Faery Lore             The saying "knock on wood" arose from faery lore, you was to say it when speaking of ones good fortune. This was acknowledgement that the woodland faeries were being kind, if the person didn't say and do this action ( knocking on wood ) the faeries might withdraw their help and the result could be distastrious.        Every European culture has faery lore, in European literature they are seen as being both good and helpful and evil. The cute helpful faery ia a modern concept, but in all faery beliefs are the one concept of Time Distortion and hidden entrances to the Faery World. One night in faery realm often translated to several years in mortal time. Secret entrances to the realms were found in Mounds or Tree trunks, faeries have a strong aversion to the metal Iron, so this metal was used as a protection against them. When entering a faery realm, the person should stick a piece of Iron in the door to prevent it from closing. As the faeries will not touch it, so they wouldn't be able to stop the person leaving of his/her own free will.        Faery Rings are a cirle of dark green grass or Mushrooms/Toadstools on the ground. They are said to be the spot of a Faery Gathering and it should never be disturbed as it would offend the fairies and the act would bring the person bad luck.        Holed Stones or Hag Stones are a Doorway or Key to a doorway into the Faery Kingdom. They are also said to have the power to bind a faery to ones service for a period of time. Holed Stones are also Sacred objects in Wicca and Witchcraft and are associated with the Goddess and Faeries. It is said that one can see the faeries by peering with the left eye through the hole in the stone. Whistling through the hole is also a means of calling the faeries.   The "Trooping" of Faeries appears in Celtic Legends and the Fairy Cult Of Sicily. Sicillian faeries formed groups called "Companies", such as the Company of Nobles and the Company of the Poor. The faeries had the power to bless the fields, cure illness and bestoe good fortune. But if the faeries were illtreated they would cause harm. The offender would only be released from their enchantment is an offering was made to appease them. The companies were essentially Matriarchel, although somes males were included. Only a Human Woman could free an offender from a faery spell.   Faeries are said to be fond of dancing in circles and if a person took a walk outside at night, they might actually see the faeries feasting and dancing.   Faeries could be mischievous or even cruel, capable of stealing human children for their own breeding purposes and leaving a substitute or changeling in their place. If anything angered them, they could use their magickal powers to inflict disease. But they could be kept friendly by offerings of food and drink.   They were sometimes said to live in a fireplace and help with the housework, if the fire was kept clean for them. They could lend farmers cattle that yielded unending milk. Faery women were said to marry mortal men and bring much happiness, and they could bestow good luck, beauty and talent on children.   Faeries are associated with nature, they inhabit wilderness, heaths and forests. They were akin to the "wild men and women" who combined human, animal and spirit and were believed to roam the forests in medieval times. Elements of the wild woman lingered in folk tales of the lonely Witch who lived in the forest. Gradually this image was transferred to that of Witches.   Over time the distinction between Faeries and Witches was difficulf to make. Ideas about both have merged at certain periods and changed. Romanian Healers were said to cure diseases caused by the Faeries and met in night gatherings ruled over by Doamma Zonelor, the "Queen" of the Faeries, a Romanian version of Diana or Aradia. Both who have connections with Witchcraft and the Wild Hunt. There were Sicilian beliefs about the Donna Di Fuora, who was a mixture of Faery and Witch. There were two meanings for this name, the first a supernatural Faery-like creature of either sex who accompanied Witches on night-time excursions and the second was associated with the name that the accused Witches went by at Witch Trials.      NEXT     page by witching puppy