Arabian and Panamanian Tales

In Hispanic folklore of Central America and the American Southwest, Duendes are known as gnome like creatures who live inside the walls of homes, especially in bedroom walls of young children. They attempt to clip the toenails of unkempt children, often leading the mistaken removal of entire toes.

Another version says that duendes usually appear to non baptized children that play alone in the rivers to take them to the underworld.

Its nature varies throughout Spain, Portugal and Spanish-speaking America, The etymology of the word "duende" reinforces the equivalence to the latter (tomte from tomt="home") as it shares the same origin as the Spanish word dueño, "owner" (the "real owner" of the house). As Federico García Lorca uses the term, it seems closer to fairy as a realm of being. Duendes may also have some traits similar to goblins.