Some of the most popular denizens of German folklore are the Kobolds. These elusive entities come in all shapes and sizes, from small people to animals, dragons, hobgoblins, elves or fire. In German mythology Kobold can also be a blanket term for creatures of Faerie and myth who live among humans.
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Kobolds dwell in homes, ships or mines. From the German Kobalt, the name of element cobalt (27 Co) comes from this being. Cobalt in veins of silver represented precious metal allegedly stolen by malicious spirits. Medieval miners blamed Kobolds for poisonous arsenic-bearing ores polluting other mined elements.
Kobold spirits in mines can be helpful or full of trickster energy. They can lead to a bonanza of anthracite, the most valuable coal, or into a maze of no return. They can cause accidents, or warn miners of danger.
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Appeasing the mine Kobold isn't easy, because of its often nefarious nature. It enjoys human company but values independence. A drink of beer, milk and honey, bread and butter or a portion of your lunch will help get this sly spirit on your side.
If a Kobold is in the mines one might hear whistling when no one seems to be there or sounds of pick or shovel. The smell of sulfur can be a warning of weakness in the mine structure, or an accident.
Raw cobalt has a silvery hue. To create cobalt blue glass, cobalt oxide is smelted with potassium carbonate and quartz. It can be used as a vibrant blue glaze often found in early Eastern pottery. Incorporated into molten glass, it creates an intense blue substance. It's then ground to powder and sold to producers of glass and porcelain to make the vibrant color cobalt blue.
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