FROUD, Brian & LEE, Alan. Faeries. 1978
FROUD, Brian & LEE, Alan. Faeries. 1978
N^
w '^^.^.
•-'-'
u
•'^,.-J^<
i^
»»«.^...p.j.»«L»tj.iai- .tH;gm, ^^
Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive
in 2011
littp://www.arcliive.org/details/faeriesfrouOOfrou
#"':^
-0'
V '*-
t
.^^
/ ^
/
;
^
J
\
y'
r .,<
^^ I \ \. \
k m
:st
yi f
Samuel W'eiser, Inc. for extracts from Tlie Coming of the Fairies
In .\rthui ( lonan Doyle.
VVc are also indebted to Sarah Teale for her in\ aluable editorial
assistance and advice in the preparation of this Ixx )k.
All rights reser\ ed. No part ofthe contents of this book may
be reporoduced without the written permission ofthe publishers.
#
C^olor reproduction by Carlton Repro International Ltd.
a di\ ision ofSir Joseph C^auston & .Sons Ltd. London and Eastleigh.
fiuMieloreand excn ouiriglu fanlasx. Ii has been things that faeries resent the most humans
it is curious
nec'cssaiA to sill down the massolnuuerial thus l)lundering about their private- domains like- so main
acxumulated to practical dimensions. Our book ill-mannered tourists. So go softly - where the
therefore is di\ ided uj3 into xarious categories of faerie rewards are enchanting, the dangers are real.
(where j)ossil)le) and into \arious categories of faerie
experience. Btit the time is getting short le)r the taking of such
delicious risks — faerie ccjntact with humans.
.\iulherewcnuisi makeonelhingxcMA clear. I hereal dejXMident as it is on the natural world of humans, is
faeiieexpeiicnce is xciAcliflerent fi'om the general shrinking withourown shrinking habitat. It is time-
xiewof faerie buill upb\ cioudsof seniimenial fichon and bexond- to distinguish theaccunuilaled
with legionsof ine\ iiable ha|)i)ily-e\er-aftei- endings. sujXM'stitionsand conjectural fictions about I"ae-rie
I he w ( )rld ( )f
""( )nce I ' jx )n a 1 "ime— ". delightluf as it is
from its reality, to study the woildoflaerie with, we
and higliK as wcxalue ii. is iioi ihc- ical world ol hojx'. kindlyobjeciixiiyanda j)ropeicMije)xinentolits
laerie. laerie repi'esenls Power. m<igical power. iruexaiue te) man.
incom|)rehensil)le lo humans, .ind lieiu c. inimical.
II must al\\a\sl)erememberc-d thai iliough ihewoiid
ol laerie- is to.i large exleni deixMulenl on humans,
faeries are alien creauires w ilh \alues and ethicsfar
remoxc'd fiom mankind: thesclo not I hiiik. and most
nol.ibK. the\ do not jecL the wa\ tli.u luim.insdo. Cy^M^ ^Ml('
} ' 'i-
(r-
~^.
\
f^i^fe<^
The myths and legends about Faerie are man\- and
dixerse, and ollen contradicton Only one thing is
.
Faerie Ongins:
The mystery of Faerie has been, oni the earliest li
her children were there and she replied that they were.
He then declared that those she had hidden from him
would be hidden from num. Ihese hidden ciiildren
became the ekes or taeries and were kn( )wn as H uldre
Folk in the Scandinavian coiiniries. Huldre girls are
exceptionalk beautiful. Ijui w ith long cow siails; or
else they are hollow behind, presenting only a
beautiful front. Thus they fulfil the deception of their
origin.
sometimes just over the horizon and sometimes Faerie can reveal itself, bright and glittering without
beneath our feet. Yet there ha\e been periods when warning, anywhere and just as suddenly disappear.
faerieland was thought to be an actual geographical I ts and anc\ are all around
frontiers of twilight, mists 1
area, although e\en this has tended to shift. For us and, like a tide running out, can momentariK
instance, the Welsh first thought it was to the North of reveal Faerie before flowing back to conceal it again.
their mountainous land, and then in the mysterious, The inhabitants of faerieland can be di\ided into
rocky and misU' west peninsular of Pembrokeshire. \arious different species according to habitat. In
Later it mo\ed to an island lying in the Irish Channel addition to the solitar\-li\inu; faeries, there are manv
off thePembrokeshire coast. It was seen sometimes rural elf types w ho make their homes in the forests (or
by sailors, and even landed on, but would then sometimes, more specificalK; 'adopt' a tree to such
disconcertingly disappear. Xe\ertheless, its faerie an extent that the faerie and the tree become more or
inhabitants were said to be frequent \isitors to the less synonymous), fields, hills and mountain ca\es.
markets of Laugharne and Milford Haxen.The Irish There are those that li\e on faerie islands or in
called the phantom isle Hy Breasail and, for them, it countries under the oceans while there are also water
lay to the West. To Britons it was the Isle of Man faeries inhabiting the seas, lakes and rixers. Finally
that was the faerie isle. The Isle of Man is a rich there are the domestic and house-spirits (brownies
source of faerie lore. and so forth).
