On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For the seaweed called gruagach, see Desmarestia. Illustration of a brownie by Alice B Brownie calories. Illustration of a brownie sweeping with a handmade broom by Alice B.

Hobgoblin from Scottish folklore that is said to come out at night while the owners of the house are asleep and perform various chores and farming tasks. Brownies originated as domestic tutelary spirits, very similar to the Lares of ancient Roman tradition. Descriptions of brownies vary regionally, but they are usually described as ugly, brown-skinned, and covered in hair. In the oldest stories, they are usually human-sized or larger. In more recent times, they have come to be seen as small and wizened. Although the name brownie originated as a dialectal word used only in the UK, it has since become the standard term for all such creatures throughout the UK and Ireland.