Goblin - Modern Fiction and Popular Culture

Modern Fiction and Popular Culture

The smaller and more primitive orcs in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are identified as goblins (in contrast with the larger, stronger and more intelligent Uruk-hai). These works, featuring goblins of almost-human stature, generally informed the depiction of goblins in later fiction and games.

Goblins are portrayed as roughly half the size of adult humans as non-player characters in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which influenced most later depictions including the games Akalabeth, Ultima, Tibia, RuneScape and World of Warcraft (they become a playable race in the WoW expansion World of Warcraft: Cataclysm). In the 1980s Goblins were depicted as a separate race subservient to the Orcs in the Games Workshop tabletop game Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Games Workshop also popularized the depiction of goblins with bright green skin. Warcraft adopted both of these concepts from Warhammer. The Warcraft goblins are very technologically advanced. Goblins are also present as the first tier creature in the Orc faction in Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East.

Goblins are represented in Magic: The Gathering as a species of predominantly red-colored creatures generally organized into various tribes, and are usually depicted as fierce and war-mongering, but of comically low intelligence. Most are similar to other depictions of goblins save those of the Akki race, which bear chitinous shells on their backs.

In South Korea, goblins are known as Doggebi (도깨비). They are especially important mythical creatures in Korean folklore.They usually appear in children's books.

Many other works also continue the folkloric presentation of goblins as diminutive, as in the 1986 film Labyrinth, the Harry Potter books and film series, and the film Legend.

Goblins play an important role in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, wherein goblins guard the wizard bank Gringotts and are portrayed as clever, arrogant, greedy, and churlish. The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy by Clare B. Dunkle features a creative re-imagining of goblins, elves, and dwarves.

Despite its title, goblins are featured as the main villains in the cult film Troll 2.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Elves, Goblins, and Other Little Creatures depicts them as originating in the British Isles, from whence they spread by ship to all of Continental Europe. They have no homes, being wanderers, dwelling temporarily in mossy cracks in rocks and tree roots.

Jack Prelutsky's children's poetry book It's Halloween includes a poem called "The Goblin", in which a little boy describes "A goblin as green as a goblin can be, Who is sitting outside and is waiting for me".

In Enid Blyton's Noddy children's books and their adaptations appear small humanoids called 'goblins', who are often very mischievous.

There are many (human) villains in the Spider-Man franchise whose names include the word "goblin", and who use a goblin motif, such as several incarnations of the Green Goblin as well as Hobgoblin and Demogoblin.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the goblins appear as green-skinned creatures, a little shorter than humans, carrying iron weapons and sometimes lockpicks. They are seen as "dirty little beasts", and can be found in sewers or abandoned houses and forts.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl depicts goblins as reptilian entities having lidless eyes, forked tongues, and scaly skin. The goblins in the series are dull-witted and have an ability to conjure fireballs.

In The Spiderwick Chronicles, goblins are portrayed as small, grotesque toadlike creatures born without teeth who therefore use broken glass and rocks as dentition. They have a chaotic behaviour and will only behave orderly if ordered so by a more powerful villain, such as the ogre Mulgarath.

The 1973 film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark portrays a house infested with goblins, it was remade in 2011. In both versions the Goblins are small, intelligent, nimble and evil creatures with a penchant for preying on children. They feed on human teeth and are afraid of light.

Jeff Cooper, creator of the "Modern Technique" of firearm handling and self-defense, commonly referred to adversaries as "goblins" in his commentaries.