The Cottingley Fairies
In 1917 two cousins, Frances Griffiths (then aged 10) and Elsie Wright (17) brought the little village of Cottingley (West Yorkshire, UK) to national attention when they claimed to have captured faeries on camera. They had two photos – one of Frances with a group of faeries dancing in front of her and the other showed Elsie holding out her hand to a gnome like creature. Their families assumed some kind of trickery, though they weren’t sure how the girls had done so, especially as neither had used a camera before. The two girls swore they really were pictures of the faeries they regularly played with in the glen.
Three years later a writer named Edward Gardener was shown the photographs, and the story went national. It attracted interest and support from a number of people, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The photos were examined by experts who could see no signs of forgery, but the cousins were asked to produce more photos as further proof of their claims. They duly obliged, producing a further three images. Again, on examination the photographic experts could see no signs they were fake.
The interest and discussions over the truth behind the photos continued for many years – eventually Frances and Elsie admitted that four of the images had been faked (created by carefully positioning cut out fairy illustrations with hat pins). However, they always maintained the fifth photo was real, and they really had seen faeries in the glen – “Little men, dressed in green, wearing long green stockings, coats of greyish green and matching caps” and in addition, wood elves and fairies.
Genuine or not, the photographs have captured the imagination of people all over the world ever since. In 1997 a film based on the story was made, called ‘Fairy Tale: A True Story’.
If You Go Down to the Woods Today…
It is said bluebell woods are places of potent faery enchantment – to wander unprotected into a glade meant you risked kidnap or worse by malicious faeries. One folk name for bluebells is ‘dead man’s bells’, for to hear them chime foretold of the hearers death. Their ringing also summons faeries to their gatherings.
But despite the apparent danger, Bluebells are still considered one of Britain’s favourite flowers. These wonderful flowers are under threat however, with more and more woodland being lost and non-native varieties gaining a hold in the wild. They are protected by law so as tempting as it is, never pick them from the wild. And besides you wouldn’t want to risk attracting the wrath of the Fae!
Glastonbury Tor
Famously thought to be the mystical Isle of Avalon from Arthurian legend, Glastonbury Tor (Somerset, UK) is also said to be home to Gwyn ap Nudd, Celtic God of the Underworld Annwfn and later King of the Faeries. The Tor rises enigmatically from an otherwise fairly flat landscape and is surmounted by a tower from the chapel of St Michael dating from the 14th Century.
The legend tells of a Christian monk, St Collen who lived in a cell at the foot of the Tor. Gwyn ap Nudd and his Faerie Court inhabit a magnificent castle at the top of the Tor, and one day invites St Collen to visit him. Collen refuses, stating they are not fairies at all, but demons. Again Gwyn sends an invitation, and again he is refused. At the third invitation however, St Collen accepts and, once he’d secreted a bottle of holy water about his person, climbs to the top of the Tor. He finds himself in the castle, surrounded by the beautiful court of Faerie and the King himself seated on a golden throne. He is offered food, but refuses to eat or drink a thing. When Gwyn asks Collen if he likes his courtiers livery, he replies it was fine enough, but ‘the red is that of flame, the blue that of cold’ (as people then believed Hell consisted of fire and ice). At this, Collen threw his bottle of holy water over he assembled company. All at once, the castle and it’s inhabitants disappeared, leaving St Collen standing alone of the hillside, and confirming to him that they were indeed demons.
Although the Tor is the widely accepted venue this story took place there are some people who believe it has been wrongly ascribed. St Collen was a very obscure Welsh saint, and no mention of him is made in Glastonbury Abbey’s chronicles. The more likely setting for the story is in Llangollen, Wales. Even so, even if the Tor isn’t the true home of the King of the Faeries, there is something undeniably mysterious and faery-touched about the place.
Photo courtesy of Jackie
Filed under Faerylore, Places to Visit | Comment (1)The Cauld Lad O’Hylton
There are varying legends concerning the spirit that inhabited Hylton Castle in Sunderland (UK) during the 15th century. One states he was a playful brownie that worked in the castle kitchens at night – disturbing things that were left tidy or tidying up items left in disarray. Another legend claims he was in fact the spirit of a stable boy cruelly murdered by a Hilton family member. Whatever his origins, the castle’s servants tired of his antics and decided to get rid of him by leaving out a hooded cloak of green cloth. Delighted with his new attire, the Cauld Lad dressed and danced away merrily – he danced so long that it wasn’t until the cock crowed he realised he’d been caught out by the rising sun. Sadly he declared “Here’s a cloak and here’s a hood, the Cauld Lad O’Hylton will do no more good!” before disappearing entirely. He was never seen again, although there are reports of that same song being heard on occasions. Hylton Castle (sometimes also spelled Hilton) is now in ruins and in the care of English Heritage, but can still be viewed from the outside.
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