Fairy Folklore: Changelings

Illustration by Warwick Goble, public domain

Today I wanted to talk about an element of many European mythologies that has inspired a whole new book series for me: the changelings of fairy folklore.

The new series is coming soon and is titled Children of the Death Gods.

Book One: The Bone Faerie

Book Two: The Blood Changeling

Book Three: The Death God

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Now, let's discuss changelings!

Changelings are both a tragic and terrifying part of fairy folklore because the idea of them caused actual deaths of actual people.

In case you didn't know, in the original stories, fairies are not the adorable, benevolent creatures that many modern storytellers portray them as. The fairies can be cruel tricksters, and the lore surrounding changelings is one example of this, as changelings are fairies who have been swapped for humans (most often human children, but sometimes adults too) by other fairies.

Illustration by Martino di Bartolomeo, public domain

The old belief in changelings caused some families to abandon, abuse, and even kill their children who had unexplained conditions and illnesses.

Essentially, if children were difficult or different, some folks explained it away by saying the fairies had switched out their real child for a naughty or deformed fairy. Can you imagine? This is so, so sad and scary to think about.

What's more, changeling "cases" didn't just occur centuries upon centuries ago. In 1895, not even two hundred years ago, an Irish woman named Bridget Cleary was murdered after she was accused of being a changeling (although whether she was truly murdered for superstitious reasons has been up for debate).

Illustration by John Bauer, public domain

Bridget, an independent woman of her time, passed a "fairy fort" while making a delivery. When she got home that evening, she fell ill, and after she'd been sick for several days, her husband, Michael, allegedly grew fearful that she'd fallen ill because of supernatural causes - i.e., the fairies (although again, whether he was actually superstitious has been up for debate).

At the very least, it appeared to the people around Michael that he'd convinced himself Bridget wasn't really Bridget - that the woman before him was a changeling, that the fairies had stolen his wife.

Sadly, Michael's claims resonated with some folks, and they helped him as he went on to hire a "fairy doctor" and "exorcise" Bridget.

After the exorcism appeared to be unsuccessful, Michael burned Bridget alive. Then he staked out the "fairy fort" she'd passed by most recently. In doing so, he seemed to be awaiting the moment in which the fairies would return his "real wife" to him.

Thankfully, Michael was arrested and charged for murdering Bridget, as were those who'd aided him in his crimes.

I hope you enjoyed March 2023's favorite folktale!