This was so fascinating! I remember reading years ago about placating the fairies in Ireland. There was a huge, ancient tree that the locals believed was a fairy tree but the government wanted to get rid of it to make room for a highway going through the valley. The locals strongly protested because they felt it would make the fairies angry. So the road ended up being built going around it.
I took an amazing class in college called The Supernatural in Every day History. We spent a day talking about fairies and people's eye witness accounts of seeing them. It was so fascinating!
I just found your page and loved this post so much, can't wait to dig into more of your work and look into some of the books your referenced here! Since you are more well-versed in this topic, I remember reading in something (can't remember where) about "Halloween" (or around this time) where I believe it was celts would want to ward off certain dark faries and that was where some of the trick or treating (dressing up, handing out treats, etc) came from (this may have also come from other cultures as well)? Have you ever heard this, I am always fascinated in how various traditions got started or twisted around from ancient traditions. Just wanted to ask!
Faeries have always been highly political. Your post put me in mind of Edmund Spencer’s Faerie Queene and his depiction of Elizabeth I as Gloriana, the Faerie Queen and Mary Queen of Scots as Duessa, the deceitful crocodile. James VI was so insulted by this depiction of his mother that the poem was banned in Scotland and became unpopular with Elizabeth herself too!
Arthur Conan Doyle and James Barrie were friends and played cricket together. I wonder if he also clapped his hands saying “I believe in fairies” to save Tinkerbell?
This was so fascinating! I remember reading years ago about placating the fairies in Ireland. There was a huge, ancient tree that the locals believed was a fairy tree but the government wanted to get rid of it to make room for a highway going through the valley. The locals strongly protested because they felt it would make the fairies angry. So the road ended up being built going around it.
I took an amazing class in college called The Supernatural in Every day History. We spent a day talking about fairies and people's eye witness accounts of seeing them. It was so fascinating!
I just found your page and loved this post so much, can't wait to dig into more of your work and look into some of the books your referenced here! Since you are more well-versed in this topic, I remember reading in something (can't remember where) about "Halloween" (or around this time) where I believe it was celts would want to ward off certain dark faries and that was where some of the trick or treating (dressing up, handing out treats, etc) came from (this may have also come from other cultures as well)? Have you ever heard this, I am always fascinated in how various traditions got started or twisted around from ancient traditions. Just wanted to ask!
Another brilliant post. 😃
Faeries have always been highly political. Your post put me in mind of Edmund Spencer’s Faerie Queene and his depiction of Elizabeth I as Gloriana, the Faerie Queen and Mary Queen of Scots as Duessa, the deceitful crocodile. James VI was so insulted by this depiction of his mother that the poem was banned in Scotland and became unpopular with Elizabeth herself too!
Arthur Conan Doyle and James Barrie were friends and played cricket together. I wonder if he also clapped his hands saying “I believe in fairies” to save Tinkerbell?