Goblin

All Music Guide:

The fact that Goblin was an Italian progressive rock band already makes them somewhat unique, but they also pursued an intriguingly unorthodox career path, recording the majority of their music for horror film soundtracks, many with director Dario Argento. Internationally, they're probably best-known for their work on the Night of the Living Dead sequel, Dawn of the Dead (where they were credited as the Goblins), though their work on Profondo Rosso (aka Deep Red) and Suspiria is generally more acclaimed.

Formed in 1972, Goblin's roots lie in several other Italian prog-rock bands of the time. Keyboardist and bandleader Claudio Simonetti and original drummer Walter Martino both played in Ritratto Di Dorian Gray; guitarist and sometime vocalist Massimo Morante was part of Era di Acquario; and bassist Fabio Pignatelli had been in Rivelazioni. With vocalist Tony Tartarini, the group initially dubbed itself the Cherry Five and played British-style progressive rock in the vein of Yes, Genesis, and ELP. They signed with the Italian Cinevox label, and issued a self-titled debut in 1975, which performed disappointingly. However, it caught the ear of film director Dario Argento, who contacted Cinevox after growing dissatisfied with the jazzy work being done on his Profondo Rosso by composer Giorgio Gaslini. The Cherry Five rechristened themselves Goblin (in keeping with the horror movie theme), kept a small portion of Gaslini's work, and completely redid the remainder of the score in a heavier, harder-rocking style. The results helped make the film a hit, and the soundtrack album topped the Italian charts. Just as the group was about to begin a supporting tour to consolidate their unexpected success, Martino and Tartarini departed, the former to start his own band (Libra); he was replaced by Agostino Marangolo, who had previously drummed in Flea and Etna.

The quartet's next project was a non-soundtrack album, titled Roller, released in 1976 featuring a more traditional prog-rock sound, as well as second keyboardist Maurizio Guarini. The group, however, was unhappy with both the results and the label's promotional efforts, and nearly disbanded. Intervention by Argento smoothed things over, and he put Goblin to work creating a new soundtrack; this time, he shot the film only after hearing the music. The result, 1977's Suspiria, became Goblin's most acclaimed work, combining the band's heavy riffing and busy drum work with more eerie electronics than ever before, plus sinister, experimental vocal effects. The film and soundtrack were both hits once again, and the Goblin/Argento partnership was firmly established. The band worked on over a dozen film soundtracks over the next two years, and in 1978 used that momentum to record a non-soundtrack concept album in the archetypal prog-rock vein. Titled Il Fantastico Viaggio del Bagarozzo Mark, it told the story of a young boy searching for meaning in life with the help of a philosophical insect named Mark; it also broke with the Goblin norm by featuring lyrics sung in Italian.

Of Goblin's subsequent projects, the most significant was undeniably their work on 1978's Dawn of the Dead (known as Zombi in Italy), the sequel to Night of the Living Dead, co-produced by George Romero and Dario Argento. One of their heavier, more rock-oriented works, the soundtrack appeared in two different versions: one as the complete Italian version used by Argento, and the other as the Romero/American version, which cut down the band's contributions to include stock orchestral music. Regardless, the film and soundtrack were both worldwide successes. In spite of all that, guitarist Morante abruptly left the group for a solo career. Goblin continued as a three-piece for a short time, then added Marangolo's former bandmate, Carlos Pennisi, on guitar. Several more scores followed before keyboardist Simonetti, the driving force behind the band's sound, also departed to become a soundtrack composer in his own right. Bassist Pignatelli took over leadership of the group, but without its two most prominent members, work was suddenly hard to come by. Session keyboardist Maurizio Guarini returned to the fold, but by the time Goblin managed a new studio album, 1982's Volo, both Pennisi and Marangolo had jumped ship as well. Dario Argento attempted to reconvene the original group for the soundtrack of 1982's Tenebre, but Marangolo declined to take part; the presence of Morante, Simonetti, and Pignatelli made the largely electronic Tenebre a Goblin album in all but name (since Pignatelli was leading the official band), and the three went their separate ways afterwards. Pignatelli, Guarini, and Marangolo's saxophonist brother Antonio continued Goblin into 1983, upon which point the group simply faded away. The Goblin name was occasionally resurrected for an attractive project during the rest of the '80s, and rumors of a full-fledged reunion surfaced in the late '90s.

Wikipedia:

A goblin is a legendary evil or mischievous creature; a grotesquely evil or evil-like phantom.

They are attributed with various (sometimes conflicting) abilities, temperaments and appearances depending on the story and country of origin. In some cases, goblins have been classified as constantly annoying little creatures somewhat related to the brownie and gnome. They are usually depicted as small, sometimes only a few inches tall, sometimes the size of a dwarf. They also often are said to possess various magical abilities.

Name

English goblin was borrowed from Old French gobelin, rendered as Medieval Latin gobelinus, of uncertain origin. It may be related to German kobold or to Medieval Latin cabalus, itself from Greek kobalos "rogue" or "knave". Alternatively, it may be a diminutive of the proper name Gobel. The suffix -ing meaning "the people or kin of" Gobel.

