Who's munching on the cabbage leaves? Who put the chief into mischief? Who confounds one's senses beyond belief? Imps are among the nature spirits of German and other European mythology.
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Usually they have the physical characteristics of a person but are only about the size of a finger. They may look appealing and attractive, especially when trying to get food. Don't be deceived. Imps are imbued with trickster energy. They can pester household members and animals. In overwhelming numbers, havoc ensues.
These creatures of Faerie travel in pairs or groups. Alone they feel vulnerable. They love sweets such as honey, and human food, and may be found in the house as well as fields or forests.
They drink flower nectar and their activities help pollinate plants. Often they show up in vegetable gardens. They may also try to get milk drops from the udder of a cow or goat. Like fairies they love the milk of doe deer.
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A flourishing vegetable garden is paradise for these tiny creatures. Imps take bites of tomatoes, nibble on pea tendrils, munch on cabbage and whatever else suits their fancy. Fearing predatory birds and cats, they hide beneath the leaves. A household with a cat will probably not have imps in the garden, but they might just be less obtrusive.
Imps love nothing better than a good joke or prank. They'll trick mortals by hiding objects or tying shoelaces together so the person stumbles, or throwing pebbles or pine cones. Reaching into a hole, under a root or leaf could result in a pinching bite from the imp. When several are involved they can plague a person with guerrilla attacks and run away with cries of glee.
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Imps are magic creatures and as such don't possess magical qualities. They themselves are magical. They know eldritch languages, and may communicate with the house Kobold to find out more about the homeowner and household. While imps became mythologically associated with witches, they didn't have the disease-causing properties of elves and were considered to be spies and messengers.
If a person in the forest, field or house has the feeling many eyes are watching, could it be imps? One might hear them whisper in the grass or leaves, or hear their laughter on the wind. Imps don't fly, but climb, jump and run with nimble ease.
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Mortals won't see them if they choose not to show themselves. Maybe, glancing over a ripe corn cob in the rows, a farmer might notice two bright eyes just for a moment, before the little entity is gone. Imps are also among the vast repertoire of German harvest spirits.
Imps like to eat, but don't like to work. Surrounded by abundance, why should they? Although they come into the house in search of edibles, following their keen sense of smell, they're at home among the grasses and trees. They're able to recognize evil in magical objects such as gemstones or charms, and their chitters of alarm can warn others nearby.
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If an imp is caught, the catcher can require a service or a wish granted. Imps haven't the same wish-granting powers as fairies but can make it happen. If the catcher is a worker of magic, the imp may be bound to a bottle, horn or vessel of containment, so it must appear at the owner's bidding.
Imps are super stubborn and hate being told what to do. Sometimes it's easier to forget about it than try to get this recalcitrant creature of magic working for a person. In the end the imp must obey, but can make life very difficult.
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If the imps are getting unruly, caraway will send them off to the next homestead. Their keen sense of smell is offended by the strong odor. They might have allergy-type reactions such as sneezing.
Imps became associated with the Christian Devil, as did many magical inexplicable beings. Imps are the ones with pitchforks who poke sinners in the rear. Like elves, they were also alleged to be witches' familiars.
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Generally perceived as evil, witches were thought to curse crops, work harmful magic, brew potions and revel with the Devil. The dominant ideology sought to drive a wedge between the people and the forces of nature by demonizing mystical creatures of lore.
Imps appear in the mythology of England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Poland and many other countries. The word imp came into common use in the 16th century. Regionally it may be interchangeable with brownies, sprites, pixies, fairies, leprechauns and gremlins. Fairy was often a broad term for any magical nature spirit.