Knockers: The Mine Fairies

Most have probably heard of the Stephen King story “Tommy-knockers,” but both the title and the spirit of the tommy-knocker are far older than Mr. King’s fictional offering. The knocker, tommy-knocker, knacker or spriggan comes from Welsh and Cornish tradition.

The knocker is considered to be a version of the Irish leprechaun, and like the leprechaun, it is small, only about 2 feet high and lives underground. They are said to be thin of limb and grizzled, but not deformed, except for a large hooked nose. They wear standard miner’s gear, including a helmet with a light on it. Apparently, knockers don’t have the best etiquette, it is said that they often pick their prominent proboscises with abandon whether company is present or not.

Though the traditional dwelling of the knocker is a mine, it is said that they also dwell in caves or beneath rocky outcroppings by the sea. In spite of their unpleasant appearance, they were thought of as benevolent spirits. Right before a mine caves in, there is a knocking sound that occurs, and it was believed that these sprites were responsible for the knocking, in an attempt to warn human miners that it was time to get out before being buried alive. Others thought that the knocking itself caused the collapse and that the knockers were evil.

Supporting the idea of their inherent badness was that knockers were attributed with all kinds of mischief. It was thought that they were responsible for pinching miner’s ears and stealing tools. But if a miner was particularly rude by swearing or whistling, the knockers would fly into a rage and cause miners to lose their bearings and become lost, or worse, fall down a mine shaft.

To placate the knockers, miners began a tradition of leaving the last bits of their meals at the mine or cave entrance as an offering. Though the original tale of the knockers originated with Cornish and Welsh mythology, it crossed the seas to North America where Irish settlers often became part of mining communities.

Later, the idea of the knocker as a fairy creature evolved to become ghosts of dead miners who lingered to protect the virtuous and to punish the wicked.

Though the Cornish tin mines have long been closed, there are those who live nearby that say every once in a while, they can still hear the knockers knocking, warning of danger.