Avalon is probably the most famous of faerie islands. Amongst the various species, life-st\'les vary
The legendary King Arthur, described by the X\'th considerably between the small family units, the
centurv' poet Lydgate as a 'King -crowned \ in hierarchicalK-organised communities (often
Fairve', was brought here mortally wounded to be inhabiting hollow hills) and the solitaiy independent
tended by four faerie queens. Arthur is beliexcd still faeries such as the Leprechauns.
•i^v*:^:
, _y>X"0t \ \ ,;,
/
\
''<^
i
f
^-^;'
1- //
1,
UOLLOV/ M!L-tC
Ancient earthworks, forts and barrows are the It is definitely not recommended that faerie hills (or
traditional home of faeries. The Gaelic for faerie is other habitat) be invaded by trespassers. But there is
Sidhe (Shee) meaning people of the hills. At night nothing to be said against discreet observ ation, and a
faerie hills are often seen ablaze with myriad sparkling friendly watcher may be rewarded. If, howexer, the
lights. Sometimes the hill may raise itself upon pillars faeries seem reluctant to emerge from their hill, the
to reveal the brilliant lights of Faeriewhich gradually entrance ma\" be disco\ered by walking nine times
move ofTin procession towards another hill. Lammas around the hill at full moon. The entry way will then
Tide (August 7) is the traditional time for this. be re\ealed. For those not bra\e enough actually to
Hollantide (Xo\ ember 1 1) is, howexer, the time when enter the faeries home, an ear pressed close to the
Hillmen or Hogmen, the most feared of Manx Faerie ground may be rew arded b\' the sounds of faerie
people, choose to mo\'e their abode. One does not revels.
\enture abroad on the night of November 1 1 if one is Besides being used for living in, the hollow hills are
wise. Hogmen use well trodden paths and ways, hiding places for gold, and are also often used as faerie
usually running in straight lines between faerie hills; burial places. We alread\- know about King Arthur
centuries of moving in this way has led to an in\isible .Another king. King Sil, sits in his golden armour on
faerie cats-cradle crossing the whole countrv*. 0\er his horse, deep inside Silbur\- Hill, Wiltshire.
the millenia, a residual concentration of |X)wer has A similar stor\- surrounds the Hill of the Goblins,
accumulated at thejunctions, or crossways, of these Br\n yr Ellyllon, near Mold, Glyd Flint; it is haunted
paths, and thesejunctions are close to many by a figure in gold armour Excavations as recent as
historically sacred human gathering places. 1833 did in fact re\eal a skeleton v\ith a gold corselet.
Faeries go to great pains to protect their homes and some by accident, some by sudden
their enterprise,
their gold. Treasure seekers digging into faerie hills death, and some by violent fevers, all paid with their
are warned by strange voices, baleful sounds and wild lives.'
storms. Should these warnings be ignored, ill luck, Reported in the 'Old Lore Miscellany' ofjuly, 1911,
disaster and even death will be the only reward. The is an account of an Orkney farmer, warned by a
Reverend Warne relates in 'Proceeding',
F. Trow not to dig in a mound in his field on pain of
(Somerset, 5 i 30fl) 1854,how some men, eager to find losing six cows and 'six funerals from the house,
treasure in a hill known as Casde Neroche in fellow', who nevertheless continued his
Somerset, 'violated thesancdty ofthis mysterious hill. depredadons and lost both catde and family.
'^'^:
•>
Clearly one cannot idly invade or desecrate the
chosen habitat of faeries. Ill-advised is he who elects
to build on faerie terrain for the little people are
perfectly capable of moving houses, churches and
even castles if they object to their location. Houses
built imprudently across a faerie path suffer from
disturbance. One such afflicted house build in
Ireland had an outside comer that was just
o\erlapping a faerie way. At night the house was filled
»
h
'
^
.f ir"
'fim > .
'^r
-:v, .V
I
liv
Invitations to visit a faerie hill should be treated ver\^
i\l
^^
7:s>^
C-
%1 ^h
m\
*^
^'^
^ V
'i '^
>
^/: I
fM/.
Faerie musicians ha\e a magical skill, and many
songs and airs v\ hich today are widely known in the
y^*-.
V y
' -» * i
V -;
^ 'i»i
^';fe> \
There is an Irish faerie legend which tells of an
OF
fertile
T^usmore! Lusmore!
Doubt not. nor deplore.
For the hump w hich you bore
On your back is no more;
Look down on the floor,
ji
>
\^(jro
Faeries often danee in circles in the grass which are
called faerie rings and this spells danger for the
V' feYr /
^s%.
\ VW-v.
/-/ I
4-^
if
>^-.
onlookers
usual dislike of intruders, well-mannered
u ere \\ elcomed and occasionally e\en
gi\"en small but precious gifts.
