By Carolyn Emerick
Little People Across North America
Just as fae-folk and elfin creatures existed in the mythologies and folklore across Europe, similar creatures are a part of traditional folk custom all around the world. The North American continent is full of these stories, and they are just as unique and varied as the unique regional tales found across Europe.
From East to West, Native American tribes told stories of Little People, and some claim to see them today! Many of the stories show similarities to Irish Leprechaun tales, leading some early researchers to believe that that stories seeped into Native culture from early Irish immigrants. This has been proven false, however. It is now understood that these stories are indigenous to the Americas and independent of European influence.