by their community so because of this belief and fear, parents would resort to extreme measures to protect their children from fairies and changelings. They would use cold iron, draw chalk circles, and recite prayers to create a protective barrier. They would also perform tests, such as making bread in an eggshell, to provoke a reaction from the changeling. If the baby laughed or reacted in a strange way, it was seen as proof that it was a fairy changeling. In order to get their real child back, parents would either leave the changeling in the woods or show it the fire, hoping it would reveal itself and the fairies would return their real child. The belief and fear of fairies led to the tragic deaths of many babies who were burned or abandoned in the woods. Despite the cruelty of these acts, the parents believed they were doing what was necessary to protect their children.
supported by their belief system and their community, so it was justified in their eyes.
Overall, the perception of fairies has changed over time, from being seen as dangerous and mystical creatures in ancient times to being depicted as delicate and gentle beings in Victorian art and literature. The famous Cottingley fairy photos from 1917 further perpetuated the idea of fairies being real and existing in nature. However, it is important to note that these photos were proven to be fake.
In the ancient world, the origin of fairy beliefs can be traced back to nymphs, which were supernatural spirits in nature. They were often depicted as alluring humans into danger, and their interactions with humans were often sexual in nature. As time went on, these supernatural spirits became part of mainstream folklore and evolved into the fairies we think of today.
Beliefs about fairies in medieval times were different than our modern perception. They were often considered dangerous and capable of causing harm, such as ruining crops or abducting children. Parents would take extreme measures to prevent their children from being taken by fairies, such as placing cold iron or drawing chalk circles around the cradle. Physical or mental abnormalities in children were often attributed to fairies swapping them with changelings, leading to further fear and suspicion.
To determine if a child was a changeling, parents would perform strange and bizarre activities, such as making bread in an eggshell. If the child laughed at these activities, it was taken as proof that they were a fairy changeling. Parents believed that by threatening the impostor with death or exposing them to fire, the fairy parents would come and rescue the human child.
It is important to understand and contextualize these beliefs within the historical and cultural contexts in which they existed. Actions that may seem cruel or extreme to us today were seen as necessary and justified based on their belief systems.
Future Outlook
While the Victorians utilized entomology to incorporate wings into their depictions of fairies, the belief in fairies has ancient origins. In the ancient world, fairies were often depicted as nymphs, human-sized beings associated with natural elements such as water. These nymphs were believed to lure and seduce humans, often with disastrous consequences.
The Roman invasion of Britain introduced the belief in supernatural spirits within nature, which gradually evolved into the mystical and sometimes dangerous fairies. Fairies were thought to have the power to cause harm, ruin crops, and even kidnap children. Parents in medieval Britain took extreme measures, such as placing cold iron or drawing chalk circles around their children’s cradles, to protect them from fairies.
The fear of having a child stolen by fairies was so prevalent that physical or mental abnormalities in a child were often attributed to the presence of a changeling, a fairy posing as a human. Parents would perform tests, such as making bread in an eggshell, in hopes of provoking laughter from the supposed changeling and thus proving its true nature.
The belief in changelings led to tragic consequences, as parents believed that threatening the impostor’s life would force the fairy parents to return their real child. Some parents would leave the changeling in the woods or near flames, hoping that the fairies would rescue it and return their human child. It is believed that many babies died as a result of these practices, although the exact number is unknown due to the lack of recorded incidents.
Despite the cruelty associated with these beliefs and practices, people at the time believed they were justified in their actions, as they believed they were rescuing their real children from fairies.