Fairies, Pixies, Elves, Sprites & Other Little Folk

[skinny]

A Senegalese friend at our house for dinner and herb one night recounted how his family would never camp out in the jungle due to what he called 'pikmin'. I thought he was talking about pygmies, but he was aware of them and assured us these 'pikmin' were tiny flying people who dwelt in the trees and would circumcise the unwary with a tiny knife fashioned from a seashell.

He also refused to look through my telescope at Jupiter, stating that he wanted nothing to do with what's out there. He wouldn't elaborate when pressed as to what he was afraid of, simply ending the topic with a statement something like "nobody needs to know what the people up there are about". He obviously believed that these 'people' were real. I was fascinated, but didn't get any further with him on those subsequent occasions I asked him to elaborate. He remained adamant that it was dangerous to mess with that side of existence - very sincere in his reluctance. I was impressed.

 

[rynner2]

Fairy census looking for Cornish sightings
By WBGinette | Posted: November 16, 2014

Do you believe in fairies, or have you seen any?
That is the question being asked in a fairy census to collate beliefs and sightings in Britain and Northern Ireland.
It is being led by Dr Simon Young and the Fairy Investigation Society.

Dr Young, said: “We are not interested just in what people see, but why they see it.
“For example, fairy sightings are often associated with sleep deprivation or unusual moods.
“We are also interested in how fairy sightings change. So, fairies seem to have, generally speaking, gotten smaller through the centuries. Will this trend continue?
“With the census we will have the means of measuring changing beliefs.”

The two-year project promises to be the biggest folklore survey of its kind ever undertaken.
Launching in Fortean Times magazine, it includes an online form for those who have had fairy experiences, and another questionnaire to measure how fairy belief has changed in recent years among the general public.

A similar census was held 60 years ago and brought in several hundred responses from around the world: the results were finally published this summer in Marjorie Johnson’s Seeing Fairies (Anomalist Books), extracted in the new issue of Fortean Times.

A spokesman for the census said: “The census has already brought in interesting results – such as the man who, while out for a walk, saw some squirrels on a tree at dusk, only to realise, in shock, that he was looking at little men scrabbling over the branches.”

The fairy census can be found at www.fairyist.com/survey/

Read more: http://www.cornishman.co.uk/Fairy-censu ... z3JKIcMKGA

 

[ramonmercado]

I hope you;re not reported as Ogre.

 

[staticgirl]

An online friend in another forum posted an account of hearing bells in the middle of the countryside whilst on a walk. As bells often accompany fairy sightings I thought people might be interested in his account of a fairy hearing:

TauCeti - 15 Jan 2015 12:27:27
Yesterday … decided to go for a short ride, plan was a standard 12 miles for the sake of being out and about for a couple of hours…

So off I went on the Llandaff side of the river, to Radyr where I joined the TT for half a mile, then took a river side footpath, three styles to negotiate, carry on to next village on the low road, to the roundabout across the river and up to Gwaelodygarth, where I locked the bike behind the pub – Garth Inn also known as - and walked.

A bit of road then felt like I was a sheep, said ‘baah’!’ quietly and took to a quasi-vertical path, which I hadn’t noticed before; and steep it is; sheep like it and goats would love it if there where any here… inclination about 75 degrees or so, anyway was the short and sharp way to where I was going, the rock outcrop visible from just about anywhere this side of the Garth Gorge; as I was half way up the incline I heard quite clearly a sound like tingling bells – lasted about five seconds then stopped; I also stopped and puzzled over it, there being no animals known to do such sounds, nor houses nearby from where it may have issued…. Carried on and made it to the ‘spur’; sat on a rock, thought of having a cigarette but the wind blowing made me change my mind, so a short while later carried on up, then on a path to the left, the idea being of checking for prehistoric bits (a few years ago I did find a prehistoric napped flint, a ‘core’ dating from about 5000 years ago, and local) but on this occasion didn’t find anything of that sort; pity.

