boggart

Boggart is a creature from English folklore described as a goblin-like or mischievous household and field spirit. The term appears in medieval and early modern folk traditions and is used to denote a being that disturbs people in homes, farms, and other places where humans dwell. Boggarts are typically portrayed as shapeshifters capable of altering their form to elicit fear, confusion, or annoyance.

In many tales, a boggart’s behavior ranges from harmless pranks to more troubling disturbances. They may cause noises, misplace objects, or frighten inhabitants by appearing in various guises. The specific form of a boggart varies by region and story, with some accounts emphasizing capricious mischief while others describing a more persistent or localized menace. Some traditions also suggest that boggarts can be warded off or appeased through rituals, offerings, or respectful behavior.

In modern popular culture, the term has been popularized beyond folklore. In the Harry Potter series, a boggart is a shape-shifting creature that takes the form of a person’s greatest fear. It is defeated by transforming it with humor using the Riddikulus spell, a concept used to illustrate confronting fears rather than defeating a purely malevolent being. The portrayal in the books and films has contributed to a broader contemporary understanding of boggarts as fear-inducing shapeshifters rather than fixed monsters.