A report out of Hong Kong demonstrates once again how folklore does not evolve in a vacuum. If a story gets passed down over centuries, it’s probably based in some version of truth. The Tiny People of Taiwan who predate the indigenous people are an excellent example. Evidence has been found of a diminutive hunter-gatherer population that existed for tens of thousands of years before the Austronesian peoples made their way to the island. Much smaller still, Begium also has a folkloric history rich in stories of The Little Belgian People 3 and The Little Belgian People 4. Known as the Kabouters of Flanders, these tiny people were purportedly only a few inches tall and known for their skills in farming, cobbling, and gin making. But like their counterparts from western faery lore, they were also known for vindictive tempers when scorned and a tendency for leaving changelings in place of human babies. So if we accept the grain of truth in folkloric tradition, we have to ponder where the line exists between fiction and history. (CM)
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