The Fairy Midwife and the Magic Ointment
An old woman in the cottage gave the midwife a box of ointment and asked her to anoint the baby all over, but to not get any of the ointment in her own eyes.
Welsh Lake Legends and Folklore: Llyn Cwm Llwch and the Door of the Tylwyth Teg
Welsh lake legends from the Brecon Beacons: A strange and dangerous old woman, an invisible island and an otherworldly guardian.
Ferrous Friend or Foe? How Iron Became the Enemy of Fairy Folk
Iron bands around coffin of a witch were believed to prevent them from escaping their tombs. Yet iron has also been the saviour of many church bell ringers.
Fairy Folklore: Come Away, O Human Child
To be led astray, Peter Pan style, by a fairy – ‘pixie led’ – is an old fear from isolated communities where weather and terrain seemed to judge and punish.
Tinker Bell’s Lover: The Hidden Desires of Celtic Fairies
“The ocean is not so strong as the waves of thy longing,” the fairy whispered to the man she desired as a human lover. Was she casting a spell on him?