They don’t want you to know this but you can piss into a fairy ring while outside of it and it’s like killing someone in international waters. it doesnt count
Try it I dare you.
wow so grumpy who pissed in your fairy ring this morning? OH LMAO WAIT IT WAS ME HAHAHAHAHAAHA suck it seelie i’m behind 7 holly water spritzers
Two identical infants lay in the cradle. “One you bore, the other is a Changeling. Choose wisely,” the Fae’s voice echoed from the shadows. “I’m taking both my children,” the mother said defiantly.
Once upon a time there was a peasant woman who was unhappy because she had no children. She was happy in all other things – her husband was kind and loving, and they owned their farm and had food and money enough. But she longed for children.
She went to church and prayed for a child every Sunday, but no child came. She went to every midwife and wise woman for miles around, and followed all their advice, but no child came.
So at last, though she knew of the dangers, she drew her brown woolen shawl over her head and on Midsummer’s Eve she went out to the forest, to a certain clearing, and dropped a copper penny and a lock of her hair into the old well there, and she wished for a child.
“You know,” a voice said behind her, a low and cunning voice, a voice that had a coax and a wheedle and a sly laugh all mixed up in it together, “that there will be a price to pay later.”
She did not turn to look at the creature. She knew better. “I know it,” she said, still staring into the well. “And I also know that I may set conditions.”
“That is true,” the creature said, after a moment, and there was less laugh in its voice now. It wasn’t pleased that she knew that. “What condition do you set? A boy child? A lucky one?”
“That the child will come to no harm,” she said, lifting her head to stare into the woods. “Whether I succeed in paying your price, or passing your test, or not, the child will not suffer. It will not die, or be hurt, or cursed with ill luck or any other thing. No harm of any kind.”
“Ahhhhh.” The sound was long and low, between a sigh and a hum. “Yes. That is a fair condition. Whatever price there is, whatever test there is, it will be for you and you alone.” A long, slender hand extended into her sight, almost human save for the skin, as pale a green as a new leaf. The hand held a pear, ripe and sweet, though the pears were nowhere ripe yet. “Eat this,” the voice said, and she trembled with the effort of keeping her eyes straight ahead. “All of it, on your way home. Before you enter your own gate, plant the core of it beside the gate, where the ground is soft and rich. You will have what you ask for.”
Happy Friday the 13th, all! I hope everyone is avoiding bad luck so far today. If you have, you’re luckier than me, because the most unfortunate thing happened when I sat down to read the graphic novel trilogy The Good Neighbors: I discovered a Holly Black series that I simply did not like.
Yoosung jumped, his wings fluttering with embarrassment.
“Wh…wha…he’s just a human, they’re all ugly, hmph.” He said.
MC laughed, she enjoyed teasing her friend. Yoosung had been sneaking away to spy on this particular human for months now. She couldn’t blame him, he was very attractive. With his red hair, golden eyes, and brown freckles. He spent most of his time alone, the others seemed to shun him for some reason. There was always a book in his hands and often ran into things. That’s how Yoosung had first seen him. The man walked into the tree the fairy was hiding in. The shock had dislodged Yoosung from his limb and he had been rather cross.
“Ugly huh? Well, if that’s how you feel, maybe I’ll introduce myself and take my chances.” MC closed her eyes, ready to recite the incantation that would allow her to grow and change her appearance to that of a human. All the Fae were able to do it. It’s how they remained hidden from humanity.
“Stop!” Yoosung grabbed her arm and yanked her back up to the safety of the branches. His blush suffused his entire being. “OK, you win. He’s…he’s cute. But it’s more than that. He’s smart, and sweet, and kind. He doesn’t even hate those that bully him.” He went on, a look of admiration and affection. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the man sitting at the base of the tree.
With a sigh MC hugged him. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
Yoosung was surprised by that. What was he going to do about it? What could he do? “Uh…well.”
“What do you have to lose?” she smiled and backed away, watching as Yoosung recited the incantation and grew, his wings receding into his body, his pointy ears rounding out, his amethyst eyes losing their tilt. He sat on the branch and nodded towards MC, still able to see her. She gave him a thumbs up as he deftly jumped off and quietly landed on the ground.
“Uh, hello.” He said. The red head didn’t seem surprised, he simply looked up, a knowing look in his amber eyes.
