Another name for the Kerkopes – the mischievous, hairy forest creatures Herakles chased to Ephesos – is Koboloi, a portion of the Retinue of Dionysos which are still active in parts of modern Greece under the guise of Kalikántzaroi. Reading Harpokration’s Lexicon of the Ten Orators (as one does for fun at 4:00 in the morning) I came across the following, which adds an interesting dimension:

§ k67  Kobaleia: Deinarchos in the impeachment Against Pytheas. Childishness affected with deceit used to be called ‘kobaleia,’ and the one who employs this is a ‘kobalos.’ It seems to be synonymous with bomolochos (one who lurks by the altar): Philochoros in book 2 of Atthis: ‘One mustn’t believe, as some say, that Dionysos was some kind of bomolochos and kobalos.’ And Aristotle in book 8 of the History of Animals says that the horned owl, being a kobalos and a mimic, captures prey by imitating their dance.

Interesting. Very interesting.