Basic Information
Classification	Being
Distinction	Short and fair-skinned 48 inches tall Skilled with finances

Overview

Goblins are a highly intelligent race of small beings with long fingers and feet. As coexisting members of the Wizarding World, they maintain their own cultures and practices, which contrast with many other magical creatures. They are considered beings rather than beasts, which gives them certain rights not given to other magical creatures. Their diets typically consist of meat, roots, and fungi, and they converse in a language known as Gobbledegook. Wizards such as Barty Crouch Sr. are famously known for speaking it, a rare talent for humans. Gobbledegook is not just a spoken language; it also has its own runic script, with many doors and objects inscribed with its symbols. They are very talented metalsmiths, particularly notable for their work in goblin silver, which can absorb substances that strengthen it. Because of these specialized skills, goblins control the wizarding economy to a large extent and are responsible for operating Gringott’s Wizarding Bank, including the handling and security of wizarding currency. Wizards depend on goblins to create and maintain highly coveted magical objects, which gives them considerable power and influence. Among each other, goblins have a very dry sense of humor that wizards often interpret as rudeness or hostility. Goblins see this more as wit or sarcasm, which is a prime example of the cultural misunderstandings that continue to occur between goblins and wizards.

Goblins have their own type of magic they can perform without wands. Their magic is particularly strong when forging powerful and enchanted objects. Many goblin-made objects are endowed with magical properties wizards are not able to understand. They are represented by the Goblin Liaison Office, which is a part of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures run by the British Ministry of Magic. The office is responsible for mediating between goblin communities and wizarding societies, addressing concerns and disputes. Dirk Cresswell was a notable head of this office. Goblins are not just existent in Britain; the International Confederation of Wizards also has to intervene in disputes between goblins and other beings at times. However, many witches and wizards consider goblins inferior and believe the goblins are comfortable with that arrangement. Characters such as Dolores Umbridge continue to perpetuate the standard that non-human magical creatures are substandard to magical people.

Appearance

Goblins are short and fair-skinned because they notoriously don’t spend much time outside. However, in the novels, they are described as more olive-skinned. They have extremely long fingers and feet, heads shaped like domes, and are slightly larger than house elves in size. Griphook, one of the goblins working at Gringotts, is bald with a pointed nose and ears. Goblins can vary in the way they look. For example, some have dark, slanted eyes with no whites, and others wear pointed hats. Goblins are notably aggressive and unfriendly. Many of the war periods the Wizarding World had experienced were due to the rebellions of goblins. They are also known to be particularly difficult negotiators and colleagues; when production of goblin-made parts would occur, not much would get done, as goblins are extremely prone to protests and walkouts. Of course, not all goblins were like this. In particular, a goblin called Lodgok was especially kind and thoughtful and loved to collaborate as well as solve problems. Even though he was raised to hate humans, he formed a lasting friendship with Miriam Fig in the 1890s.

Magical Abilities

Goblins can perform their magic without the use of wands, something that is difficult for wizards. They can also utilize their magic after death, which humans cannot. Silver and metal manufactured by goblins in particular are well known and awarded within the Wizarding World, specifically for the gorgeous appearances of the items as well as the magical properties they contain. The most famous goblin-made object is undoubtedly the Sword of Gryffindor, which is repellent to dust and dirt and requires no cleaning. It was also absorbent of elements such as Basilisk venom, making it much deadlier and also giving it the ability to destroy Horcruxes. When Rubeus Hagrid, a half-giant, went to visit his relatives, he brought them an indestructible battle helmet made by a goblin as a present. The Firebolt, the most advanced racing broomstick, also employs goblin-made objects that provide more stability and speed to the rider. Currency used in the Wizarding World (galleons, sickles, and knuts) is minted by goblins. Each coin has security features, such as a serial number stamped to identify which goblin cast it, making them almost impossible to duplicate. In addition to this skill, goblin-made glass is a highly sought-after commodity used in telescope design and in Divination and Astronomy classes. The clarity and magical resilience of the glass make it very useful as a research tool. Goblins are extremely good at deciphering what is authentic and what is counterfeit. An example of this is when Griphook, a goblin at Gringotts Wizarding Bank, easily distinguished the real Sword of Gryffindor from the fake.

Values

Goblins' ideas of being paid and repaid are different from humans'. Goblins are not fans of theft, and they technically don’t condone it, but they treat it much differently. They consider the maker of an item, not the purchaser, the true rightful owner, even if it was exchanged with both parties' consent, so when the purchaser dies, the item should be returned to its creator. It is more considered as though the wizard were renting the goblin-made object. Wizards passing items to one another, such as giving each other family heirlooms without paying extra to the goblin who created them, is also considered a form of theft, as Bill Weasley said. Goblins are known to go to extreme lengths to seek out the debts that they are owed. They also have many unique superstitions, such as the custom of giving a goblin child a silver token at birth. This practice is intended to ensure prosperity and talent in the metalworking field. Another example of this is naming their children after physical attributes or elements of their craft.

