According to

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

a fairy path (or 'passage', 'avenue', or 'pass') is a route taken by fairies usually in a straight line and between sites of traditional significance, such as

fairy fort Fairy forts (also known as ''lios'' or ''raths'' from the Irish, referring to an earthen mound) are the remains of stone circles, ringforts, hillforts, or other circular prehistoric dwellings in Ireland. From (possibly) the late Iron Age to ea ...

s or raths (a class of circular earthwork dating from the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

), "airy" (eerie) mountains and hills, thorn bushes, springs, lakes, rock outcrops, and Stone Age monuments.

Ley line Ley lines () are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers arguing that these alignments were recognised by ancient soci ...

s and spirit paths, such as with

corpse road Corpse roads provided a practical means for transporting corpses, often from remote communities, to cemeteries that had burial rights, such as parish churches and chapels of ease. In Britain, such routes can also be known by a number of other nam ...

s, have some similarities with these fairy paths. A

fairy ring A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by ...

is also a path used by fairies, but in a circle, for dancing, as described by poet

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

, "...the fairies dance in a place apart, Shaking their milk-white feet in a ring,..." The concept is usually associated with

Celtic folklore Celtic folklore may refer to: The Folklore in the modern Celtic nations: * Hebridean mythology and folklore * Irish folklore * Scottish folklore * Welsh folklore Or the mythologies of ancient and modern Celtic peoples: * Celtic mythology * Irish ...

, especially that of Ireland.

Fairy paths and dwellings

In some parts of Ireland, Brittany and Germany there were fairy or spirit paths that while being invisible nevertheless had such perceived geographical reality in the minds of the country people that building practices were adapted to ensure they were not obstructed. A significant number of the characteristics of fairy paths are shared in common with

ley line Ley lines () are straight alignments drawn between various historic structures and prominent landmarks. The idea was developed in early 20th-century Europe, with ley line believers arguing that these alignments were recognised by ancient soci ...

s. In many parts of Northern Europe the round barrows were the traditional homes of the fairies,

elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes " ...

, or

trolls A troll is a being in Nordic folklore, including Norse mythology. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated areas of rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human bei ...

and were avoided by the country folk. Such places were Fairy Toot in

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, Elf Howe barrow near

Folkton Folkton is a small village and civil parish at the foot of the Yorkshire Wolds and on the edge of the Vale of Pickering on an area known as Folkton Carr ( carr meaning low lands) in the Scarborough district of North Yorkshire, England. Unti ...

, Yorkshire, and a round barrow at

Beedon Beedon is a village and civil parish about 6½ miles (10.4 km) north of Newbury in West Berkshire, England. Geography The village has outlying farmhouses, surrounded by farmland and hedgerows, and is otherwise clustered around the old A34 ...

in Berkshire.

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a historic county and ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people. Cornwall is bordered to the north and west by the Atlantic ...

was and is a stronghold of fairy lore: fairies are said to dance on Carn Gluze, near

St Just in Penwith St Just ( kw, Lan(n)ust), known as St Just in Penwith, is a town and civil parish in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It lies along the B3306 road which connects St Ives to the A30 road. The parish encompasses th ...

.Bord, Janet & Colin (1973) ''Mysterious Britain''. Garnstone Press. ; p. 70. In Danish

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

there was a belief that "Barrow-folk" dwelt in barrows and were descendants of

fallen angel In the Abrahamic religions, fallen angels are angels who were expelled from heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" never appears in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven"Mehdi Azaiez, Gabriel Said ...

s cast out of Heaven.''Northern Mythology, Comprising the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands'', Benjamin Thorpe & E. Lumley, 1851; pp. 115–124 Likewise, it was considered bad luck to let cattle graze on any place where the Elf-folk have been, or to let the cattle mingle with the large blue cattle of the elves. However, all evils may be averted if one were to ask at an "Elf-barrow" for permission to graze cattle on their mound. Some Danish "Elf-barrows" included one near Galtebjerg, another not far from Kalundborg; one between