'^
/ > j^
M-^
W "A-
f '
xj^-^
\
%/ 'rX y
)t4
t ti
e-
V-
m
/ J W>' f
V^
Lady Wilde tells us that these horses w ere able to li\e
for a hundred years or more. The \ery last ofthe breed
belonged to a great lord in Connaught but at his death
came under the auctioneers hammer together with
all his belongings. The steed was purchased by an
emissan- of the British Go\ernmeni "but when the
groom attempted to mount the high-spirited animal
it reared, and threw the base-bom churl \iolentIy to
^
f:
<• . iJ
if
r
w
sf ^
FAaeie i sLAi\jt:s>
One of the most persistent and recurring themes in Itwas to Tir Xan Og that the Tuatha de Danann fled
European mytholog\' is that ofthe Isles of the Blest, or before the advancing Milesians and that land gives
Fortunate Isles, lying in the western sea, beyond the them all that they could wish for They spend their
. . .
setting sun. The Irish seem to ha\ e more islands, or days feasting, hunting, love-making and enjoying
more names for the same islands, than anybody else. beautiful music. They can e\'en indulge their
Some of the best known perhaps are Tir Xan Og, the passion for battles, as those killed one day can arise
Land of the Young; Tirtb Thuinn, the Land L nder w ith their wounds healed the next.
the Waves; Tire Nam Beo, Land of the Living; Tirn
Aill, the Other World; Mag Mor, the Great Plain; Some of these islands float and some are
Mag Mell, the Pleasant Plain; Tir Tairngire. the submerged, raising themsehes abo\e the surface
Plain of Happiness. only at night or, in the case of Hy-Breasail as recorded
by Giraldus Gambrensis, once in seven years. These
These islands, whether the homes of faeries, Gods or islands can be made to remain on the surface only if
the dead, are, as their names suggest, lands where fire or steel is brought upon them and H\-Breasail
all is happiness, peace andplent\". There are no frosts remained there after a red-hot arrow was fired into it.
or droughts for it is always Spring. There is no It still who search for it, howe\er, e\en
eludes those
ageing or disease or work, for all things grow in though it has been marked on early maps and several
abundance without need of ploughing or sowing and major expeditions have been mounted b\" the
there is alwavs fruit on the trees. merchants of Bristol, amongst others, to find it
<4iSili££
i
't:-**?^
Itwas Manannan, son ofLer who, as chiefdeity ofthe There is a \'I Ith-centun' Irish poem relating how
sea, held sway over many of these islands and it was Manannan mac Lir. drixing his chaiiot across the
he who summoned Bran, son of Febal, to Emhain, tops of the waxes, watches with amusement and
the Island of Women. This was beliexed to be a vast sings as Bran journeys in his coracle through what
countn' supported in the sea on four huge bronze to him is the sea. but to Manannan is the sk\
pillars and inhabited solely b\- beautiful women. The aboxe a fertile plain . .
him mount up behind her on her faerie steed and into an ancient blind old man.
they rode over the land to the sea and then across the
tops of the \\ a\es towards the enchanted land of Tir A number of ballads recount how St Patrick found
Nan Og 'the most delightful countrv' to be found of Oisin stranded on earthly soil in his hopeless old age
greatest repute under the sun\ They saw wondrous and took him into his house. The saint did his best to
sights as they journeyed. Faerie palaces appeared on convert Oisin to Christianitv; describing the
At one of these Niamh asked
the surface of the sea. wonders of the Heaven that could be his if only he
Oisin to set free a Tuatha deDanan damsel who was would But Oisin replied that he could not
repent.
a prisoner ofa Fomor, one of the demons of the deep conceive ofa Heaven that would not be proud to
sea. Oisin fought the Fomor and set the girl free. receive the Fenians if thev' w ished to enter it or a God
who would not be honored to count Finn amongst
Soon they reached the Land of the Young and Oisin his friends. If however this was the case, w hat was
remained there with his love for three hundred years the point of an eternal life \\ith no hunting or
before he remembered his home and the Fenians wooing of beautiful women? He would prefer to go
and had a sudden yearning to see them again. He to the Hell where. according to St Patrick, his Fenian
asked leave to visit his homeland. Niamh furnished comrades lay in anguish, and die as he had lived.
N.^ -V'^-*
^U:
i^
/ !
/^
^y^
ii:
r
Pf
#fejiii<j.
o'poNoaHue
"-^^•x
V ;>.
JV^
-t
Lough Lean in Ireland, now called the lake of The warrior was O'Donoghue and in his wake
Killarney, is the home orO'Donoghue,once the followed a bevy of young people who glided over the
ruler of the surrounding land. He walked out one water, linked together with garlands of spring
day upon the surface of the lake, watched by all the flowers, to the time of sweet unearthly music.
members ofhis court, and slowly sank into the Having almost reached the western side of the lake,
depths to claim his new kingdom. O'Donoghue turned his steed towards the
wood-fringed shore of Glenaa followed by his train of
Ever)' May Day morning he leaves the magnificent attendants. They then slowly disappeared into the
palace which is said to lie at the bottom of the lake mists floating over the lake and the magical strains of
and visits his old domain. their music gradually died away 'and the hearers
It has been some years since O'Donoghue last made awoke as from a dream of bliss!
his appearance. On that day T. Crofton Croker tells
us in his Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of
beams of the rising sun were just
Ireland, 'the first
II ^'pr^^ r t- w
The GwTagedd Annwn (Gwrageth anoon) are
Welsh water faeries, beautiful Lake Maidens who
occasionally take mortals to be their husbands.
