Fairy Rings Strange rings of grass that are either greener and taller than the rest, or brown and dead. These rings are anywhere from from a few inches to a few feet in diameter. These odd occurances are called Fairy Circles, and the usual folklore explanation is that the circles form where fairies dance. Country folk steered clear of these circles, fearing that they would become trapped inside by the power of the fairies. Another common story behind these circles (particularly in Scandinavia and Europe) is that the Devil roams the countryside with a bucket, stealing milk from the cows. The rings show where he set his bucket down during his travels.
And the truth is: Unfortunately, there is a scientific basis for these rings in the grass. There is a variety of mushroom or fungus that grows beneath the soil, and develops outward in a ring shape. Different species of fungus effects the grass in different ways, resulting in the various shapes and looks of the 'fairy rings'.