The Origin of the Goblin

The root word of cobald is cob which literally means beneath the earth, or cavity in a rock. The physical appearance of goblins in folklore vary greatly, but the common description is that they are dwarf like creatures. Because of this, people in europe would put carvings of goblin in their homes to ward off the real thing. Mediaeval door knockers were often carved to resemble the faces of damons or goblins. And it's most likely ly coincidental, but in welsh folk lore, goblins are called cobelin, or, more commonly, knockers.