The Pukwudgie is a small but dangerous and powerful being of the folklore of the Wampanoag and the wider Algonquian peoples of southern New England — a knee-high, troll- or gnome-like creature of the forests, at once mischievous, malevolent, and possessed of real supernatural power, who lures, torments, and sometimes destroys those who cross it. One of the most distinctive and feared beings of the Native folklore of the northeastern woodlands, the Pukwudgie is treated here with respect for the living traditions to which it belongs.
The Little Being of the Woods
The Pukwudgie (the name is often said to mean something like “person of the wilderness”) is described as a small creature — about knee-high, two or three feet tall — humanlike but with a large nose, fingers, and ears, and skin sometimes said to be grey or to glow. It dwells in the forests, and in the lore of the Wampanoag is especially associated with certain places of southeastern Massachusetts — above all the Freetown-Fall River woods and the eerie Hockomock Swamp of the so-called “Bridgewater Triangle.” Though small, the Pukwudgie is no harmless sprite: it is a being of genuine power and danger, and an unpredictable and often malevolent disposition.
Powers and Perils
The Pukwudgie is credited with formidable powers: it can appear and vanish at will, can take on or shift its shape, can create fire, and can use magic to confuse, lure, and harm. In the tales it torments and tricks people — luring travellers to their deaths (over cliffs, into swamps, or into the water), kidnapping people (especially children), attacking with weapons or with sand thrown in the eyes, and in some accounts even commanding other dangerous creatures. It is said to be able to be both unseen and suddenly present, and to bear a deep and dangerous unfriendliness toward humankind. To meet a Pukwudgie is, in the lore, a perilous thing: it is best left alone, neither provoked nor trusted, for its malice and its power are real.
The Lore of the First Light
In Wampanoag tradition, the Pukwudgie is bound up with the cycle of stories surrounding the great culture-hero and giant Maushop (Moshup), the benevolent giant who shaped the land of Cape Cod and the islands and aided the people. In some tellings, the Pukwudgies were once neutral or even helpful beings who turned against humankind out of jealousy or after a falling-out with Maushop, becoming the troublesome and dangerous creatures of later lore. The Pukwudgie remains a living part of the folklore of the Wampanoag — the “People of the First Light” of southern New England — and of the wider region, where its name is attached to eerie places and strange happenings to this day. It is set down here with respect for the Wampanoag people and their enduring traditions.
Legacy
The Pukwudgie endures as the small, dangerous, and powerful forest-being of the Wampanoag and Algonquian peoples of southern New England — the knee-high creature of magic and malice that lures and torments the unwary in the woods and swamps. In it the lore of the People of the First Light gave form to the perilous and uncanny powers of the wilderness, the little being that is best not provoked. Bound to the stories of the giant Maushop and to the eerie places of the northeastern woods, the Pukwudgie remains among the most distinctive and enduring beings of Native New England folklore.