One well-known legend tells of a young man
who used to graze his cattle by a small lake
near the Black Mountains. One day he saw a most
enchanting creature rowing gentK to and fro in a
golden boat on the surface of the lake.
and she was forced to leaxc him. She did not forget
her sons however and taught them many secrets of
medicine so that they became famed physicians.
./T'
i
'f
ANNWN
In other days, every New Year's morning a door was
to be found open in a rock by a \\'elsh lake and those
\vho dared enter came upon a secret passage which
led them to a small island in the middle of the lake.
Here the\' found themsehes in an exquisite garden
inhabited by the Gwragedd Annw n \\ ho feted their
guests, pressing on them all manner of fruit and
flowers and entertaining them with beautiful music.
The faeries told their visitors man\' wondrous secrets
and invited them to stay as long as they wished.
However, they warned them that the island was a
secret and nothing from it should be taken away.
r-
^
At^a<^ fi^uii/i^^ haryyuz^ lA^^e^i^ /^ h^trU^nv l^uKJ ^ry /2 pt^/
1
"-7
^i
r-^
•^-
"^^t!;^
\
ii i>
/
if-^ry>t he'^uyhftoC yy(^m9H^iHy cur- i.\'(rylci. ^itthC^,
h^Pk^^oA^^eA^oUvy Q^du<>i-c yyu(yy1^^^ u^ycrvy^^ey|/u . Qy^^ Sruoh^
»N
>^:.
^^^ .^
,C %/..
...0 ^'^^
V
i^^ i' -
J ^
# 2 '^i
,rf'\ ..,
^
3V^ '^-
.#^
.:^'
/*"'
•v?
>
^ :*i;:i^^
^ * IT i>^
-#t.
m^
'^-
'-
'n
. -i '^'¥:
-;;.
-^
-.4* ^^
' .^W -•
"'-A
j^X
.#
%> ,-a
^
^
\ .i
9^^'^
.^*'
X
AaAifv^TTAe^ies
W'aiy coiintn Iblk ha\ c discovered numerous
methods of discouraging die more troublesome faerie
attentions. Tliose walking alone at night are
particularly \ulnerable and there are various pro\en
methods ofself'-protection lor the diflcrent risks.
Efiectixe devices and objects include the follow ing:
hh^t4^^ />a^^eu^d^
1^^
\ -4-
— ^r:^
k
The faerie attitude towards humans meanwhile has
a curiously moralistic bias. They expect a particular
mode of beha\iour to be adhered to in their regard,
set high standards of orderliness for human homes
\
^ ^'
/,' X
^"^""fs^C
^5^5
I
r
Faeries ha\"c a ratlier curious code of ethics for
themselves. Whilst there is a definite code of honor
bciw cen the different denizens ofthe faerie world
(and a tale is told ofthe poor unfortunate trow box-
^^X_-
^:m J
great hunger, as the girl aften\"ards ravished by whose sweetness, thev' went for a
acknowledged. At length, \\ hen some beans long time wandering on through the cavern,
just cut. with their stalks, were brought into until they came to its mouth. When they
the house, they made signs, with great came out of it, thev" were struck
a\idit\. that the\ should be gi\ en senseless by the excessive light of
to them. When the\ were the sun, and thev thus lay for
brought, they opened the rr a long time. Being
stalks instead of the pods, by the noise
^
terrified
'
There is also a square \ ard of turf somewhere in
, 4 Wales which gives a single glimpse of Faerie to
anyone who stumbles across it. Howe\er. it keeps its
secret'well for the exact spot can ne\er be found
twice.
;jf
^r
y-^Ar/^-^.
The protective camouflage used by the faeries is
general!)" termed 'glamour' and is often designed to
^^
-
i
\
J9
Robert Kirk in his book Secret Commonwealth, and
Essay of the Nature and Actions of the Subterranean (andfor
the most Part) Invisible People, heretofwir going under the
name ofElves, Faunes and Fairies, or the lyke, among the
Louy Country Scots as they are described by those who have the
pinned down the elusi\eness of {*^,
Second Sight . . . (1961 )
^^-a^^^-
A
H-
e \
.'^il, '
.m^-
if
»'* 'k
.^*^
tc H^u^ a^i5^a^-e- Ot-f^^S^^a^ix^ of 5>
Sp^ y
^^^ .:?te<^^ai^^^ ^si^^t^>
p h'X-ty<r7'VLe'iAy^ , 9^-6-
?^rv
v'^
"^mf
^a^'t
>.
