‘The Tailswifters’. Pencil drawing by Koldo Barroso, 2009
The Tailswifters are little characters of magical nature who have been described and interpreted in different ways throughout the years. Still today, there is not scientific evidence about their existence. Be myth or be reality, they always seem to be witnessed by people (especially children, teenagers, pregnant women and artists) right at the verge of important happenings in life, such as accidents, significant events and moments of creativity.
Many people who have witnessed them, including myself, think they are some sort of supernatural creature who are part of the collective conscience, such as fairies and other mythological creatures. Speaking for myself, I have usually glanced these little mischievous looking guys out of the corner of my eye, always running around just about when I’m casting a particular vision for a picture or an idea for a story. They look so nervous and steady that they come and go in blink and without a sound! That might be why they’re suspected of putting ideas in our minds or bringing a spark of inspiration into our heads. I have a different interpretation, though. I believe they are some short of’ ‘energy connectors’ who work with mental energy and help catalyze thoughts by connecting the rational and irrational mind. They don’t create the ideas, neither provoke events, but they help some way to move the invisible strings that make things happen.
Personally, I like to call them “Tailswifters”. This name comes from the theory that the use their strange shaped tails as keys in order to unlock hidden doors in our psyche and connect the information. Every tailswifter I’ve seen had a different tail design, they’re all pretty elaborate and baroque, and I wonder if they all have different tasks depending on their skills as information connectors. Like a tail signature sort of thing.
Detail of ‘The Tailswifters’
Of course, there has been different interpretations about these creatures throughout the years. In 1890, Professor Torsten Uhlenbrock, a distinguished scientist at London’s Royal College of Chemistry, announced he had discovered a race of little creatures that, in a familiar way, he called “Troubledoodles”. Obviously, he was referring to the Tailswifters. He said they were invisible to the naked eye, but could be only seen by blind people by the green magical light of a special lamp that he had developed. He chased them, watched them and classified them in several volumes and he described them as the real and sole cause for all accidents in life. Hopefully, his theories were restrictively rejected by his colleagues at the Royal College. This story was also portrayed in my illustration “The Shadow Hunter”.
In the future, I’m planning on compiling more information about my sightings of tailswifters. If you have ever encountered them, I’d love to hear about your experience and your interpretation of what these little mischievous people are. Please share your experience with us!
Note: Learn more about the story of The Shadow Hunter and the Troubledoodlers.
Posted in: Character Workshop
hmmm….I never knew that…I have spied these guys out of the corner of my eye a few times, but never related them to artistic inspiration. Instead I thought that the unusual twists and turns of their tails were evidence of how many times they had escaped the clutches of hungry cats.
I thought maybe they were mutant cat-alike-mice and had 7 lives (mutants can’t have the full amount of lives, you know). This is a lucky number though, and so I thought that when I had an inspiration soon after that it was due to their luckiness rubbing off on me.
As to the story…well, I like the idea of them being ‘energy connectors’…is that why their tails are frayed? I do hope you find out more.
Sue, I really don’t know why their tails are frayed. Maybe they’re just “fried” from plugging them in the wrong place!
Your story has peaked an interest here. Definitely will be watching closer – I see them, but not clearly enough to get such detail. Quite a dapper gentleman.
You’re very welcomed here Carolyne, and don’t forget you may win a signed illustration at the end of the month!
This little guy is fabulous, I believe that he really does exist.
But of course they do!
Dapper Gentlemen indeed. I believe the Tailswifters still use Mercury to keep their tiny top hats stiff. Which has been known to make them quite mad.
Some tales speak of the Tailswifters holy use of Mercury to induce visions from the Goddess Eris, the lord of chaos, but such climes are the stuff of myths.
Thanks Wesley! Maybe that’s the same mixture they use to keep their moustaches so tight, you may be right…
I have seen them too, but only glimpses late at night at the drawing table….as if they have come to lift a veil for just a momentary second for me to see the visions they have placed in my mind. What exactly is their purpose, I’m not sure. But for a mere blink of an eye I am given a gift of inspiration and delight as I see the illusions placed before me…and as fast as they appear they are gone. I’m left filled with wonder and knowledge knowing of all that lies beyond our realm. I find them captivating and would love to hear so much more.
Welcome to the Character Workshop Erin! Such an honor to have a fine artist like you here! The tailswifter might be around you quite a lot, considering how inspirational are your beautiful ink drawings!
What a story, what a character! I reread it like three times, it was so good
I wonder if Tailswifters feel even more nervous when they try to unlock an invisible door to let the information flow and fail?
How nice to see you at the Character Workshop, Yelena! I’m really fond of this little guys too and I’mm very happy that more people like you is letting me know about it!
I believe everyone feels at least a little nervous at opening doors!
i love this guy, and i love to think that he’s lurking around the edges at all hours. his mustache is fantastic!
Yeah, righ, his mustache is fantsastic but I a had a bad encounter with him just the other day and something drop in the wrong place at the wrong moment. You want to know which is the Tailswifter’s fav rock song?
Elvis Costello’s “Accidents Will Happen”