Anyway on the way up met two walkers and exchanged greetings stranger than weird the man said he heard a sound like tinkling bells from the direction I was coming from, at which I thought wtf, was no hallucination then; considered local sprites and fairies, thought better than mentioning this to the people...
it was very similar to a sound I heard quite clearly when I was on my own on a mountainside in Portugal, a couple of years ago....

(Obviously I did get his permission to post here)

 

[E_Lloyd]

That sounds very much like what my sister heard, twice when on a walk with her eldest daughter. They are still puzzled by it. Thank you, and your friend, for sharing.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Cowbells?
Bird scarer?

 

[Analogue Boy]

I still ask the house pixies to look for things I've lost or misplaced.
They never let me down.

 

[staticgirl]

Cowbells?
Bird scarer?

Yes we thought along those lines too. Sound can travel very far in the Welsh wind.

 

[Theo]

There is also a type of fairie lore here among the Indians. Nûñnë'hï are Cherokee fairies that live in the mountains. Alot of the stories about them are similar to Irish and English stories.

In researching it, I also found a local Cherokee night demon called Fire Carrier, which is a sort of phantom light, almost UFO-like.

I heard two guys speaking in a strange language that was the same language that Terrence McKenna uses when he describes the clockwork elves. They told me that the we're speaking the ancient Cherokee language. They were having a full conversation, not just imitating something they heard. Another time, I was at a Pentecostal church and a mysterious man dresses in all black visited and spoke in tongues, anointing us with mint oil. The language was overwhelming to listen to and I felt drugged and was compelled to wave my hands ecstatically in the air, as were the rest of the congregation. A friend suggested that he was speaking Sumerian. Another friend of mine was leading a group through guided deep breathing meditation. He was chanting in a strange language that he said was ancient Egyptian as well as Sanskrit. I had an out of body experience without any drugs during this ceremony. All these people and their languages seemed unhuman, like another species masquerading as humans or inhabiting human bodies.

 

[Graylien]

Another time, I was at a Pentecostal church and a mysterious man dresses in all black visited and spoke in tongues, anointing us with mint oil. The language was overwhelming to listen to and I felt drugged and was compelled to wave my hands ecstatically in the air, as were the rest of the congregation

That sounds very similar to the kind of phenomenon reported during the Toroto Blessing craze. Did this incident happen around that time period (the mid 90's)?

 

[Frideswide]

I heard two guys speaking

very interesting set of experiences, thank you Theo!

 

[Naughty_Felid]

A Senegalese friend at our house for dinner and herb one night recounted how his family would never camp out in the jungle due to what he called 'pikmin'. I thought he was talking about pygmies, but he was aware of them and assured us these 'pikmin' were tiny flying people who dwelt in the trees and would circumcise the unwary with a tiny knife fashioned from a seashell.

He also refused to look through my telescope at Jupiter, stating that he wanted nothing to do with what's out there. He wouldn't elaborate when pressed as to what he was afraid of, simply ending the topic with a statement something like "nobody needs to know what the people up there are about". He obviously believed that these 'people' were real. I was fascinated, but didn't get any further with him on those subsequent occasions I asked him to elaborate. He remained adamant that it was dangerous to mess with that side of existence - very sincere in his reluctance. I was impressed.

Worked with a guy who was from Zimbabwe who said who common it was for people to see their ancestors as little clouds of white hovering around the countryside.

 

[Graylien]

Elves Troubled by New Airport Proposal

Seeress and elf expert Ragnhildur Jónsdóttir at the Hellisgerði Elf Garden says that elves are horrified at the idea of a new airport at Hvassahraun which a steering committee has concluded is the best candidate.. Jóndóttir adds that the elves of Hvassahraun work both in agriculture and fishing in the area and that most of them live there for the whole year round. She says that the Hvassahraun lava field is the home of many different kinds of elves, dwarves and hidden people. "They have farms there and many of them keep sheep in between the rocks. Others live by the coastline and have boats which they use for fishing." Full story

I wonder what elves make of the Heathrow/Gatwick expansion debate?

