DID THIS LIVE-STREAMER ACCIDENTALLY FILM TINY TREE PEOPLE IN THE FOREST? WERE THEY DUENTES?

User @selflextion went viral on TikTok after he, perhaps accidentally, revealed the identities of tiny tree people during a livestream. “This was on live!!! What y’all think? [Anyone] know what that was?” he asked viewers in the accompanying video caption.

In the video, @selflextion captured himself talking to the alleged tree people.

“Come back out,” he said to the people, who were hidden within a tree hollow. In the clip @selflextion asked viewers whether he should try to befriend the people or bring them food.

Who are the tiny tree people?

In the comments, viewers warned @selflextion to be careful. Some said that the miniature mischief-makers come from the world of folklore, where they’re affectionately referred to as “duendes.”

What are “duendes”?

The site goes on to say that, in the Spanish-speaking world, some parents will use the tale of the duende to encourage their kids to behave.

According to Mental Floss, duendes are elf-like creatures from Iberian folklore.