"H
It is \'er\' difficult to generalise on faerie appearance
yet v\eknow that, when they are not naked, faeries
are most commonly observed wearing green coats or
dresses with red caps, sometimes with the addition
of a white owl's feather.The Tylwylii Teg of Wales
and wear white and tJie Silkies of the
ha\'e fair hair
(
\^'-.
^ 1
/-l
/^
bj
Faeries spin, \\ea\e, build, churn and bake when not
indulging in more pleasurable pastimes and their
faerie powers enable them to accomplish prodigious
feats with rather less than the effort this would
demand from tlieir human countciparts . .
ta
E-MlZeNS
FAeR
Man creates gods in his own image, and the gods
which handed down to us.Thor. Bran
literature has
and Pallas Atliene amongst others, reflect the
aspirations, the lo\e of war, honor and poetr\' of
their worshippers who were basically the aristocrats
of their respecti\e societies.
or under a hedge.
for force', said the little fellow, 'for you and I are
'Take what you want', said the Leprechaun, 'but One detects a somewhat moralistic flavour to this
quickly, forwhen the door shuts, it shuts for ever'. tale — the
good boy rewarded. Even though the
So the boy gathered as much as he could and took 'subjectwas a changeling. Leprechauns are seldom
it outside. He was just returning for more when, with so benign. They are characteristicall)' tricky, merry
a tremendous crack, the door shut firm. The and mischievous. For instance, in one case, a farmer
Leprechaun was nowhere to be seen. The gold was was shown the only plant in a whole field of ragworts
banked in Dublin. The boy was indeed rich; his under which gold was buried. Not ha\ing a shovel
money was spent wisely and he grew^ into a man of with him he tied his red garter to the plant and went
great learning and wisdom. His descendants are rich home to fetch the necessary tool. On his return every
and prosperous to this day. single ragwort sported a red garter
LepR£CHAUt^S>
lev
^LUiZlCA
/^
6rOBUNS
"Vi..
.i>
Not all goblins are inherently e\il. The mine dwelling
goblins are generally benign towards man.
r -/<
•/
1
COBLYNAIA
>• /^
k^
*\ >^
\t-
i
<
.'-A^
A Pue^qAesTDRV >^
*^
^
r ^/'crPK of 6:J\^h<^
JJ^
&IZO\AJhJ MAKi
Of The hAuifzs
S
3^ l^iA^O'PtA^ ^
I
Pixies
The PLxie. also \ariously known as Pisgie. piskie.
I pigsey. of Cornwall, is based in the district of
Dartmoor.
'There's piskies up to Dartmoor
And t'idden gude yu sez there hain't!'
suit. This was left where the Pixie might find it at the
beginning of his night's work. The PLxie. on seeing the
brand new outfit, delightedh' put it on. the threshing
forgotten, and cried
'New Coat. New Waist-coat.
New Breeches!
\ou proud. proud. I
STieAy sop
WI/-U O THE: Vy^Sr /^ s^r^^te^ ^^.^u^r^ ^-h^^
Ia/(/C o'fke, U^ryp i^ 7%^ 5nft^^ l<^^<
a^
/>7^-m^ fcrr Q host of-
^
I *-^
> / ^"^'.4A ^
1.
^ «* m ^
i '
>^/f'^
-^ .%:^V._.--
t^ ;5SA<;- .'^
r'
'^%iv;
%%<;, rw -
m 1^;
%
>
-^ I
'"'^^y^mm^-
tl r '
'^^^'
iSte.--
..-^1
->/
Vivi
V>;<
«i^
^^S:
X)"
'^*B
-Co
P HOOKA
The Phooka is an Irish goblin with a variety of rough
beast-like forms. He appears sometimes as a dog or a
horse, or e\en a bull, but he is generally jet-black with
blazing eyes. As a seemingly friendly, shaggy,
sway-backed pony Phooka offers the unwary traveller
a welcome lift; but once astride he is taken for a wild
and terrifying gallop across the wettest and most
thorny countrv', eventually to be dumped headlong
into the mire or deposited in a ditch. The chuckle is
that of the Phooka as he gallops away.
PUCK. , ^, ,
Ok f^^
U^^ Hijt TJZOWS
\.
.^
^ ''y.
r^ -Hi'
of U^
f 1
%
6-> 7 s
'i
f--\.
^•str
%>
t %
>*\
r^
%<.
^y
•^^\ u
\
^"!^?!"'
^^>
'^ -;.- H
^, v\
^"x
I
^^^r<;-\
r
^>r
^51 -^
/ \
THe PAchanj
^/yt pk^^t^i StMVtA/sJ^ of ^/f'^
JACK-
\RoNS
A
'^l1^/^-C-Hyyp^(>^
1^ i^^^/^^-vv^eXi^ h^rm/ess .
/.--"
/-h fj r^^ ^h^^ fite^e 9f?lyUS '^^ U^e (f^U^^^ of-
I
ff^
K^^A,. ^
<t:
^i
^^^
^^^-v.
