In English folklore, Puck is a domestic and naturesprite, demon, or fairy.
"Puck" is used as a proper name of such a character, in folklore also known as Robin Goodfellow or by other names or euphemisms, but "puck" may also be used as a common noun to other groups.
Origins and comparative folklore
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the name Puck is "unsettled"; it is compared to Old Norsepuki (Old Swedishpuke, Icelandicpuki, FrisianPuk).
Celtic origins (based on Welshpwca, Cornish Bucca and Irishpúca) have also been proposed, but as the Old English and Old Norse attestations are considerably older than the Celtic ones, loan from Germanic to Celtic seems more probable. The Old Englishpúcel is a kind of half-tamed woodland spirit, leading folk astray with echoes and lights in nighttime woodlands (like the German and Dutch "Weisse Frauen" and "Witte Wieven" and the French "Dames Blanches," all "White Ladies"), or coming into the farmstead and souring milk in the churn. The etymology of Puck is examined by Katharine Mary Briggs, in Anatomy of Puck (New York: Arno) 1977.
The term pixie is in origin a diminutive of puck (compared to Swedish word "pyske" meaning "small fairy").
Puck is a clever, mischievous elf, sprite or jester that personifies the wise knave. In the play, Shakespeare introduces Puck as the "shrewd and knavish sprite" and "that merry wanderer of the night"; he is a jester to Oberon, the fairy king. Puck and Bottom are the only two characters who interact and progress the three central stories in the whole play; Puck is the one who is first introduced in the fairies' story and creates the drama of the lovers' story by breaking up a young couple lost in an enchanted forest, as well as by placing the ass on Bottom's head. Similarly, Bottom is performing in a play intending it to be presented in the lovers' story, as well as interacting with Titania in the fairies' story.
Appearances in the play
The audience is introduced to Puck in Act 2 Scene 1 when one of Titania's fairies encounters Puck and he replies:
Join us as we look at the myths and legends that inspired Shakespeare's famous trickster.
Main audio Cryptic Sorrow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3568-cryptic-sorrow
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Intro music The Descent by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
published: 20 May 2021
The Untold Story of Robin Goodfellow
A twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, for you English buffs out there. My name is actually Robin Goodfellow, and I decided to write myself a "bio" to explain why I decided to try at a career in radio broadcasting (albeit until 2016, when I decided to change careers).
published: 07 Dec 2016
The Story of Robin Goodfellow
AP LIT IS LIT
I do not have a tripod, so I must give credit to all the misshapen and fallen trees that held my camera up.
As always I used windows movie maker to edit. The classical music is Waltz of the flowers by Tchaikovsky. The ending sequence is me running into things, mainly large sticks, and overall being a nervous clumsy person.
published: 04 Mar 2016
"Robin Goodfellow's Song" anon 16th Century (read by Tom O'Bedlam)
This almost certainly inspired Shakespeare to write "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Robin Goodfellow is also called Puck.
The "welkin" is the sky.
"Queans" are slatterns - idle girls.
"Gins" are traps to catch rats etc.
An "elf in bed" or a "changeling" was a child with Down's syndrome, supposed to be a substitute left by fairies.
"Beldames" are old ladies.
"Vale" means farewell.
paintings by Charles Folkard, Henry Fuseli
Mickey Rooney appeared as Robin Goodfellow in the fabulous 1935 film of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which also starred James Cagney. It's all on YouTube. Below is a link to the last section and Mickey's closing speech is at about 7mins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H50sBI5XGxk
published: 13 Jan 2010
Robin Goodfellow Trailer
Trailer for the upcoming feature film called Robin Goodfellow.
Shot and edited by me.
Coming winter 2016
published: 14 Dec 2015
Who is Puck or Robin Goodfellow? | A Midsummer Night's Dream 2.1
Discover the answers in performance. Visit http://www.shakespeareinperformance.net. Show credits: http://www.traviscurtright.com/#/a-midsummer-nights-dream-shakespeare-in-performance-ave-maria-university/
published: 27 Jul 2015
Puck or Robin Goodfellow England
In English folklore, Puck, sometimes known as Robin Goodfellow, is a domestic and nature sprite, demon, or fairy.
published: 06 Apr 2022
Robin Goodfellow
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Robin Goodfellow · Michael Thomas Freeman, Josh Norman & Cast of Sprites
Sprites (A Musical Prequel to 'a Midsummer Night's Dream')
℗ 2022 Melville Records
Released on: 2022-06-17
Auto-generated by YouTube.
published: 20 Jun 2022
Robin Goodfellow battle - Cassette Beasts
Now I know why I was given sleep cures before the battle. -- Watch live at https://www.twitch.tv/robotic_magus
published: 11 Jul 2023
Robin Goodfellow
A musical tale of the magical sprite, Robin Goodfellow. The character, "Puck", in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", is based off of the legend of Robin Goodfellow.
Join us as we look at the myths and legends that inspired Shakespeare's famous trickster.
Main audio Cryptic Sorrow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompete...