 

[GeorgeP]

Elves Troubled by New Airport Proposal

I wonder what elves make of the Heathrow/Gatwick expansion debate?

Nowt really, dont they use fairies for air travel? But then again, all those immigrant gnomes landing on our soil may stir up trouble so look out for legit garden gnomes standing along the runway in protest.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Elves Troubled by New Airport Proposal

I wonder what elves make of the Heathrow/Gatwick expansion debate?

'Thank you very much'?

 

[JimELUCIER]

No, I haven't seen any fairies, but...

When I was about 3 years old (I think), I woke up early one morning and looked out of the window onto the front lawn.
It was a very cold morning, and there was a bit of mist rolling over the lawn. The entire lawn was covered in cobwebs covered in dew that was just starting to freeze. A magical sight to a 3 year old!
I remember hearing little voices and giggling, urging me to open the window and go out. So I climbed out of the window, and danced about on the lawn. I remember hearing the little voices around me as I ran about on the fairy-tale grass.
Unfortunately, it was at that point that my Dad came out of the house, and hauled me back inside.
Amazingly, although I was only 3, I remember it quite clearly. I didn't see them, but I heard them.

Also, completely incidentally, I have one pointy ear, and one normal ear...
...does this make me a fairy?

WOW. I heard many stories of about humans, specially young children being hauled away by Fairie, because they were drawn into the Fairie Ring. According to Folklore being called to join in on a Fairie Hurl, or Ring Dance is quit dangerous. In my opinion your father got there just in time.

 

[JimELUCIER]

Nowt really, dont they use fairies for air travel? But then again, all those immigrant gnomes landing on our soil may stir up trouble so look out for legit garden gnomes standing along the runway in protest.

I'm sure the Fairie would be most disappointed in our constant drive to destroy all things natural.

 

[Mungoman]

I want the book!

It's U.S. fairy stories you want specifically, T7? Here's one (guaranteed true!) which took place in Queens, NY: http://paranormal.about.com/library/bls ... r04_05.htm

Also, there are the Tommy-Knockers who are American descendents of the British Knockers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommyknockers

G'day Bannik. I'm from a Geordie family that's been down the pit for the last 8 generations, bar the last two. One of my delights was when my Grandad Jack would speak of things that were spoken about when he was a lad (late 1880's). His take on the Tommyknockers was that if you could hear them working, then things were fine, but if they stopped working - get out fast.

My Dads interpretation a few decades later was more credible; the earth moves constantly, as it should, and what the old pit men were hearing was not the 'Tommyknockers', but natural earth movement. When it settled and stopped moving, a natural tension built up (time to go!) - the longer it was quiet, the more tension built up - then, when the tension built up to an intolerable strain, the seams would go with a bang, producing cave ins and roof drops.

My Dad explained that up until the 20's, there were 11 year old kids down the pit, along with, at earlier times young girls (called Rosies). Kids hearing is far better than some 30 year old pitman, who's got cloth ears, and so the young'ns were like the miners canary.The tale of the Tommyknockers would awe those kids into taking notice of what was happening within the Earth around them and alert the old'ns when the seams stopped moving.

 

[rynner2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knocker_(folklore)

The Knocker, Knacker, Bwca (Welsh), Bucca (Cornish) or Tommyknocker (US) is a mythical creature in Welsh, Cornish and Devon folklore. They are the equivalent of Irish leprechauns and English and Scottish brownies. About two feet tall and grizzled, but not misshapen, they live beneath the ground. Here they wear tiny versions of standard miner's garb and commit random mischief, such as stealing miners' unattended tools and food.
Their name comes from the knocking on the mine walls that happens just before cave-ins – actually the creaking of earth and timbers before giving way. etc...