Thisted Thisted is a town in the municipality of Thisted in the North Denmark Region of Denmark. It has a population of 13,461 (1 January 2022)Aalborg that was said to be the home of an elfin

smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

; two near Sundby where a troll-smith would ride from one to the other followed by his apprentices and journeymen; and one at Tröstrup where according to legend a giant was buried, and it was said his daughter wandered across the fields and one day met a ploughman whom she took back to her father who then set the man free, fearing that they'd be driven out of their barrow. In Sweden similar beliefs existed and one barrow called ''Helvetesbacke'' (''"Hell's mouth"'') that lies near Kråktorps gård, Småland, was claimed to be the burial mound of Odin. In Germany the Wild Troop of Rodenstein was said to ride a straight path between the castles of Rodenstein and Schnellert. Also throughout Europe are Corpse roads, which are generally believed to be of the same basic belief as ''fairy paths'' and most likely share an origin. In Germany and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

in particular, these tend to be straight invisible lines and are known by a variety of names including ''Geisterweg'' ("ghost-way" or "ghost-road") and ''Helweg'' ("hell-way" or "hell-road") in German and ''Doodweg'' ("death-way" or "death-road") in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

. A similarly straight road did however run straight over various burial mounds at Rösaring, Lassa in southern Sweden.

Consequences of blocking fairy paths

In Ireland, people who had illnesses or other misfortune, were said to live in houses that were "in the way" or in a "contrary place", obstructing a fairy path. An example is that of a family in which four children sickened and died, leaving the doctors baffled. The fifth child sickened and was near death, only to make a sudden and full recovery. The father told the doctor that he had consulted a wise woman who informed him that his new house extension blocked a fairy path between two fairy forts, whereupon he demolished it and his child became healthy again.Bord, Janet and Colin (1976). ''The Secret Country''. Pub.

Paul Elek Paul Elek is a British publisher, the founder of Paul Elek Publishers, whose publication of Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'' saved him from bankruptcy. Richard Pape's first book, ''Boldness Be My Friend'', was an account of h ...

, London. . p. 38. Ängsälvor - Nils Blommér 1850

An example of this fairy path straightness is provided by an account concerning a croft (now a cattle shed) at Knockeencreen,

Brosna, County Kerry Brosna () is a village and parish situated in the Sliabh Luachra area of County Kerry, Ireland. It lies from the town of Castleisland. The civil parish of Brosna consists of the village and a number of townlands. It is a mainly agricultural a ...

. In an interview in the 1980s, the last human occupant told of the troubles his grandfather had experienced there, with his cattle periodically and inexplicably dying. The front door is exactly opposite the back door. The grandfather was informed by a passing Gypsy that the dwelling stands on a fairy path running between two hills. The Gypsy advised the grandfather to keep the doors slightly ajar at night to allow the fairies free passage. The advice was heeded and the problem ceased. It so happens that the building is indeed on a straight line drawn between two local hilltops, and is, moreover, at one end of a long, straight track.Where the Leylines led
Wentz, W. Y. (1911). ''The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries.'' Reprinted. Colin Smythe (1981). . p. 33. The fairies processed from Rath Ringlestown in Ireland every night and parents brought their children in before the fairies were due to pass. The path passed round several bushes which were left undisturbed by the locals. A man who cut down one bush could not get it to burn and sickened and died within a short while as a supposed consequence of his actions. The route also passed between two mud-wall houses and a man who was out at the wrong time was found dead; the fairies having taken him for getting in the way of the procession. A traditional folk tale from the Southern Shore of Newfoundland, Canada, concerns a young married couple who discovered that they had built their house on a path used by the good people, and the steps that couple take to rid themselves of fairy mischief. It seems therefore that the fairy folk had emigrated together with their human counterparts or had been in Canada from time immemorial. (audio) Home-owners have knocked corners from houses because the corner blocked the fairy path,Silver, Carole G. (1999) Strange and Secret Peoples: Fairies and Victorian Consciousness. Oxford University Press. p.47 and cottages have been built with the front and back doors in line, so that the owners could, in need, leave them both open and let the fairies troop through all night.Lenihan, Eddie and Green, Carolyn Eve (2004) ''Meeting The Other Crowd: The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland''. pp.146–7 It was believed that a house built on a fairy path would suffer from midnight noises or supernatural manifestations. Ill-luck in the form of sick farm animals or personal illness could be the result and one remedy was to build small fires in several places along the fairy path, using fire from the blessed fire of Saint John's Eve that was lit every year at sunset on 23 June.Bord, Janet and Colin (1976). ''The Secret Country''. Pub. Paul Elek, London. . pp. 26 – 27.

