Hobbididance

A Hobbididance, or Hoberdidance, was a malevolent sprite mentioned in the traditional English morris dance and in Shakespeare's King Lear play. It was borrowed from Samuel Harsnett's Declaration of Egregious Popish Impostures [1603]. It helped scholars to set the earliest composition date for the play.

Poor Tom hath been scared out of his good wits: bless thee, good man’s son, from the foul fiend! Five fiends have been in poor Tom at once; of lust, as Obidicut; Hobbididance, prince of dumbness; Mahu, of stealing; Modo, of murder; and Flibbertigibbet, of mopping and mowing; who since possesses chambermaids and waiting-women. So, bless thee, master!

— King Lear, Act IV, Scene I
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