey Scents', is based upon the Hollow man. 'If no parents are present, hide from the honey scent. Or it's sweet dreams to you, safe dreams for me, and you fall beneath the hollow tree.'

Date of First Recording

3rd of Tarnach, 700~600 BH