Join us as we look at the myths and legends that inspired Shakespeare's famous trickster.
Main audio Cryptic Sorrow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3568-cryptic-sorrow
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Intro music The Descent by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Join us as we look at the myths and legends that inspired Shakespeare's famous trickster.
Main audio Cryptic Sorrow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3568-cryptic-sorrow
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Intro music The Descent by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, for you English buffs out there. My name is actually Robin Goodfellow, and I decided to write myself a "bio" to explain wh...
A twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, for you English buffs out there. My name is actually Robin Goodfellow, and I decided to write myself a "bio" to explain why I decided to try at a career in radio broadcasting (albeit until 2016, when I decided to change careers).
A twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, for you English buffs out there. My name is actually Robin Goodfellow, and I decided to write myself a "bio" to explain why I decided to try at a career in radio broadcasting (albeit until 2016, when I decided to change careers).
AP LIT IS LIT
I do not have a tripod, so I must give credit to all the misshapen and fallen trees that held my camera up.
As always I used windows movie make...
AP LIT IS LIT
I do not have a tripod, so I must give credit to all the misshapen and fallen trees that held my camera up.
As always I used windows movie maker to edit. The classical music is Waltz of the flowers by Tchaikovsky. The ending sequence is me running into things, mainly large sticks, and overall being a nervous clumsy person.
AP LIT IS LIT
I do not have a tripod, so I must give credit to all the misshapen and fallen trees that held my camera up.
As always I used windows movie maker to edit. The classical music is Waltz of the flowers by Tchaikovsky. The ending sequence is me running into things, mainly large sticks, and overall being a nervous clumsy person.
This almost certainly inspired Shakespeare to write "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Robin Goodfellow is also called Puck.
The "welkin" is the sky.
"Queans" a...
This almost certainly inspired Shakespeare to write "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Robin Goodfellow is also called Puck.
The "welkin" is the sky.
"Queans" are slatterns - idle girls.
"Gins" are traps to catch rats etc.
An "elf in bed" or a "changeling" was a child with Down's syndrome, supposed to be a substitute left by fairies.
"Beldames" are old ladies.
"Vale" means farewell.
paintings by Charles Folkard, Henry Fuseli
Mickey Rooney appeared as Robin Goodfellow in the fabulous 1935 film of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which also starred James Cagney. It's all on YouTube. Below is a link to the last section and Mickey's closing speech is at about 7mins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H50sBI5XGxk
This almost certainly inspired Shakespeare to write "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Robin Goodfellow is also called Puck.
The "welkin" is the sky.
"Queans" are slatterns - idle girls.
"Gins" are traps to catch rats etc.
An "elf in bed" or a "changeling" was a child with Down's syndrome, supposed to be a substitute left by fairies.
"Beldames" are old ladies.
"Vale" means farewell.
paintings by Charles Folkard, Henry Fuseli
Mickey Rooney appeared as Robin Goodfellow in the fabulous 1935 film of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which also starred James Cagney. It's all on YouTube. Below is a link to the last section and Mickey's closing speech is at about 7mins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H50sBI5XGxk
Discover the answers in performance. Visit http://www.shakespeareinperformance.net. Show credits: http://www.traviscurtright.com/#/a-midsummer-nights-dream-sha...
Discover the answers in performance. Visit http://www.shakespeareinperformance.net. Show credits: http://www.traviscurtright.com/#/a-midsummer-nights-dream-shakespeare-in-performance-ave-maria-university/
Discover the answers in performance. Visit http://www.shakespeareinperformance.net. Show credits: http://www.traviscurtright.com/#/a-midsummer-nights-dream-shakespeare-in-performance-ave-maria-university/
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Robin Goodfellow · Michael Thomas Freeman, Josh Norman & Cast of Sprites
Sprites (A Musical Prequel to 'a Midsummer Night's Dr...
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Robin Goodfellow · Michael Thomas Freeman, Josh Norman & Cast of Sprites
Sprites (A Musical Prequel to 'a Midsummer Night's Dream')
℗ 2022 Melville Records
Released on: 2022-06-17
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Robin Goodfellow · Michael Thomas Freeman, Josh Norman & Cast of Sprites
Sprites (A Musical Prequel to 'a Midsummer Night's Dream')
℗ 2022 Melville Records
Released on: 2022-06-17
Auto-generated by YouTube.
A musical tale of the magical sprite, Robin Goodfellow. The character, "Puck", in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", is based off of the legend of Robi...
A musical tale of the magical sprite, Robin Goodfellow. The character, "Puck", in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", is based off of the legend of Robin Goodfellow.
A musical tale of the magical sprite, Robin Goodfellow. The character, "Puck", in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", is based off of the legend of Robin Goodfellow.
Join us as we look at the myths and legends that inspired Shakespeare's famous trickster.
Main audio Cryptic Sorrow by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3568-cryptic-sorrow
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Intro music The Descent by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4490-the-descent
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
A twist on A Midsummer Night's Dream, for you English buffs out there. My name is actually Robin Goodfellow, and I decided to write myself a "bio" to explain why I decided to try at a career in radio broadcasting (albeit until 2016, when I decided to change careers).
