Little men seen filing out of a recently cut down tree in Argentina.

[Richard]

http://www.grupopayne.com.ar/archivo/06/...terior.php

Strange Creatures Seen in San Luis, Argentina

***Residents of Merlo claim having seen imps near a hundred year old eucalyptus tree***

[i]*** A strange story from Valle de Conlara***[/i]

The Municipality trimmed the tree because its large branches were jeopardizing motorists traveling along Avenida del Inca. After work, some residents reportedly saw “little men coming out [of the tree] in single file from that location.”

The landscapes described by the prolific South African (sic) writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien – author of The Lord of the Rings – as the habitat of imps, elves, trolls and fairies that appear in his works do not vary all that much. These creatures enjoy living in forests, trees, small rivers and clean environments. They tend to dwell within trees or openings in the surface.

Described thus, an infinite number of similar landscapes can be described in a number of points throughout the country, and Merlo is no exception, even though humans may be accused of making these places fewer and fewer.

Days ago, the Municipality of Merlo, at the request of local residents, trimmed a hundred-year old eucalyptus that is next to the Leopoldo Lugones Library in Piedra Blanca, on a tight curve by Avenida de los Incas. The large branches obscured visibility for motorists and jeopardized light and telephone wires on windy days.

While the trimming operations took place on the avenue, adjacent to a stream, traffic was interrupted and once restored, locals driving through the area, lighting it with their car headlights, claimed to have seen the strange figures. They reportedly saw “some little men coming out of the amputated tree and walking single file toward the library. Most witnesses did not offer details, but one woman described their clothing as having a brownish hue,” said Cecillia de Gabrele, an employee at the library who fielded several phone calls at her workplace from locals who sought confirmation for what they had seen nearby. However, neither the employee nor her coworkers noticed anything unusual.

Cecilia added that for many years there have been stories of “imp” sightings for many years in that district. “Thats where Aguaribay Street begins, which has abundant native flora, and many claim having seen tiny beings between the branches and shadows.”

Once the trimming operation was over in what some believe may have been the dwelling of these little people, the landscape “was devastating”, according to De Gabriele. The eucalyptus has a reddish wood and after being trimmed, this shade became visible. Faced with the bizarre scene, some have gone as far as to suggest that “the strong coloring gave the impression that the tree was bleeding.” 

http://inexplicata.blogspot.com/2007/08/...-luis.html

[Sily]

I feel awful about the tree "bleeding"  :(  and being trimmed, but the rest of the story I just love.  Makes me think of these guys.  I hope it's true and that imps do live inside trees.

[Richard]

The Keebler elves link is funny. The story may be true because South America has a lot of reports of little people. It sounds like a lot of strange things happen out there.

[Sily]

...South America has a lot of reports of little people. It sounds like a lot of strange things happen out there.

When I was in Hawaii, I heard of the Menehune.  Here are some quotes, from that page I just linked to, about the Menehune -- magical lil forest dwellers, they are:

"Hawaii's legendary mystical and shy forest dwellers are small in size at about two feet high, although some are only six inches high and capable of fitting in the palm of someone's hand. According to legend they are very industrious master builders that use their great strength to accomplish mighty feats of engineering and construction overnight."

and... hehe - - >

"While Hawaii's menehune legends are not limited to Kauai, the island certainly has its share of stories about these leprechaun-like people. Though generally considered to be creatures of myth, an 1820s census officially counted 65 Menehune's living in Wainiha Valley.... The menehune enjoy dancing, singing, and archery. They have been known to use magic arrows to pierce the heart of angry people to ignite feelings of love instead. Menehune also enjoy cliff diving, so if you hear splashes in the night on the islands of Hawaii, it is highly possible a Menehune is diving into the ocean."

"Whatever their origins, the menehune have emerged from the past as playful elves - pot-bellied, hairy, and muscular, with bushy eyebrows over large eyes and a short nose with a trace of the mischievousness of their European counterparts."

[Richard]

That’s interesting info Sily, I hadn’t heard of the Menehune before. I found this on Wikipedia.  

Little people have been part of the folklore of many cultures in human history, including Ireland, Greece,the Philippines, the Hawaiian Islands, Flores Island, Indonesia, and Native Americans.

The Native peoples of North America told legends of a race of "little people" who lived in the woods near sandy hills and sometimes near rocks located along large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes. Often described as "hairy-faced dwarfs" in stories, petroglyphs illustrations show them with horns on their head and travelling in a group of 5 to 7 per canoe.

Native Legends often talk of the little people playing pranks on people such as singing and then hiding when an inquisitive person searches for the music. It is often said that the little people love children and would take them away from bad/abusive parents or if the child was without parents and left in the woods to fend for themselves.

Other legends say the little people if seen by an adult human would beg them not to say anything of their existence and would reward those who kept their word by helping them and their family out in times of need. From tribe to tribe there are variations of what the little people's mannerisms were like, and whether they were good or evil may be different. Many of the Elders still have a belief in these beings, but younger generations tend not to believe in these stories.

One of the common beliefs is that the little people create distractions to cause mischief. They were believed to be gods by some. One North American Native Tribe believed that they lived in nearby caves. The caves were never entered for fear of disturbing the little people. Another belief is that the little people's purpose is to make humans wonder about their purpose. They were believed to feed off of the brain waves devoted to them and in order to exist they needed a certain amount of thought dedicated to them. They remained mysterious so people would wonder about them. Ceremonies and feasts were held in honor of the little people.

Nimerigar- Shoshone
Yumwi - Cherokee
Nunnupi - Comanche
Geow-lud-mo-sis-ing
Menehune - Hawaiian native
Memegwesi/Memegawensi/Memengweshii/Pa'iins - Anishinaabe names
Mannegishi - Cree

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_people

[Sily]

I love thinking about things like this.  Thanks Richard.  :)