5*
^ k
?/:-'*w
5*.
vS
Ol^^EAJ LApy
OF CABRPhliA/
f.
^Ae h/^<^i4^S
f
^/v /"^ 1^^^ of /i/t$^n^
X
TiHe ^SLPl^
is a Scottish water faerie. Although
sometimes appearing in the guise of a hairy man,
this is more often seen in the form ofa young horse.
The Kelpie haunts rivers and streams and, after
letting unsuspecting humans mount him, will dash
V.A,;
'^J
•1 % x\
,^
\
*^ssr;>-.
i^
r
\;
AiuckreLAvee
-ii?s.
V-*
-J^
v£
-^?:
-<ie=i.S&^''
^ •^iP'T^
>y
fAeRies
3^ the^okJ^y^^(^ .
^^j^
V i,
•
^o
X^
is
^.^:a
'^'
'rf\'%::
'•\
•^f;:.
V 5K
"^.
^^ f^\
ifiaw«-n^MMa^rtNMi*«i*
pec^ pov^usiz
^W
il^
fe^^e*''"^ ^
¥^^
MNjy
Q eeeNTeeTH
:vLUc^A.t~.
"""^?^- ' '
'
...^^^^^••;
^:^^
.^
i
tW-fc^
"~^.
-^i
m.
X
Li/I^y AN/DTn€A/\6£MAip
In the old days die fishermen of Cornwall used to
comb the seawrack on the beaches for valuables
washed ashore from the many wrecks that were the
toll of that cruelly rocky coast. One da\- Lutey of
Cur\', which is near Lizard Point, discovered a
lovely mermaid stranded in one of the many
ddepools to be found among the rocks.
Li ^\
She was a \'er\' beaudful creature and easily
persuaded Lutey to carr\- her dovvn to the receding
sea. Snuggling against him, she offered him three
wishes for his kindness and Lutey, who was a good
^ man, chose first to have die power to break
power to force witch's
witchspells, second the
familiars to do good and third, that these
to others,
Lutey 's wishes all came true and his famil)- and
descendants became famous healers. But the
mermaid's promise also came true, for nine years to
the da\ from the time when Lute\' had cast her off
she returned. He was out fishing with one of his sons,
and she rose high in the water that was as green as
her liquid e\es and shook her silk\- head and
beckoned. Lute\- turned to his son and said, 'It is
(j.^
.'^^^-;,. ^sd-'ltf^i
n^K ci far
t
k
I
V
The
-*^^' - •..»,..«* vKjji
V;.- •
\ -
PN CATTLE. MIU
One of the best-known of the Highland Brownies toMaggy Mouloch, who asked him who was
is Meg or Magg\- Moulach. Meg had a son, responsible for hurting him in that way- he replied
Brownie-Clod, who however was a Dobie, that it was 'Me myself
a rather stupid variety of Brownie. One tale tells
of a certain Fincasde Mill that was reputed to be But the girl did not escape Maggy's wrath for long.
haunted so no-one dared set foot there after dark. Some time later when she was married she was
One night however, a girl who was making a cake for asked to tell a story so she recounted how she had
her wedding discovered she had run short of meal. tricked the Brownie at Fincastle Mill. Unbeknown
Finding no-one willing to go to the mill for her, she to her Maggy Mouloch was outside and heard ever)'
had to go herself. She made up a big fire, put a pot of word and she had her revenge immediately,
water on and began to grind the meal. On the
to boil throwing a three-legged stool so violently at the
dot of midnight, an ugly little brown man came into young bride that she was killed on the spot.
the mill, edged towards her and when she asked who
he was, replied by asking her what her name was. Maggy Mouloch then found a new home near a
She answered: 'Oh, I'm Mise mi fein' (me myself). farm where the servants paid her with bread and
The Brownie edged closer to her leering in an cream for her help. She worked so conscientiously
unpleasant manner until she took fright and poured however that the farmer decided to dismiss all the
a ladle of boiling water over him. At this he servants and rely on her work. She retaliated by
screeched in anger and flew at her. She defended going on strike and becoming a full-time Boggart,
herself by pouring the rest of the boiling water over plaguing him so much that he was forced to rehire
him. He fled out of the door, mortally burned, the rest of the servants.
i M i|,i) j^ i L] i»j«ii
i
pimmu ii Ji^ j.ijy
i
'/\^RJE^ FLORA
I
\ I
'
RAC\\AJORJ~
^--IfiPw
Bees , A^/t^^^ 3.K: Cd^sfdjeyf-e^ U^ /He^se^^e4<f
of /^ Cjoc>(4 ^ h9A^ ^ p3nAict<4'^i^ fvyi^ntC£ ftrr ^li4/^
COWSLIPS
of ^^ faei^^&f CotvsC</pt'^%^
,
Tue PA/vsy
t)
AM)fke4^ tpoffoUa^ foa^e4^ u/k^<^ /j fvUc^
n m_ 'HW-
^UI^N^TiSHe^
/
,.—
•^n
/
_
Qh^^/^h^
A/
'k.
