The Bugul Noz (in Breton pronounced as /byɡylˈnoːs/ "Night Shepherd" or "child of the night"[1]) is a nocturnal fairy or bogeyman-like being in Breton folklore, from Morbihan, Brittany.
Sources commonly describe it as a little man, goblin or kobold.[2] Émilie Carpentier described the Bugul-Noz as a little man with claws, fiery eyes, and a whistling voice, who threatened shepherds and workers who linger outside after dark.[3] In one story, the "bugul noz" rides at night, although he turns back at the sight of crossroads to avoid the shape of the cross. If he takes a person prisoner, he will drown them as soon as the cock crows.[4]
Another source described it as an undead spirit.[5]
Anatole Le Braz, a professor of French Literature, heard of the Bugul-Noz as a tall, foreboding figure who appears at twilight. One informant suggested that rather than a threatening figure, the Bugul-Noz was a benevolent spirit influencing people not to linger outside where it was not safe after dark. The Bugul-Noz was compared to Yann-An-Od.[6]