Detecting fairy paths and overcoming their influence

Some builders used to use a technique to see if the planned construction was going to be on a fairy path; they would map out the floor plan in the earth and place a pile of stones at each corner and leave it overnight, if the stones were undisturbed it was safe to build, otherwise the work would not continue. There is another theme that states if one's house is on a fairy path, one must leave the doors and windows open at night, front and back, to allow fairies to pass through. Builders were also advised against using white quartz in their stonework, as it is said to be a fairy stone. Wise-women were thought to be able to advise home builders of the existence of fairy paths, however in most folk-tales they are only consulted after the event and as a result of disturbances, bad luck, etc. A building placed on a fairy path would be demolished by the fairy folk, at least twice, often remaining standing however on the third attempt.Wentz, W. Y. (1911). ''The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries.'' Reprinted. Colin Smythe (1981). . P. 67.

Walking along fairy paths

Paths that the fairies travel along are usually stated as being best avoided, however they also had certain benefits to humans, such as with 'trods' in the West of England. These are a straight-line fairy path in the grass of a field with a different shade of green to the rest. People with rheumatism sought relief by walking along these tracks, though animals avoid them. Great danger was still very much associated with using these paths at times when a supernatural procession might be using them.

Fairy ring A fairy ring, also known as fairy circle, elf circle, elf ring or pixie ring, is a naturally occurring ring or arc of mushrooms. They are found mainly in forested areas, but also appear in grasslands or rangelands. Fairy rings are detectable by ...

s have certain elements in common with this phenomenon and were seen as 'gateways' into the realm of supernatural beings.Pennick, Nigel (1996). ''Celtic Sacred Landscapes''. Thames & Hudson. . P. 132. The

Tylwyth teg (Middle Welsh for "Fair Family"; ) is the most usual term in Wales for the mythological creatures corresponding to the fairy folk of English and Continental folklore and the Irish . Other names for them include ("Blessing of the Mothers"), an ...

of Wales have paths on which it is death for a mortal to walk.Wentz, W. Y. (1911). ''The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries.'' Reprinted. Colin Smythe (1981). . P. 150. The Breton

Ankou Ankou ( Breton: ''an Ankoù'') is a servant of death in Breton, Cornish (''an Ankow'' in Cornish), Welsh (''yr Angau'' in Welsh) and Norman French folklore. Background Ankou appears as a man or skeleton wearing a black robe and a large ha ...

, who is king of the dead, and his subjects have their own particular paths along which they process.Wentz, W. Y. (1911). ''The Fairy-faith in Celtic Countries.'' Reprinted. Colin Smythe (1981). . P. 218.

Underwater fairy paths

Irish fairy paths are said to also exist under water, reminiscent of causeways in marshes at sacred sites and those to

crannog A crannog (; ga, crannóg ; gd, crannag ) is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes and estuarine waters of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Unlike the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, which were bu ...

s and other islands. These paths, only used by the fairy folk, ran from one island to another and were paved with coral, making them and their travellers visible to fishermen in their boats above.Pennick, Nigel (1996). ''Celtic Sacred Landscapes''. Thames & Hudson. . P. 133.

References

External links

Audio recording of a traditional Newfoundland folktale about a fairy path
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fairy Path Irish folklore Fairies European folklore Footpaths