-
^~-A^ A
*Fa</H^ Fbt^es Auc oiv o/<::C Os^h^^ /
S^^
rw'
^r
if
]\
'
1^
h
n
'
«•
(
i
;
U
* .
/ ^
.-^
'^\
Itauiiit'MtwtaSi
<.- ' *l
«
i*r^
4£4
A
T-'.'K'
I fif !p^'~ T' :"7 ^ r^-''^'^" '
^'"ft^fW
Nn. A^l
^ /
&^'^
Vk> i
y f \
A '
'! 7 -
A
'
f
f
////y/rn/
, .
. r i
\-
i
i^r-.
^- ^ ^c
Am. Oi^ i/^^Ul 5^^ Scyyte Sj- m^n^Ji.
'y^
.'Mf"'
\- r^
C
e^
.^ * "T'
^^^
X
^ : rJ
C
V^'
ASH
by touch.
Later she stole away v\ ith her beau v\ ilh the red
feather but the five others, with and in
angrv' crov\
their wake, broke in on their happiness. Again she
was plunged into darkness, w hisked into the air and
finally found herself on the floor of her arbor
surrounded by worried friends.
/
.
w-
'<f^<^
%
{' K- .t-t
K
--/^N
4fi*"^-{?«.
-:#'**'
Common experiencx and claino) ant sightings ol
faeries prove that the faeries of tradition are the
faeries of fact. Clairvoyant Geoffrev' HcKlson in his
book Fairies at librk and at Play dcsci'ih(^s his liunie
sightings:
y
V r
H..
True Thomas lay oer yond grass)' bank,
And he beheld a ladie gay,
A ladie that was brisk and bold.
Come ridin"" oer the fernie brae.
V"^
5^2^ "^Ha^ UyveA rru.. ^'i gn^ ^v^e-i^ ci^^ '^i^kjt y^se-^te C^ru^n^ .
Four and twenty ladies fair She had na pu"d a double rose,
Were pla\ ing at the chess, A rose but only twa.
And out then cam the fair Janet. Till up then started \oungTam Lin,
As green as onie glass. Says Lady, thou pu s nae mae.
Out then sjxik an auld grey knight. Why pu s thou the rose, Janet,
Lay oer the castle wa, Amang the gi'oxes sae green,
.\nd says. Alas, fairjanet. for thee And a' to kill the bonnie babe
But we'll be blamed a". That we gat us between?'
'Hand your tongue, ye auld fac'd knight. X) tell me, tell me,Tam Lin,' she says.
Some ill death may ye die! Tor's sake that died on tree,
Out then spak her father dear, 'Roxbrugh he was my gi^andf ather,
And he spak meek and mild; I ook me with him to bide,
'And e\ er alas, sweet Janet,' he says, And ance it fell upon a day
'1 think thou gaes \\i child.' That wae did me betide.
'If that I gae wi child, father, "And ance it fell upon a day,
Mysel maun bear the blame; A cauld day and a snell.
There's neer a laird about your ha When we were frae the hunting come
Shall get the bairn's name. That frae my horse I fell;
The Queen o Fairies she caught me.
'If my lo\e were an earthly knight, In yon green hill to dwell.
As he's an elfin grey,
I wad na gie my ain true-lo\e 'And pleasant is the fairv land.
For nae lord that ye hae. But, an eerie tale to tell,
» x^-MJi
'But the night is Halloween. lad\". 'And last they'll turn me in your arms
The mom is Hallowday; Into the burning gleed;
Then win me. win me. an ye \\ ill, Then throw me into well water,
For weel I \\ at ye ma\ throw me in wi speed.
'Just at the mirk and midnight hour '.\nd then 1*11 be \"our ain true-lo\e,
The fair\- folk will ride. I'll turn a naked knight;
And they that was their true-lo\"e win, Ihen me wi your gi^een mantle.
co\"er
'But how shall I thee ken, Tam Lin, Gloomy, gloomy was the night.
Or how my true-lo\e know, And eerie was the way.
Amang sae mony unco knights. As fair Jenny in her green mantle
The like I ne\er saw ?*
To Miles C'ross she did gae.
'O first let pass the black, lady, About the middle o the night
And s\ ne let pass the brow n. She heard the bridles ring;
But quickly run to the milk-white steed, This lady was as glad at that
'For ril ride on the milk-white steed. First she let the black pass by.
And ay nearest the town; And syne she let the brow n;
Because I was an earthly knight But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,
'My right hand will be glo\d, lady, Sae w eel she minded whae he did say.
'Again iIua'II turn me in xourarms l)Ulha(l I kend. lam Lin." she says,
lb a red hel gaud ofairn: 'W hat now this night I see,
But hold me last, and (ear me not. 1 w ad hae taen out thy twa grey een.
ril do to vou nae harm. .\nd put in twa een o tree!