History

During the life of Godric Gryffindor—one of the four founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry—in about the 10th or eleventh century, the king of the goblins was called Ragnuk the First. He was also their best metalsmith. Because of his power and talents, Gryffindor commissioned him to forge a sword from pure goblin silver with accents of rubies. According to historical accounts, the sword was made with Godric Gryffindor’s specific instructions, and Ragnuk was paid fully for the work. However, Ragnuk was so fond of his work that by the time he finished the sword, he made a plan to steal it back from Godric Gryffindor. He sent out troops to retrieve the sword for him, but they were fended off by Gryffindor. The goblin community stuck to the narrative that Godric Gryffindor had actually stolen the sword and that it rightfully belonged to the goblins. The ownership dispute was a big contribution to the tension between goblins and wizardkind. As well as this event, full-blooded goblins are banned from teaching at Hogwarts or holding any positions within the Ministry of Magic.

Gringotts

Gringotts Wizarding Bank was founded in 1474 by a goblin named Gringott. For creating the bank and most likely operating it, Gringott is considered a legendary figure within goblin history and is also featured on a Chocolate Frog collectible card. The bank is located at the intersection between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. The building itself is imposingly tall and made of pure white “snowy” marble. The bank immediately stands out from other shops in the area because of its impressive architecture. Inside, goblin tellers sit on high stools behind long counters with strict policies. Witches and Wizards usually store their money and valuables in bank vaults miles below ground level, which are heavily guarded. The vaults are only accessible through goblin-operated carts that travel along complicated, windy roads that stretch deep across underground London. Some vaults are “miles below the surface,” and people such as Hagrid consider the Gringotts vaults to be “safer than your own home.”

Only the goblins know all of the secrets located under the ground and the creatures and enchantments put in place to defend the Wizarding World’s more precious items. Witches and wizards cannot duplicate the magical protections employed at Gringotts. A code binds goblins employed at Gringotts never to reveal the establishment's secrets and to consider breaking any part of it a form of treachery. They also use high-security contracts written only in Gobbledegook, and severe punishments are imposed if these contracts are broken. The contracts cover everything from loan terms to vault inheritance to artifact commissions. Sometimes, wizards find themselves breaking rules of their contracts or unintentionally bound to commitments they did not consent to because they cannot read the contracts or get them properly translated. It was said that dragons guarded the high-security vaults, and this was later confirmed. It is unknown if Gringotts is the only bank in the wizarding world. Hagrid once said it was the only wizarding bank, but it is unclear whether he meant Britain or the entire world. The bank does business in other countries, notably working with Egypt on a deal when Bill Weasley worked as a Curse-Breaker in 1993.

In addition to the existence of Gringotts, there are also secret goblin-run markets within the Wizarding World. In these marketplaces, magical artifacts, rare ingredients, and enchanted items are sold and traded among goblins. Some historians believe that many “lost” magical items often resurface in this hidden economy.

Rebellions

Throughout the history of the Wizarding World, several goblin rebellions have taken place. Some notable years for these rebels include 1612 and 1752. The main cause of these rebellions is the prejudice and injustices goblins have experienced from wizard-kind. Besides the former, there have been many other reasons goblins consider fit for starting rebellions. In the minds of most witches and wizards, they are still considered second-class citizens, even after multiple attempts to alter that narrative. Some people even purposefully targeted goblins; a wizard named Yardley Pratt was known as a goblin serial killer.

In some cases, during these rebellions, goblins would team up with other magical creatures, such as Centaurs and werewolves. The Ministry of Magic had previously forbidden goblins from carrying their own wands, which led to widespread anger among the goblins. Most of these rebellions happened in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and were described as “bloody and vicious.” A rebellion in 1612 took place near Hogsmeade Village. The rebellion used an unidentified inn as their headquarters. Some notable rebel names included Urg the Unclean and Bodrod the Bearded, according to Ron Weasley. The Daily Prophet has stated that they are a few unknown goblin groups that operate in secret against the Ministry, but no other sources have corroborated this.

Wizarding Wars

During the First Wizarding War and Voldemort’s initial rise to power, the goblins suffered some big losses. Still, they ended up remaining neutral parties in both Wizarding Wars, having been wronged by both Lord Voldemort and the wizarding community.

Credits/References

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Written by Simone Winter
Base code by Andrew Sutherland, edited by Iselin Merilä and Desmond Gray.