Fairy Changelings
- Item sets
- Folklore
- Name
- Fairy Changelings
- Description
- One of the most feared actions of the malevolent fairies was to steal children, especially before baptism. If a child were taken, a decrepit and emaciated fairy would be left in its place. The prettier the child, the greater the risk. Protective measures included laying an iron poker on the child when left alone, tying a red thread around the child's neck, and carrying bread and cheese to give to the first person met on the way to christening. Salt and iron were the most reliable protections. The changeling tradition reflected a world where children were vulnerable and the community had rituals to express and manage that anxiety.
- Place
- Isle of Man
- Type
- Legend
- Fairy Tradition
- Source
- Moore, Folk-lore (1891), Ch. III
- Waldron
- Book Chapter
- Chapter 03 — 1405-1651