Dear Mr Froud,
Please forgi\e this intrusion — it isn't my usual habit to annoy
strangers with correspondence. Howexer, I happen to be one of the
great many admirers of your work and this is a .sort offan letter
Recently I inherited one of the oldest houses in New Jersey (1677) and
it w as necessary for me to clean the place out and sell it. Since it has
been in the family since before the Revolution, this is rather a large
and interesting project, if a trifle melancholy. I am a toymaker and a
builder of horsedrawn wagons by profession and, though I lo\ e this
want to li\e here tbi^ a \arier\' of reasons) . One olniy fa\orite items in
the house is the enclosed sketch \\ hich I would be honored if \ ou
v\<)uld accept as a token of my appreciation of many happ\ hours
spent studying your drawings. The stor\' behind the sketch is as
follows; During the summer of 1887 my great grandfather, James M.
Hawkins, cut down a dead apple-tree near the house. .Mter the tree A/
was down he got a lx)ok, a pipe and a mug of tea and went back
outside to rest a bit. Shortly there appeared on a branch ol the tree, an
old man with a pin feather in his cap and a full white beard. He was
about sL\ inihes tall but was otherwise unremarkable. They regardai
each other for a while and the little man asked w hy he had cut down
the tree. G. Grandfather replied that it was dead and would ha\e
fallen in the winter The little man asked what he would do VNith it
and was informed itwould belire wo(xl..\t this, the little man flew
into a rage and said he had li\ed in the tree for years and wouldn't w
see his home casually burned and if ( i. Cirandfatherdid .so dispose of \ J
it he would suffer for it. G. Grandfather asked what he should do with
it and the little man gave it some thought and replied he should make
a cradle for liis children and the\' v\ould ha\e good fortune.
Thereupon he stamped a loot, said something in a "foreign"
language which G. Grandfather said sounded like an Indian tongue
and was gone. G. Grandfather at once took out a pencil and recorded
the little man's likeness on the flyleaf of his book. He made the cradle,
a really nice piece of work which 1 chensh and which impresses me
ver\' much, haxing tried to work apple wood myself with no success -
\eiy gnarly and grainy and hard to do anything with.
His children did do rather well, all being successful and li\ ing
to old age. For whatever it's wortli, I might add that G. Grandfather
was a man with a reputation f()r being quite dour and not gi\en to
fancies at all.
You may or may not be aware that there are native legends in
/Wierica regarding elves, sprites The Leni-Lenapi Indians (the
etc.
'
E^EiS^-
'!
/i Z!W^^^^€^^^ Ar>Ms^
Over the many months during which the author/illustrators and fibre and also charred stones which are
researched and compiled this volume, serious doubts arose assumed to have been used in or around fires.
over the authenticity of information pertaining to the Elsewhere, a race of 'little people', ie small in stature, is also
existence, nature and role of "Gnomes' in iaerielore. biov\n to have inhabited the caves along the
The proper noun itself was probably born of a simple Mediterranean coast of Southern Spain. The existence of
mistranslation combining the root ofthc^ Mediacxal such cave-dv\elling people might well also have given rise
Latin "gnomus' and the (ircek verb yi/wpt^O) (to to stories of '(rnomes'.
know). Alternatixely it has been suggested that Possibly the most likely theory, however, is that the word
"Gnome' is derived Irom, or is e\en an erroneous "Cinome" came be used in the English language
to
elision of, the Greek yefoixof; which, comparable through the writings of the 16th-century Swiss
to the word daka(jcnvo<; meaning "ofor from the sea', alchemist, Paracelsus.
could conceivably have been understood to signify Paracelsus was variously regarded as wise man,
"of the earth'. magician and rogue but certainly the man himself
At all events the resulting noun v\as probably had no doubts as to his capabilities for he called
used in reierence toa breed ofsmall p(X)ple to be © himself Paracelsus to proclaim his superioriry over
found in the remoter mountain regions ol the 1976 Aulus Gornelius Celsus, the celebrated author of
Northern Hemisphere and notably the De Medicina.
Carpathian mountains. I'hese people used to
mine the rock quarries of the mountains many One ol Paracelsus' works was entitled Liber de
centuries ago and hence popular legend could nymphis, sylphis, pygmaeis et salamandris et caetenbus
have described them as having actually spintibus in which he propounds the theory of
inhabited the bowels oi the earth rather in existence of four spiritual beings: the sylphs of
the manner of Dwarfs or Knockers. Fhey air, the salamanders of the fire, the nymphs
the
were also said to be intimateh- accjuainted with of the water and the pygmies of the earth.
the locations of precious metals and stones, Writing in Latin, he also referred to the pygmies
(hence the Greek root word indicating knowledge?) as 'gnomi' which has the singular 'gnomus'.
Anthropologists, however, can see no foundation for Paracelsus' "Gnomes' were able to move through the
suggestions that these people might not have belonged earth "unobstructed as fish do through water, or birds
to our race. Archeological remains have included both and land animals through air' However, whether he
human and animal bones, various receptacles in coined the word "Gnome' himself or simply culled it
pottery and glass, metal tools, fragments of leather from the writings of an earlier author is unknown.