Changelings || Baby-Stealing Fair Folk

Hello! I wanted to share some interesting information with you today about changelings :fairy:

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What is a changeling?

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In short, a changeling is a member of the sídhe (pronounced shee) that steals away human babies and new mothers. Why would the Fair Folk do that? Well, there are two different reasons that I found in folklore.

  1. The Fair Folk wanted to take the human babies and raise them as their own.
  2. The Fair Folk needed human breastmilk to raise their own children.
  3. The Fair folk would exchange their own sick babies for healthy human babies.

It may be crazy to think about, but in my belief system, changelings are a 100% legitimate concern. So, how do you get rid of one?

I’ll give you a hint:fire: :fire: :fire: :fire:

There are many methods of getting rid of a changeling and getting your own baby back - and most of them involve fire! I give more detail in the video I’ve included below, but a brief description of the methods of keeping them away include…

  • placing the changeling on a hot pan over a fire
  • threatening a changeling with hot tongs
  • starving and beating a changeling until it runs away

But how do you know if your baby is a changeling?

Honestly, you don’t? Or you do? The folklore isn’t very clear because every story is different. Some stories say that you can tell when a baby is a changeling because it looks different or it acts different. Some stories say that changelings are inconsolable. They do nothing but cry, scream, and be generally fussy.

Keeping them away…

The number one way to keep a changeling away is to keep iron around the home. The Fair Folk have a natural aversion to iron and would generally not risk getting hurt to steal away a baby. Some stories say that an open pair of iron scissors was kept hanging on the wall above a baby’s bed. Some say the same thing about iron tongs over the cradle. In any case, iron is a definite way of keeping the Fair Folk - and the changelings - away from your baby.

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Want more info?

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I definitely recommend watching the above video and checking out the links I’ve got for you here.

Have you ever had an experience with a changeling? Have you ever heard of them?

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Links and More Reading

Are the Tuatha de Danaan Sidhe? - Lora O’Brien
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqGAsU3LFu4&t=210s]

Heather Dale - Changeling Child
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe0FmI47W7U]

The Science of Fairy Tales: An Enquiry Into Fairy Mythology by Edwin Sidney Hartland [1891]
[The Science of Fairy Tales: Chapter V: Changelings]

Fairy Legends and Traditions by Thomas Crofton Croker [1825]
[Fairy Legends and Traditions: The Changeling]

Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Lady Francesca Speranza Wilde [1887]
[Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland: The Fairy Changeling]

Sidhe Faerie Folk
[Sidhe Faerie Folk - Irish Folklore Stories From Ireland]

Duchas.ie Changeling Stories
[Stories · The Schools' Collection | dúchas.ie]

Belief in Fairies - National Folklore Collection
[Hollyfort · The Schools' Collection | dúchas.ie]

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This was very informative.

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I hadn’t heard of a Changeling until I was researching my witch name & fairies. I did know about the Iron though. I would love to connect with the fae, I feel like I lean towards a Celtic & Eclectic Witch. I definitely resonate with it more than other types. So I like to learn as much as I can about such things.

Thank you for the information. I really enjoyed reading it!

3 Likes

Thanks for this, very interesting…creepy too lol. But I like folklore.
Funny thing, Ive always liked things made of iron. I have items all around the house of it.

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I have 2 sets of cast iron cookware. I can’t even say pans because I have a soup pot & frying pans of varying sizes. I asked my Mom for one frying pan that was my grandmother’s & she gave me that plus a full set of cookware. Talk about heavy, we have to keep them in the basement because our shelves would be bowed.

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