Cornish Pixies, generally known as pixies, were named so because of their place of origin. Pixies or Cornish Pixies originated from Cornwall, England, and were mostly known to be endemic to this place. They were considered to be very mischievous and sometimes even dangerous. They had electric blue skin and were known to be very active. Dymphna Furmage is possibly the first witch to spot the presence of Cornish pixies during her holiday in Cornwall in the 17th century. She was abducted by a group of Cornish pixies, and this led to a lifelong fear of them in her. After repeated requests to the British Ministry of Magic from Dymphna to eradicate the whole pixie species in a humane way, she died in the year 1692, and her request remained rejected.
Pixies first appeared in the Harry Potter series when Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Gilderoy Lockhart unleashed them in his first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson and later escaped when he realized they were uncontrollable. Hermione had to use one of her spells, specifically the freezing charm, to prevent them from causing more ruckus in the class.
Physical Appearance and Description
Cornish Pixies were very small in size, and their adults grew only up to 8 inches tall. They had electric blue skin, which had a shiny surface, jet-black eyes, and blue wings. The wingspan of an average adult was also the same as their size, which is 8 inches. They were endemic to Cornwall, England, although there may have been pixies in other parts of the world as well. They were related to the doxies and fairies. They were classified as magical beasts by the Ministry of Magic. They were described in detail in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook.
Cornish pixies were distinctly known for their ability to fly. They had intricate wings that helped them fly constantly. They were very mischievous and would often lift up people by their ears and hoist them on a high surface like a tree, a fan in the room, or a chandelier, as they did with Neville during the DADA class. They had a pair of antennas on their heads and were known to only communicate with each other through a series of shrill noises that only they could understand.
Appearance in the Harry Potter Series
The Pixies first appeared in the wizarding world in the Harry Potter series in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor Gilderoy Lockhart took a freshly caught colony of Cornish pixies in a cage to the classroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He then let this colony loose in the class expecting the students to somehow manage to catch and neutralize them. However, they started creating a ruckus, and although Professor Lockhart tried to use the incantation Peskipiksi Pesternomi, which was quite likely just gibberish, he was unsuccessful in controlling them. He then asked Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger to “take care of the mess” and retreated from the classroom.
The pixies harassed several of their classmates and got a hold of Neville Longbottom’s ears and hoisted him up towards the ceiling, and eventually fixed him into a chandelier. Finally, enraged by the riot they were causing, Hermione Granger successfully captured them and put them back in their cage using the freezing charm. This is probably one of the most magical movie moments and definitely the most magical movie moment of these devious creatures.
In the movie installments of the Harry Potter series, a Cornish Pixie is shown as a mischievous being and a magical creature with a cheeky grin, constantly making devious faces.
A group of Cornish Pixies are seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows when Harry tries to get hold of the Lost Diadem of Ravenclaw in the Room of Requirement. They try to attack Harry, but he acts swiftly in shooing them away.
Cornish Pixies are one of the most popular toys available in the Harry Potter toy collection. They are in strong demand and usually come with poseable arms and glossy black inset eyes, quite similar to the version shown in the Harry Potter movies. They are an engaging toy for children and make for a fine adult collectible or a perfect gift for a Harry Potter fan interested in Harry Potter decor. A pixie soft toy is also a fun addition to the toys that are modeled after pixies. It is among the many wizarding world characters to have a soft toy modeled around it.
Pixies in Mythology
Pixies have existed in the mythology of Muggles for a very long time. Pixies have more specifically been a part of British Mythology and have characteristics similar to the Cornish Pixies in the Harry Potter universe. Pixies were believed to be inhabiting Cornwall, Devon, Hampshire, and Dorset. They were considered to be quite similar to fairies and were even supposed to have been adapted from fairy mythology.
Pixies were known to wear green outfits and peaked hats and were believed to have pointy ears in more modern interpretations of them. However, they were sometimes described as having round ears and wearing bundles of dirty, ragged clothes.
Pixies were known to be fond of dancing and would sometimes gather to dance and even wrestle in large numbers. They were very childish and mischievous, just like the ones in the Harry Potter series but looked very different from the pixies in the Harry Potter universe.
FAQs
Where do Cornish Pixies live?
Cornish Pixies were known to live in Cornwall, England originally. This is where Dymphna Furmage was attacked by a swarm of pixies in the 17th century while holidaying. However, pixies also live in other places and have frequented several magical places, including Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They can be taken from one place to another in cages, as Professor Gilderoy Lockhart did.
Is there a difference between a pixie and a fairy?
Yes, there are several differences between pixies and fairies. Although they both come from similar origins and have similar characteristics, there are several key differences between the two. The major difference between a pixie and a fairy is that pixies resemble large winged insects with human traits, while fairies look a lot more like miniature humans with wings.
What do Cornish Pixies eat?
Cornish Pixies were believed to be Omnivores like most other humans. Therefore, they ate a wide variety of plants that were available in their immediate surroundings. Cornish Pixies also ate several types of insects, although they preferred beetles over spiders and moths. Insects were probably the only source of protein for Cornish Pixies, and therefore, they ate insects in abundance.
