Foultot? What is it?

It's a forest-dwelling goblin dating back to the Middle-Ages in the French region of France-Comté, Burgundy and Swiss Jura. It looks like Brittany's Korregan and Germany's Kobold. It's said to be the first inhabitants of the Franche-Comté region or one of the thousand sons of the Devil ("Contes et légendes de Franche-Comté" by Jean Defrasne - 1962). Traditionally clad in red and a pointed cap,it lives hidden away from prying eyes. Of a mischievious and joyful disposition, it appears to be mostly well-meaning. But bear in mind you should not make fun of it or try and deceive it, for it will quickly seek vengence on you!

Contes et Légendes de Haute-Saône by Hervé Thiry-Duval is a good book to read to get familiar with the land of the foultots and their magic.

Of course we can't help thinking of Christophe, the French forefather of comic strip in France, who was the first French-born artist to draw such foultots as Plick et Plock more than a century ago!

For the joy of children and adults alike, the foultot has come back for good under the skin of Gobert since 2011. Created and illustrated by Jérôme Jeangirard and told by himself and Geneviève Lapalus, it is set in the medieval Frankish empire before and after the days of Charlemagne and the Carolingians.