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There are many different origins and derivations for differing regional and historic folk 'characters'.
Some are said to be based on the Moors, some on miners, some representing the night or fairy folk and as you mentioned, some based upon purely disguise.
It's not always easy to identify the actual origins, especially universally because of the regional variations and how they diverge and what is the truth and what is simply old wives tales.
To put things into context of how folk characters and history are not easy or necessarily logical to establish, up until and including the 19th Century, it was quite common for people to believe that pains were caused by elves shooting invisible arrows or stabbing you with a dagger. |
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