erlking
erlking
Definition
erl·king (ʉrl′kiŋ′, erl′-)
noun
Gmc. Folklore a spirit who does mischief and evil, esp. to children: originally a literary character
Etymology: partial transl. of Ger erlkönig, lit., alder king, from Herder's poem; a misunderstanding by Herder (1778) of Dan ellerkonge, var. of elverkonge, king of the elves
