There are Fairies in the Neighbourhood

Historically fairy sightings tended to be reported most often in wild places, forests, forgotten rivers and other out-of-the-way places. But it wasn’t uncommon to hear of fairies spotted at the edges of villages either or even inside people’s homes. While fairies seem to prefer natural spaces, they don’t entirely avoid the places where humans spend most of their time.

Fairies in Local Environments

In Irish folklore, it is believed that fairy paths crisscross the land, passing through farms, neighbourhoods, and even directly through houses. The fairies use these paths to travel or to celebrate, and to hinder them is to invite misfortune. For this reason, some houses, barns or sheds in Ireland were built with the front and back doors aligned so that fairies could pass through undisturbed while travelling on their paths.

While this belief appears to be specific to Ireland, fairy paths crisscrossing the land would explain fairy sightings in urban or suburban environments around the world. I like the idea of fairy paths myself, and the idea that there could be fairies passing through the area at any time and maybe hanging around for a brief stay.

My latest video features seven stories from people who believe they encountered a fairy in an urban or suburban spot.

"Up and down, up and down
I will lead them up and down:
I am fear'd in field and town; 
Goblin, lead them up and down."

- A Midsummer Night's Dream

🍄 Featured:

This month my novel The Ghosts of Nothing is part of a sales promo for non-romantic fantasy books. The e-book is now on sale for $1.99 USD. Other books are part of this promo, too. I think most if not all of them are on sale, and some are even free. All the books are fantasies, either with no romance or a minor romantic subplot (for those who prefer fantasies in which romance isn't the central focus of the story).

Here's the link: https://books.bookfunnel.com/nonroman...

Check out the other books while you're there and give the authors some support if you like their work! Some of them look like they could be good. I noticed at least one that looked like it involved fairies. 🧚 ✨

Until next time,

Your Scary Fairy Godmother