AP LIT IS LIT
I do not have a tripod, so I must give credit to all the misshapen and fallen trees that held my camera up.
As always I used windows movie maker to edit. The classical music is Waltz of the flowers by Tchaikovsky. The ending sequence is me running into things, mainly large sticks, and overall being a nervous clumsy person.
This almost certainly inspired Shakespeare to write "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Robin Goodfellow is also called Puck.
The "welkin" is the sky.
"Queans" are slatterns - idle girls.
"Gins" are traps to catch rats etc.
An "elf in bed" or a "changeling" was a child with Down's syndrome, supposed to be a substitute left by fairies.
"Beldames" are old ladies.
"Vale" means farewell.
paintings by Charles Folkard, Henry Fuseli
Mickey Rooney appeared as Robin Goodfellow in the fabulous 1935 film of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which also starred James Cagney. It's all on YouTube. Below is a link to the last section and Mickey's closing speech is at about 7mins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H50sBI5XGxk
Discover the answers in performance. Visit http://www.shakespeareinperformance.net. Show credits: http://www.traviscurtright.com/#/a-midsummer-nights-dream-shakespeare-in-performance-ave-maria-university/
Provided to YouTube by TuneCore
Robin Goodfellow · Michael Thomas Freeman, Josh Norman & Cast of Sprites
Sprites (A Musical Prequel to 'a Midsummer Night's Dream')
℗ 2022 Melville Records
Released on: 2022-06-17
Auto-generated by YouTube.
A musical tale of the magical sprite, Robin Goodfellow. The character, "Puck", in Shakespeare's, "A Midsummer Night's Dream", is based off of the legend of Robin Goodfellow.
In English folklore, Puck is a domestic and naturesprite, demon, or fairy.
"Puck" is used as a proper name of such a character, in folklore also known as Robin Goodfellow or by other names or euphemisms, but "puck" may also be used as a common noun to other groups.
Origins and comparative folklore
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the etymology of the name Puck is "unsettled"; it is compared to Old Norsepuki (Old Swedishpuke, Icelandicpuki, FrisianPuk).
Celtic origins (based on Welshpwca, Cornish Bucca and Irishpúca) have also been proposed, but as the Old English and Old Norse attestations are considerably older than the Celtic ones, loan from Germanic to Celtic seems more probable. The Old Englishpúcel is a kind of half-tamed woodland spirit, leading folk astray with echoes and lights in nighttime woodlands (like the German and Dutch "Weisse Frauen" and "Witte Wieven" and the French "Dames Blanches," all "White Ladies"), or coming into the farmstead and souring milk in the churn. The etymology of Puck is examined by Katharine Mary Briggs, in Anatomy of Puck (New York: Arno) 1977.
The term pixie is in origin a diminutive of puck (compared to Swedish word "pyske" meaning "small fairy").
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings at Chepstow, Ludlow, Sedgefield and Newcastle. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings. Chepstow. 2.20 My Friend Sean ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings at Haydock, Southwell, and Huntingdon. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings. Haydock. 2.20 Yealand. 2.50Pike Road... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Wetherby, Exeter and Wolverhampton. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings. Wetherby. 2.00MisterSmarty... 3.35 Kelce ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings at Fontwell, Southwell and Wolverhampton. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings. 2.02 Le Galli Bier. 2.37 Flamelco ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings at Newcastle, Uttoxeter, Kempton, Southwell and Wolverhampton. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings. 1.27 Matwana ... .
10.22... CRAIG HOPE goes inside the Cold War nuclear bunker that built Newcastle's £150m weapon of mass destruction - with help from a burger restaurant, a stolen sack of footballs and 'the explosion'Robin Goodfellow's racing tips ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings at Newcastle, Chelmsford City and Hexham. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings. Newcastle. 4.50Violeta... 7.00 So Quiet.
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Friday's meetings at Doncaster, Fakenham, Southwell and Wolverhampton. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Friday's meetings. Doncaster. 1.42 Our Lil ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings at Wolverhampton, Huntingdon and Newcastle. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Wednesday's meetings. Wolverhampton ... 6.30 Paradoxical ... .
The Cheltenham Festival is finally upon us, and we have a fascinating opening day in store ... More than 65,000 people will pack into the course and millions more will follow the action on TV ... Supreme Novices Hurdle. 1.20 ... STEVE RYDER (ROBIN GOODFELLOW) ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Sedgefield, Wolverhampton and Southwell. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings. Sedgefield. 1.38 Dermoiselle Kap ... .
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Monday's meetings at Taunton, Stratford, Newcastle and Plumpton. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for ...
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings at Sandown, Hereford, Wolverhampton, Chelmsford City and Ayr. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Saturday's meetings. Sandown ... Hereford.
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Thursday's meetings at Ayr, Newcastle, Exeter and Leicester. Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Friday's meetings. Ayr. 2.30 That’ll Do Moss... 3.35 Ballyfort.