http://darylburkhard.com/tommyknockers.html

Tommyknockers

When the Cornish miners came to America in the 1800s to dig the hardrock mines of copper, gold and silver, they brought with them their belief in the tommyknocker. Called knockers in Cornwall, tommyknockers were small dwarf-like creatures who worked in the mines, tapping away and making strange noises deep in the rocks. They were often heard, but rarely seen. Exactly what their origins are is unclear. Some folks believed that the knockers were the ghosts of Jews who had been brought by the Romans as slaves to work in the Cornish mines. Others felt the knockers were the spirits of miners in general who had died in the mines or they were the spirits of souls who hadn’t been good enough to make it to heaven but hadn’t been bad enough to go to hell. etc...


They'll probably be in the next series of Poldark!

 

[GeorgeP]

Andrew Hennessey, wrote a short but interesting piece on fairy folk and its connections with underground dwellings, time travel and ETs.

SPOOKY EDINBURGH - AND THE LOTHIANS

 

[LottieLu]

Aah Faries.

When I was a kid I had a tooth pulled out. I put it under my pillow and went to sleep. It was still there when I woke up in the middle of the night. Back then, hoping the tooth fairy was real, I decided to stay awake and wait for a while. Now I never remember falling asleep and as a kid I truly believed the fairy took me with her to another place/world where I met her friends. To date it is still the most beautiful dream I ever had. When I was young I was adamant that it was real and refused to accept it had been a dream, that I must have fallen asleep and not realised. And I held on to that belief for many years.

 

[GeorgeP]

I came across this interesting tale today. Its from a women who woke up in her bed and found Gnomes trying to drag her into the wardrobe.

http://malcolmsanomalies.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/attempted-abduction-by-gnomes.html

 

[Mythopoeika]

Fascinating account!
Brings up lots of questions...brrr.

 

[Anonymous-50446]

Indeed, quite quite creepy. Not at all like the mostly genteel accounts in "Seeing Fairies".

 

[David Plankton]

I'm sure I've read something similar just can't seem to remember where.

Edit - yes good account btw.

 

[Ulalume]

I'm sure I've read something similar just can't seem to remember where.

Edit - yes good account btw.

Yes, I've read it too, same story in a slightly different version, no doubt by the same writer. Even before I clicked the link, I thought "is it the woman in Australia who was just returning from a business trip?" so I know my memory isn't playing tricks!

It may very well have been here on FTMB where we saw it, because I recall the writer answering questions raised by other posters about her experience.

 

[David Plankton]

Yes, I've read it too, same story in a slightly different version, no doubt by the same writer. Even before I clicked the link, I thought "is it the woman in Australia who was just returning from a business trip?" so I know my memory isn't playing tricks!

It may very well have been here on FTMB where we saw it, because I recall the writer answering questions raised by other posters about her experience.

Yes, I thought it must be on here as well. Not this thread though..She says that she went on various internet forums to discuss it.

 

[staticgirl]

A very well written account of what happened to her. It sounds like it was an absolutely terrifying experience and I hope neither she or any other members of her family ever experienced any thing like that again.

There might be an explanation in a delayed reaction to her sleeping/relaxation tablets that she took when she was flying as I've heard of people reacting very strangely on those and I can imagine that night hag/sleep paralysis hallucinations could be affected by taking them. I am also not sure that her daughter might not have been rewriting history as memories can be very unreliable.

But all the same, I am not an expert and I wasn't there so I shall keep my mind open. It would be interesting to know if indigenous Australians have any myths and stories about little people. It's clear from the myths in the UK that the little people are very far from being wafty ethereal Victorian sweeties.

 

[GeorgeP]

Her description of their faces for some reason reminded me of those bedroom visiting creatures from the movie called Communion.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Her description of their faces for some reason reminded me of those bedroom visiting creatures from the movie called Communion.

Good find.
Yes, that's what I thought of too when I read that account.
What she described may have been an alien abduction experience.