Melanie Lampro

Cornish hills and moorland have always carried their share of stories. Among the best known are the piskies, or Pobel Vean, “the little people.”

They turn up in old Cornish tales as childlike figures, quick to hide in woods or abandoned mines. Sometimes they tease travellers into wandering in circles. Sometimes they lend a hand with chores or leave a blessing behind. Either way, they seem stitched into Cornwall’s folklore and memory.

People still talk about being “piskey-led”. If you found yourself lost, the cure was simple: turn your coat or your socks inside out and the path would appear again. They loved to dance, to bring a touch of luck, and to leave charms about the place. Nothing grand, just the sort of everyday magic that slips between cracks in the world.

A September with the Piskies

This past September, I let those tales guide me. Mischief and kindness, together. Instead of falling into endless scrolling, I took the hint to stop and breathe. To pause, even for a moment.

One step back from the noise. A long sip of water. A slow breath. Enough to feel the spell break.

Self-care came in smaller shapes. A jar of balm treated with care, as if it were a charm. A mug of ginger tea. Cuddles with #SpaDog, playful as any piskey. None of it dramatic, but all of it steadying.

ⓘ Beyond the whimsy of this collection of #PiskeyPowered prompts and illustrations from September 2025, there is a gentle nudge tucked into each one. Click any image in the gallery to see the full post and weave a little Kernow magic into your day.

The Work Done, the Vanishing Trick

Old stories say piskies vanish when their work is done. One moment they are underfoot, the next they are gone, melting into heath, stone circles or streams.

That rang true for me. By the end of the month, I felt they had done their part. They had tugged me back to stillness, to small joys that mattered more than the endless churn. And then, as quickly as they had come, they slipped back into the mist.

Where the Tales Lead Next

If you want to follow them further, Cornwall has no shortage of doors into that world. The Folklore of Cornwall: The Oral Tradition of a Celtic Nation by Ronald M. James is a good starting point. His account of giants, saints and spirits makes clear how much oral tradition shaped Celtic culture.

Stories of piskies are not neat lessons. They are reminders. Sometimes you lose your way. Sometimes you find it again with something as small as turning a sock inside out. And maybe, if you are lucky, you stumble on a little mischief and a little kindness at the same time.

Mischief managed, magic stored.