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The moss people or moss folk ((ドイツ語:Moosleute), "moss folk", ''wilde Leute'', "wild folk"), also referred to as the wood people or wood folk (''Holzleute'', "wood folk") or forest folk (''Waldleute'', "forest-folk"), are a class of fairy folk, variously compared to dwarves, elves, or spirits, described in the folklore of Germany as having an intimate connection to trees and the forest. In German the words ''Schrat'' and ''Waldschrat'' are also used for a moss person. (Compare Old Norse ''skratti'', "goblin".)〔Roscoe 1995: "''Skratte'', ''skratti'', ''skrati'' (Old Norse) evil spirit, goblin, monster."〕 The diminutive ''Schrätlein'' also serves as synonym for a nightmare creature.〔Jacob Grimm: ''Deutsche Mythologie''. Wiesbaden 2007, p. 372.〕 They are sometimes described as similar to dwarves, being the same size as children, "grey and old-looking, hairy, and clad in moss."〔Classification as race of elves and description, Thistelton-Dyer, 1889.〕 Sometimes, Moss folk are also bigger.〔Jacob Grimm: ''Deutsche Mythologie''. Wiesbaden 2007, p. 373.〕 In other descriptions they are said to be pretty.〔Wolfgang Golther: ''Germanische Mythologie''. Wiesbaden 2011, p. 197 f.〕 == Origins == Jacob Grimm believed that Gothic ''skōhsl'', used to translate Koine Greek δαιμόνιον (''daimonion''), "demon", in the New Testament, was related to Old Norse ''skōgr'' and Old English ''sceaga'', both meaning "forest", and therefore represented a cognate of the moss people in Gothic folklore. Subsequent authors, however, have related ''skōhsl'' with English "shuck" (from Old English ''scucca'', "evil spirit") and German ''Scheusal'', "monster" (from Middle High German ''schūsel'', though by folk etymology identified with ''scheuen'', "to dread", and ''-sal'', a noun suffix).〔Balg 1887: "Perhaps allied to O.E. ''scucca'', ''sceucca'' (''eu'' by influence of the palatal ''sc'')."〕〔Wood 1900: "This may rather be connected with Goth. ''skōhsl'' for '' *skūhsl'', M. H. G. ''schūsel'' < '' *skūhsla'', the N. H. G. ''scheusal'' being popularly referred to ''scheu'', O. E. ''scucca'' 'demon, devil', from '' *squqnó''."〕〔Wedgwood 1872: "The termination ''sal'' is frequently used in G. to form substantives from verbs; ''trübsal'', tribulation; ''schicksal'', lot; ''scheusal'', an object of aversion, &c."〕 Parallels have been drawn between the moss people and woodwoses. Early descriptions of Germanic beliefs include descriptions of "wood people" by the 6th century Roman historian Jordanes and "woodland women" by the 11th-century Rhenish bishop Burchard of Worms.〔Thorpe 1851: "Sylvestres homines, quos faunos ficarios vocant" (Jordanes); "Agrestes feminas, quas silvaticas vocant" (Burchard).〕 Furthermore, Grimm recorded the terms ''wildiu wīp'', ''wildero wībo'', ''wilder wībe'', ''wilden wībe'', ''wildaz wīp'' (all meaning "wild wife") and ''wilde fröuwelīn'' ("wild maiden") from various early medieval texts. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Moss people」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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