Fairy Facts

Fairy Crafts

* Fairies are very creative and talented with their hands and possess many skills.

* Sometimes, fairies teach their skills to humans and sometimes they tempt humans with their wares in return for babies and other precious commodities.

* Fairies are skilled in spinning, weaving, shoe-making, leather works, metal works and music making.

* Some say that fairies are not really more talented than humans, but they possess the magic of glamour, which gives the illusion that the things they made were of a better quality.

Fairy Food

* Fairies love milk and honey and drink flower nectar as their fairy wine.

* Fairies love cake, especially if served with dishes of milk or cream.

Fairy Homes

* Eggshells are favourite fairy homes.

* Fairies don?t usually live with humans.

* They reside in small communities made up of their own kind.

Fairy Rings

* Fairies love music and dancing. They dance in fairy rings by moonlight or in the mist.

* A circle of mushrooms is called a fairy circle, a sure sign of fairy activity.

* Fairy rings are circles of rank or withered grass, often seen in lawns, meadows and grass-plots. They are said to be produced by the fairies dancing on the spot.

* A human caught in the fairy ring has to dance for a year and a day, but to him it only seems like minutes.

* Once inside a fairy ring, a human cannot escape unless a human chain from the outside is formed to pull him/her out.

* If inside a fairy ring, humans should never eat or drink anything that is offered to them.

Fairy Traits

* Fairies possess unpredictable and humorous mischief.

* Smaller fairies are more beautiful and virtuous.

* Taller fairies are more dishonest and steal butter, milk, cows, goats and babies which they leave ugly changelings in their place.

* Fairies do not like the idea of having their names known.

* Fairies can assume any form.

* Every time a fairy changes shapes he/she loses a size.

* Fairies like to ?borrow? items from humans such as food and tools.

Seeing Fairies

* Only certain people can see fairies. This gift is called ?Fairy Sight?

* All cats have Fairy Sight by nature.

* Cats are very jealous of fairies.

* If you want to know where the fairies live in your house, follow your cat.

* If you make a tea of marigold flowers and wash your eyelids with it, you may see fairies.

* Midsummer Eve, at twilight, is the best time to see fairies.

* Look for fairies where Oak trees grow. Fairy Folk live in Old Oaks.

* Sometimes fairies disguise themselves as dragonflies, rabbits, deer or bees.

* Yellow butterflies are messengers from Fairyland.

* A four-leaf clover can give a person the ability to see a fairy even if they are in their invisible state.

* People born in the morning can?t see spirits or the fairy world.

Protection Against Fairies

* Whenever you enter a fairy dwelling you should always remember to stick a piece of steel, such as a knife, a needle or a fish-hook in the door; for then the elves will not be able to shut the door until you come out again.

* Bells are used as protection against fairies and evil spirits.

* Fairies don?t like the sound of bells, especially church bells. (The exception are those bells that hang on their horses? harnesses.)

* Fairies despise iron and it is said that it can harm a fairy.

* To guard against mischievous spirits, it is best to use flint.

* Whenever you have shot a deer and are bringing it home at night, be sure to thrust a knife into the carcass, for that keeps the fairies from laying their weight on it.

* A knife or mail in your pocket in enough to prevent the fairies from lifting you up at night.

* Some believe that if fairies know a person?s name, they will do them an injury; but so long as they do not know their name, these mischievous sprites are powerless.

* If you place your shoes with the toes pointing away from the bed, you can protect yourself against fairy pranks while you sleep.

* Ancient arrowheads, called elf stones, are used as a charm to guard cattle.

* Fairies never eat salt and humans who even taste unsalted fairy food have the spell put on them making them forgetful of their past life. If a human carried a pinch of salt at all times, he would be guaranteed a good meal, and a good story to tell when he returned home.

* Rue, St. John?s Wort and Yarrow are said to be anti-fairy herbs.

* Bread is an ancient food made from wheats and grains and is considered to be a symbol of life. A piece of bread in your pocket can be used as a protection against fairies.

Fairy Likes

* Fairies really like hunting, riding in procession, and sports such as hurling. Often the fairies must bring a mortal man to join their side in a hurling match, to give them strength.

* Fairies love playing chess, long considered a game fit for kings.

* Fairies like order, tidiness and neatness.

* Fairies like warm hospitality, generosity, good manner, cheerfulness, honesty and sincerity.

* Fairies like golden hair, particularly on beautiful young women.

* Fairies prefer bright coloured clothing.

* Fairies love the sound of the crowing of a rooster.

* Fairies love nature, woodland animals and tending to flowers.

* Fairies love shiny stones, like marbles.

* According to farmers, fairies love to play in the straw.

* Green is the fairies favourite colour. The second favourite colour is red.

* Fairies love musical instruments. Their favourites are panpipes, cymbals, harps, whistles and drums.

Fairy Dislikes

* Fairies don?t like humans who break taboos (known as geasas) imposed by fairies. Often a fairy gift is given with a magically imposed prohibition attached to it. If the taboo is broken, the gift or power is often taken away.

* Fairies don?t like being intruded upon or spied upon (they punish this severely)

* Fairies don?t like the theft of fairy possessions by humans. Though they think it perfectly acceptable to steal from people, they are furious if people steal from them. Similarly, they have no sense of humour if one of their tricks gets played back on them.

* Fairies don?t like rudeness, selfishness or people who are moody or melancholy.

* Fairies don?t like humans who boast of fairy gifts they have received.

Other Fairy Facts

* Fairies wear clothing made of foxglove flowers. Foxglove is also called ?fairies petticoats?.

* A Stone with a ring around it is called a fairy stone and holds much magic.

* According to medieval romance, fairies and all the tribes of elves of every description are converted into hideous animals on Friday, and remain so til Monday.

* The wild Irish peasantry believe that dust is raised on roads by fairies on a journey, and raise their hats to it, saying, ?God speed you, gentlemen?. The Arabs think the whirlwind and waterspout are caused by evil jinns.

* Fairies inhabit kingdoms and palaces either underground or in Fairyland.

* Since fairy time does not correspond to human time, humans who spend the night with fairies often return to see their great-grandchildren who are unknown to them.

* Fairy gold can float in Fairyland.

* The tangles we get in our hair at night are cause by fairies.

* If you dance with fairies until dawn you will never stop.

* If you step on a fairy's toes while dancing, you will turn to stone.