“Hello. Are you…my fairy godmother?” he asked.
Yoosung smiled and sat next to him, shoulders touching. “No, I’m afraid not.”
“Oh, well, hello anyway.” The man returned to reading his book, but he didn’t complain about Yoosung’s closeness.
After a few seconds of comfortable silence the man asked, “Is your friend coming down too?”
“No, she won’t be joining us.”
“I see. I’d like to apologize.” He said.
“Apologize?” Yoosung asked, eyebrows furrowed.
“For knocking you out of the tree that one time. I was going to apologize then, but it looked like you were trying to stay hidden.”
“I appreciate that.” Yoosung smiled. “So you’ve been able to see me all along?”
“Of course. But I thought I’d be polite and wait until you were ready to show yourself of your own accord.”
“Is that why you kept coming to this tree?”
“Yes. If I didn’t see you in it, I’d just go back inside.”
Yoosung laughed softly and lay his blond head on the man’s shoulder. He heard the man’s intake of breath and muscle tension, but then he relaxed with a soft sigh, even leaning his own head against Yoosung’s.
“You don’t seem surprised by my existence.”
“I was, but then I went home and researched. It seems that there have been several sightings of fairies, dryads, and other Fae throughout the history of humanity. But most people these days don’t believe in them. Good thing too I suppose. If the world knew you were real, they would do everything in their power to capture and eradicate you.
Yoosung’s heart stopped a beat at the very real observation. “But…you’re not like that are you?”
“No. I’m very curious about you though, and your friend. She’s a dryad isn’t that right?”
“Yes. I see you have learned a great deal.”
“I’d like to learn more. Also…are you…I mean…do you…like me?” the man’s blush was almost as crimson as his hair, making Yoosung’s stomach bubble in a good way.
“Yes, very much.”
“I…thought so…but didn’t want to presume. Does this kind of thing happen often?”
“Not really. It isn’t strictly forbidden, but…it does cause problems.”
“I suppose it would. Still…I’d like to get to know you more.” Though he kept his eyes firmly on the pages of his open book, his body trembled slightly.
“I’d like that as well.”
From the branches above they both heard a very small yet heartfelt “Yay!”
Samhaine, or ‘Allhallow Even’ has for many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years been associated with Them Folk. In this post I’m going to explore the connection with the Sidhe, and let you know what makes it so special!
Fairy Festivities
The faeries have special celebrations at this time, with each court holding its own special spin on it! It is notably the time of many ‘goblin markets’, usually as a side-show to a great revelry, with much merriment and dancing. They have a number of competitions, like sports, and these are often the cause of the fae’s whisking unsuspectful mortals, as the presence of a living human in a team is supposed to loan great strength to it. The faeries often invite those with whom they are friendly, as well as the wandering dead, and witches, ghosts, and faeries are said to dance together tonight. It was, however, considered dangerous to spy or come to the festivities uninvited.
Faery Rade
Perhaps the culmination of all the festivities was the biannual Faery Rade, a kind of ride in procession with the queen or king or both leading, and the others riding behind in pairs. All are generally on snow-white horses. White, darting lights hover and dance above them, these are generally interpreted to be either earth lights or the more elemental sort of faery. The sound of hooves was normally heard before the Rade was seen, but no print or trace of the Rade was ever seen after. Sometimes it was visible from afar, but became invisible at close quarters. Those who witnessed it would crouch or lie face down so as not to be noticed. The Rade was, however, a faeryraidupon humans and farm animals, children and beautiful women (!) were liable to be taken if they were not protected. So it was part ceremonial and part practical. Both kinds of faery did this, both the human-sized trooping fae and the more diminuitive sort. Humans invited on the Rade often got into trouble when discovered, for example, drunk in the King of France’s wine cellar, but the faeries normally rescued them before the trouble got too bad!
Moving Day
The faery folk generally move homes biannually and on Samhaine, around midnight, all of the faeries would take of at once on horses and hemp-stalks and would all rush off in what looked like a huge, rushing cloud to passers-by, moving from their Summer to their Winter quarters.
Blighting
The final tradition directly related to the faeries was that any berries or harvest could not be harvested after Samhaine, as the Phoukas (a kind of faery) had blighted them. This applied especially to blackberries, the Faeries Fruit
