In German and Scandinavian folklore, an erlking is a mischievous or malevolent sprite. Erlkings often exercise a fatal influence, especially on children by means of alluring promises or visions that led to destruction. The Erlking has been interpreted as being a singular being, rather than a collective term, and has also been equated with the devil. Scandinavian folklore is the folklore of Sweden, Norway and Denmark. ... The term sprite is a general term referring to a number of legendary creatures. ...

The Erlkönig was introduced into German poetry in 1778 through the translation by Johann Gottfried von Herder of a Danish ballad. Herder mistranslated the title as "king of the alders" rather than "king of the elves." The word, meaning "elf king", derives from German "Erlkönig" and Danish "Ellekonge". In English the name became erlking. Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder (August 25, 1744 - December 18, 1803), German poet, critic, theologian, and philosopher, is best known for his concept of the Volk and is generally considered the father of ethnic nationalism. ... A ballad is a story, usually a narrative or poem, in a song. ... A small forest elf (älva) rescuing an egg, from Solägget (1932), by Elsa Beskow An elf is a mythical creature of Germanic mythology/paganism which still survives in northern European folklore. ...

Goethe wrote a ballad, "Der Erlkönig", which has been set to music by Franz Schubert, one of the most famousRomantic lieder. The ballad was translated into Russian by Vasily Zhukovsky. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (pronounced [gø tə]) (August 28, 1749–March 22, 1832) was a German writer, politician, humanist, scientist, and philosopher. ... The Erlking, by Albert Sterner, ca. ... Franz Peter Schubert (January 31, 1797 – November 19, 1828) was an Austrian composer. ... The era of Romantic music is defined as the period of European classical music that runs roughly from the early 1800s to the first decade of the 20th century, as well as music written according to the norms and styles of that period. ... On the publication of Pushkins first major work in 1820, Zhukovsky presented the younger poet with this famous portrait of himself, over the inscription: To the victorious disciple from his vanquished tutor. Vasily Andreyevich Zhukovsky (29 Jan/9 Feb 1783, Mishenskoe near Tula - 12/24 Apr 1852, Baden-Baden...

In the anthology Nocturnes by Irish writer John Connolly, there is a short story entitled "The Erlking" that tells of how the creature tries to ensnare a young boy. John Connolly (born May 31st, 1968) is an Irish crime writer who’s best known for his series of novels starring private detective Charlie Parker. ...

Angela Carter also wrote a short story called "The Erl-King." In her version, it is a human woman the elf enchants. She plots to murder her captor, even knowing that his death will only pull her deeper under his spell. Angela Carter Angela Carter (May 8, 1940[1] – February 16, 1992) was an English novelist and journalist, known for her post-feminist magical realist and science fiction works. ... The Bloody Chamber is an anthology of short fiction by Angela Carter. ...

Jim Butcher's novel "Dead Beat" of the Dresden Files series has the hero Harry Dresden face off against the Erlking, who is a powerful fey being that leads the Wild Hunt. Jim Butcher Jim Butcher is an American writer of fantasy novels. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The wild hunt: Åsgårdsreien (1872) by Peter Nicolai Arbo The Wild Hunt was a folk myth prevalent in former times across Northern Scandinavia, Germany and Britain. ...

Trivia

• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a companion book to the Harry Potter series, describes "Erklings" which may be based on erlkings.
• The song Dalai Lama, by German band Rammstein has a modern take on the Erlking.
• The song Earlkings' Legacy [1], performed by bAD eGGZ, featuring Christian Brückner was released in 2002.
• The book series "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" by Tad Williams has numerous references the erl-king, portraying him as the demonic ruler of the elf-like race known as the Sithi