A brag is a mischievous shapeshifting goblin in the folklore of Northumbria (Northumberland and DurhamSimpson, Jacqueline (2000). A Dictionary of English Folklore. Oxford University Press. p. 32. ) and often takes the form of a horse or donkey.Henderson, William (1879). Folklore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders (2nd ed.) W. Satchell, Peyton & Co. p. 270.Briggs, Katharine (1976). An Encyclopedia of Fairies. Pantheon Books. p. 36. . It is fond of letting unsuspecting humans ride on its back before bucking them off into a pond or bush and running away laughing. One notable example is the Picktree Brag that was said to take other unusual forms such as a calf with a white handkerchief around its neck, a naked headless man, and even four men holding a white sheet. A brag at Humbleknowe was never seen but made hideous noises in the night.
Popular culture Gary the Horse, from the webcomic Bad Machinery, identifies himself as a brag after bucking Shauna Wickle into the water after convincing her to take a ride on his back.
See also A Midsummer Night's Dream Dunnie Hedley Kow Púca Kelpie Nuggle Tangie Nixie (folklore)
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