Alternative spellings include gobblin, gobeline, gobling, and goblyn.

Possibly a variant of the word Nibelung. As is common practice in Norman French translation, the first and last letters of a word are substituted. Therefore, the first and last letters of Nibelung or its variant Nybling are substituted to give us the modern English (via Norman French) goblin. Nibelung or Nybling becomes Gibelunn or Gyblinn and later Gobelin and Goblin.

Origins in folklore

In "The Goblin Field" (Moldova), Goblins were described as 2–3 feet tall, thin, and brown. Most were bald and "if there were females among the group they could not be distinguished from the males". They seemed to exist in two realms, one physical and one spirit. They were fiercely loyal and allied with particular sorcerer or witch tribes, whom they protected and served as an equally allied tribe rather than servants or slaves. "This perception might seem a bit strange to any not accustomed to the goblin outlook" because the goblins often did what might be considered slave work for very little reward.

They could be called by an allied individual or group, summoned by spell, or called to bargain at particular places by individuals or groups not known to them. Because of their power they were much sought after, but because of the corruption of mankind, rarely found. Crossing them was a thing to avoid as they had refined a grudge to a fine art. They could be fierce and mind-numbingly frightening, and only the hardiest of souls were sent to strike a bargain with them. However they had a side which few ever saw, which was their great love for those who were able to create an understanding and friendship with them. At the passing of such a person, they would treat the body with proper respect and then quietly weep.

Goblin-related place names

Early fiction

Modern fiction and popular culture

The orcs in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are identified as goblins. These works, featuring goblins of almost-human stature, generally informed the depiction of goblins in later fiction and games.

Goblins are portrayed as roughly half the size of adult humans as non-player characters in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, which influenced most later depictions including the games Akalabeth, Ultima, Tibia, RuneScape and World of Warcraft (they become a playable race in the WoW expansion World of Warcraft: Cataclysm). In the 1980s Goblins were depicted as a separate race subservient to the Orcs in the Games Workshop tabletop game Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Games Workshop also popularized the depiction of goblins with bright green skin. Warcraft adopted both of these concepts from Warhammer. The Warcraft goblins are very technologically advanced. Goblins are also present as the first tier creature in the Orc faction in Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East.

Goblins are represented in Magic: The Gathering as a species of predominantly green-colored creatures generally organized into various tribes, and are usually depicted as fierce and war-mongering, but of comically low intelligence. Most are similar to other depictions of goblins save those of the Akki race, which bear chitinous shells on their backs.

Many other works also continue the folkloric presentation of goblins as diminutive, as in the 1986 film Labyrinth, the Harry Potter books and film series, and the film Legend.

Goblins play an important role in JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, wherein goblins guard the wizard bank Gringotts and are portrayed as clever, arrogant, greedy, and churlish. The Hollow Kingdom Trilogy by Clare B. Dunkle features a creative re-imagining of goblins, elves, and dwarves.

Despite its title, goblins are featured as the main villains in the cult film Troll 2.

The Complete Encyclopedia of Elves, Goblins, and Other Little Creatures depicts them as originating in the British Isles, from whence they spread by ship to all of Continental Europe. They have no homes, being wanderers, dwelling temporarily in mossy cracks in rocks and tree roots.

Jack Prelutsky's children's poetry book It's Halloween includes a poem called "The Goblin", in which a little boy describes "A goblin as green as a goblin can be, Who is sitting outside and is waiting for me".

In Enid Blyton's Noddy children's books and their adaptations appear small humanoids called 'goblins', who are often very mischievous.

There are many (human) villains in the Spider-Man franchise whose names include the word "goblin", and who use a goblin motif, such as several incarnations of the Green Goblin as well as Hobgoblin and Demogoblin.

In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, the goblins appear as green-skinned creatures, a little shorter than humans, carrying iron weapons and sometimes lockpicks. They are seen as "dirty little beasts", and can be found in sewers or abandoned houses and forts.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl depicts goblins as reptilian entities having lidless eyes, forked tongues, and scaly skin. The goblins in the series are dull-witted and have an ability to conjure fireballs.

In The Spiderwick Chronicles, goblins are portrayed as small, grotesque toadlike creatures born without teeth who therefore use broken glass and rocks as dentition. They have a chaotic behaviour and will only behave orderly if ordered so by a more powerful villain, such as the ogre Mulgarath.

The 1973 film Don't Be Afraid of the Dark portrays a house infested with goblins, it was remade in 2011. In both versions the Goblins are small, intelligent, nimble and evil creatures with a penchant for preying on children. They feed on human teeth and are afraid of light.

In 1907 the American James Murray Spangler, who was employed as a cleaner, designed the first miniature electric cleaner, but sold the patent to a harness maker named Hoover. By the 1920s a man named Bothe began producing a range of electric cleaners under the name 'Goblin'. Goblin started manufacturing in 1933, bringing out a radio alarm clock in 1947, but it took another 30 years to combine the pair.

Jeff Cooper, creator of the "Modern Technique" of firearm handling and self-defense, commonly referred to adversaries as "goblins" in his commentaries.