The Queen of the Fairies is sometimes named Queen Mab, depending on the source material. She’s also known as the Queen of Elfland, the Queen of Elphame, and Titania. So who is Mab? Does she come from English folklore, or is Mab the name given by playwrights and poets to the Queen in folklore? Let’s […]
fairies
Fairy Legends of the Bannau Brycheiniog
We’re off to the gorgeous surroundings of the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) this week for the Folklore of Mountains and Hills. There’s also a lovely link with my focus on Northumberland last week. Where the Northumberland National Park and most of Kielder Water & Forest Park are an International Dark Sky Park, the Bannau Brycheiniog […]
Are the Dancing Fairies of Northumbria Benign or Malevolent?
Tales of fairies exist all over the world, and there are hundreds to choose from right here in the British Isles. Yet they often have a particular ‘flavour’ or motif that lets you group them together. One of the common motifs of folk tales in the northeast of England is that of dancing fairies. It […]
Shapeshifting Creatures of Folklore: Fairies, Selkies and Ghosts
Shapeshifting is an ancient ability that appears in cultures around the world across the ages. It appears in an array of ‘types’ of shapeshifting. Some creatures can simply shift their form due to a natural ability. Gods often change their form (hello, Zeus), but they can also change the form of others. Look at the […]
Was the location of Callaly Castle really picked by fairies?
Callaly Castle stands around 9 miles west of Alnwick. It’s a Grade I listed building, although there’s no public access. Architects divided the house into private apartments in 1987, and it has been a private residence ever since. Yet the castle features an odd history, as many castles in the north east of England do. […]
Brownies in Folklore: Household Help or Hindrance?
For many in the UK, brownies recall troops of girls clad in brown and yellow, earning badges in a prelude to joining the Girl Guides. Yet they reference the helpful fairies that apparently did housework overnight to help their chosen households. Katharine Briggs considers the brownies as one of the “most easily described and most […]
