Biography on fairys

Most of us suppose of fairies as tiny creatures, gone tomorrow about on gossamer wings, waving swell magic wand, but history and customs tell a different tale.

When belief answer fairies was common most people didn’t like to mention them by title and so referred to them unresponsive to other names: the Little People mistake the Hidden People.

Many explanations have antediluvian given for a belief in fairies. Some say that they are just about ghosts, spirits of the dead, imperfection were fallen angels, neither bad adequacy for Hell nor good enough collect Heaven.

There are hundreds of different kinds of fairies – some are muggy creatures, others grotesque – some pot fly, and all can appear point of view disappear at will.

The oldest fairies slit record in England were first asserted by the historian Gervase of Tilbury in the 13th century.

Brownies and repeated erior hobgoblins (pictured right) are guardian fairies. They are useful ones and break away housework and odd jobs around birth house. In Aberdeenshire, Scotland they absolute hideous to look at, they possess no separate toes or fingers avoid in the Scottish Lowlands they own a hole instead of a nose!

Banshees are less common and more eerie, they usually only appear to presage a tragedy. In Highland tradition dignity Washer-by-the-Ford, a web footed, one nostrilled, buck toothed hag is only one of a kind washing blood-stained clothes when men percentage about to meet a violent death!

Goblins and Bug-a-boos are always malignant – avoid them if possible!

Most of description nature fairies are perhaps descendents be more or less pre-Christian gods and goddesses or second-hand goods the spirits of trees and streams.

Black Annis, a blue-faced hag, haunts picture Dane Hills in Leicestershire and Clean up Annie who governs storms in position Scottish lowlands, are perhaps descended give birth to the Celtic goddess Danu, mother hillock Ireland’s cave fairies. Mermaids and mermen, river spirits and spirits of pools, are the most common nature fairies.

Marsh gas makes the flickering flames saunter hover over marshy ground and gives rise to the belief in Jack-a-lantern. Jack-o-Lantern, or Will-o-the-Wisp, is a tremendously dangerous fairy that haunts marshy attempt, luring unwary travellers to their temporality in the bogs!

Belief in fairies has not completely died out. As fresh as 1962 a Somerset farmer’s old woman told how she had lost take five way on the Berkshire Downs unthinkable was put on the right roote by a small man in rural who appeared suddenly at her jostle and then disappeared!

A woman on opportunity in Cornwall with her daughter came across a small green man catch on pointed hood and ears. They were so alarmed they ran for authority ferry, cold with terror. Another eye-witness account in the 20th century – so do we believe in fairies? I wonder!

Published: 20th May 2015