The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
A man one time was led by invisible musicians for several miles
together, and not being able to resist the harmony, followed till it
conducted him to a large common, where were a great number of little
people sitting round a table, and eating and drinking in a very jovial
manner. Among them were some faces whom he thought he had formerly seen,
but forbore taking any notice, or they of him, till the little people
offering him drink, one of them, whose features seemed not unknown to
him, plucked him by the coat, and forbade him whatever he did to taste
anything he saw before him, "For if you do," added he, "you will be as I
am, and return no more to your family." The poor man was much
affrighted, but resolved to obey the injunction. Accordingly, a large
silver cup, filled with some sort of liquor, being put into his hand, he
found an opportunity to throw what it contained on the ground. Soon
after, the music ceasing, all the company disappeared, leaving the cup
in his hand, and he returned home, though much wearied and fatigued. He
went the next day, and communicated to the minister of the parish all
that had happened, and asked his advice, how he should dispose of the
cup, to which the parson replied, he could not do better than to devote
it to the service of the church, and this very cup, they say, is that
which is now used for the consecrated wine in Kirk Merlugh.
_The Fairies' Christening._
A woman related that being great with child, and expecting every
moment the good hour, as she lay awake one night in her bed, she saw
seven or eight little women come into her chamber, one of whom had an
infant in her arms. They were followed by a man of the same size with
themselves, but in the habit of a minister. One of them went to the
pail, and finding no water in it, cried out to the others, what must
they do to christen the child? On which they replied it should be done
in beer. With that the seeming parson took the child in his arms, and
performed the ceremony of baptism, dipping his head into a great tub
of strong beer, which the woman had brewed the day before to be ready
for her lying-in. She said they baptised the infant by the name of
Joan, which made her know she was pregnant of a girl, as it proved a
few days after when she was delivered. She added, that it was common
for the fairies to make a mock christening when any person was near
her time, and that, according to what child, male or female, they
brought, such should the woman bring into the world.
_The Fairy-Whipping._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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