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Several pnictides with the filled skutterudite (LaFe₄P₁₂ type) structure were investigated by X-ray diffraction, magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The structure refinement of CeFe₄P₁₂ from single crystal X-ray data resulted in a conventional residual value of 0.022 for 11 variable parameters and 317 reflections. LaFe₄P₁₂ and CeFe₄P₁₂ are paramagnetic at room temperature. EuFe₄P₁₂ is a ferromagnet with a Curie temperature of 99 K. CeFe₄P₁₂ and CeFe₄As₁₂ are semiconducting. LaFe₄Pn₁₂ (Pn = P, AsorSb) and CeFe₄Sb₁₂ show metallic conductivity. The room temperature ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra of LaFe₄P₁₂, CeFe₄P₁₂ and EuFe₄P₁₂ are symmetrical doublets. The isomer shifts are compatible with low spin or metallic Fe. At 1.5 K the ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectrum of EuFe₄P₁₂ under an external field shows that Fe does not carry any magnetic …