When you think of faeries, what comes to mind? For many, it’s the benevolent wish-granters and environmental champions depicted by Disney and other Hollywood cleansers. However, delve into actual folklore, and you’ll uncover a more sinister and complex world. Far from being the charming creatures of modern tales, faeries have long been feared as beings who kidnap, deceive, and even kill. Here, we explore the darker side of faerie folklore, shedding light on their terrifying nature and their often malevolent interactions with humans.
The Sinister Reality of Faerie Tithes
One of the most chilling aspects of faerie folklore is their connection to the underworld. According to the ballad of Tam Lin, the Fairy Queen pays a tithe to Hell every seven years. To meet this grim obligation, faeries kidnap mortals to serve as their payment on Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The tale of Tam Lin tells of a mortal man captured by faeries, highlighting the constant danger humans faced from these otherworldly beings.
Vulnerable Mothers and Changeling Lore
Childbirth and motherhood were particularly perilous times for women, making them prime targets for faerie abduction. Robert Kirk, a Scottish clergyman, detailed such occurrences in his 1691 work, “The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies.” According to Kirk, faeries often steal new mothers directly from their childbed, replacing them with a changeling—a doppelganger that would eventually appear to die. After an indeterminate period of servitude in the faerie realm, these women might be returned to their families, forever changed by their experiences.
The Dangerous Lure of the Faerie Women
While women were commonly abducted, men faced their own unique dangers from faerie women. The Irish poet W. B. Yeats wrote of the Leanhaun Shee, or the Fairy Mistress. This faerie would seduce men, drawing them into a perilous relationship. If a man accepted her love, he would be trapped until he could find another to take his place. The Fairy Mistress, revered as the Gaelic muse, inspired art and poetry but left her lovers drained and wrecked. This dark muse is often blamed for the untimely deaths of many young Irish poets.
Faeries in Literature: Tales of Seduction and Despair
The destructive power of faerie seduction is a recurring theme in literature. John Keats’s poem “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” tells the story of a knight enthralled by a beautiful faerie, only to be left desolate and yearning. Similarly, the ancient legend “The Dream of Angus” recounts the story of a proud warrior brought low by his longing for a supernatural woman. These tales serve as poignant reminders that interactions with faeries are fraught with danger and often lead to ruin.
The Dual Nature of Faeries
Faeries, as depicted in folklore, are far from the benevolent beings of modern imagination. They are complex and often malevolent, capable of both enchanting and destroying those who cross their paths. While they inspire awe and wonder, their true nature is rooted in a darker, more terrifying tradition. Whether through kidnapping, deception, or seduction, faeries have long been a source of fear and fascination, reminding us that there is always more than meets the eye.
