Also called Síofra, Plentyn newid (Welsh).
The tale
Across the Celtic lands people believed that fairies stole healthy babies and new mothers, leaving a sickly fairy in their place. One famous trick was to brew beer in eggshells in front of the changeling, who would cry out that he had never seen such a thing in all his hundreds of years and so reveal himself. Tragically these beliefs sometimes led to cruelty, as in the killing of Bridget Cleary by her husband in 1895.
When they are met
- at birth and in early infancy
- Bealtaine and Samhain, when fairies were most active
Staying on their good side
- the old charm of iron, such as open scissors over the cradle
- a sprig of rowan above the door
- most of all, loving care and a doctor's help for a sick child
Honouring them, or keeping safe
- Remember that these beliefs once caused real harm to sick children and women.
- Honour those who suffered, such as Bridget Cleary, killed in Tipperary in 1895.
What their tales teach
- the tales teach how people explained illness and disability
- compassion for the vulnerable
Symbols
- the cradle
- iron scissors
- eggshells
This is a folk belief with a real and harmful history; it should never be acted on.
Sources
- Croker, Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland
- Bourke, The Burning of Bridget Cleary
- Sikes, British Goblins
More Celtic folklore
- The Banshee The keening woman of the fairy mound
- Selkies The seal folk who come ashore
- The Púca The shape-shifter of November
- The Aos Sí The people of the fairy mounds
- The Kelpie The water horse of the lochs
- The Tylwyth Teg The Fair Family of Wales
- Leprechaun The solitary fairy shoemaker
- Clurichaun The fairy of the wine cellar