Differnt Myths of the Fairy Folk

An Introduction to Different Types of Fairies

Mar 6, 2009 Graidi Taylor-Rose

Fairies capture the imagination from an early age, from the Tooth Fairy to Gnomes at the bottom of the garden. But how do they differ?

The traditional image of a fairy is of a tiny mischievous female with gossamer wings, flitting from flower to flower granting wishes and caring for children. But they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are nice, working with humans to make life more harmonious, but others can be nasty.

Fairy Changelings

When fairies kidnapped a healthy human baby, it was said they replaced it with a changeling. Misshapen and hairy, with a monstrous appearance, it was ravenously hungry, eating all the time but never growing. In addition, it was said to cry constantly.

To discover if their baby was a changeling, mothers were advised to make the creature laugh or talk, thus revealing its identity. Once this had happened, the changeling should then be beaten until the kidnapping fairy appeared, begging the human not to harm her baby, as the human baby hadn't been harmed.

Brownies

Native to Scotland, these are friendly fairies who tend to attach themselves to a family. They are believed to wait until the family is asleep and carry out household chores.

Elves

Native to Germany, they are said to have no souls, which makes them naughty, but they have been known to assist those they feel are in need or deserve help.

Gnomes and Goblins

Known for being bad tempered, both of these creatures are French in origin. They tend to be attracted to dark places and can help around the house. Gnomes especially love to dig, being found in mines and under the ground.

Dwarfs

Also friendly towards humans, Dwarfs love a good party and have been known to give people advice. However, they are also very naughty as they tend to steal small items, especially gemstones.

They are believed to be very good bakers and tailors.

How to Encourage Fairies to Visit

It is believed that if you leave food out on your table over night, the fairy folk will take it and bless the household with good fortune.

Fairies are very attracted to oak trees, they live in them in great numbers and use the acorns as decorations. Fruit trees also tend to be popular, as fairies use the blossoms to make clothes.

Fairy folk tend to like gardens that attract butterflies, favourite flowers include sunflowers and honeysuckles.

For more details about fairies and fairy magic, see Ancient Wisdom, Magic From Around The World by Cassandra Eason.

The copyright of the article Differnt Myths of the Fairy Folk in New Age is owned by Graidi Taylor-Rose. Permission to republish Differnt Myths of the Fairy Folk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Flower Fairy