Changeling
A supernatural substitute left after a human is kidnapped.
In European folklore, a changeling—sometimes called an auf or oaf—is a being left behind by a supernatural entity after abducting a human. The substitute could be a magically enchanted piece of wood made to resemble the stolen person, but more often it was a supernatural creature disguised to look like them. Fairies, demons, trolls, and other beings were blamed for these kidnappings. While children were the usual targets, adults were also taken, especially in Scandinavia and Ireland. Some modern researchers suggest that changeling stories may have originally served as folk explanations for conditions like autism or other developmental differences.
A changeling can often be recognized by certain traits, which differ across cultures. In Irish legend, a fairy child might appear sickly, fail to grow normally, and have unusual features such as a beard or long teeth. It could also show intelligence far beyond its apparent age and possess strange insight. A common way a changeling revealed itself was by behaving oddly when it thought it was alone—dancing, jumping about, or playing an instrument, though this last detail appears only in Irish and Scottish tales.
Reasons for a human child being taken varied: to serve as a servant, out of love for the child, or from malice. Fairies were most often thought to swap children. In rare cases, elderly fairies were exchanged for human babies so they could live in comfort, pampered by human parents. Simple charms—like an inverted coat or open iron scissors left near the child’s bed—were believed to ward off changelings, as was constant vigilance.
Folklorist D. L. Ashliman, in his essay “Changelings,” argues that these tales reflect the harsh realities of family survival in pre-industrial Europe. A peasant family’s livelihood often depended on every member’s labor, and caring for someone who permanently drained scarce resources was difficult. “The fact that the changelings’ ravenous appetite is so frequently mentioned indicates that the parents of these unfortunate children saw in their continuing existence a threat to the sustenance of the entire family,” he writes. “Changeling tales support other historical evidence in suggesting that infanticide was frequently the solution selected.”
Fairies were also believed to abduct adults, especially newlyweds and new mothers. Young adults were taken to marry fairies, while
- field
- European folklore
- known_for
- Substitute left by supernatural beings after kidnapping a human
- associated_beings
- Fairies, demons, trolls
- common_traits
- Sickly appearance, unusual intelligence, uncanny insight
- regions
- Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Germany, Cornwall, Isle of Man
Lore & Background
A changeling is typically identifiable via several traits, which vary from culture to culture. In Irish legend, a fairy child may appear sickly and will not grow in size like a normal child, and may have notable physical characteristics such as a beard or long teeth. They may also display intelligence far beyond their apparent years and possess uncanny insight. A common way that a changeling could identify itself is through displaying unusual behaviour when it thinks it is alone, such as jumping about, dancing or playing an instrument – though this last example is found only within Irish and Scottish legend. A human child might supposedly be taken due to many factors: to act as a servant, the love of a human child, or malice. Most often, it was thought that fairies exchanged the children. In rare cases, the very elderly of the fairy people would be exchanged in the place of a human baby so that the old fairy could live in comfort, coddled by its human parents. Simple charms such as an inverted coat or open iron scissors left where the child sleeps were thought to ward them off; other measures included a constant watch over the child.
Reader's Guide
Folklorist D. L. Ashliman proposes in his essay 'Changelings' that changeling tales illustrate an aspect of family survival in pre-industrial Europe. A peasant family's subsistence frequently depended upon the productive labour of each member, and it was difficult to provide for a person who was a permanent drain on the family's scarce resources. 'The fact that the changelings' ravenous appetite is so frequently mentioned indicates that the parents of these unfortunate children saw in their continuing existence a threat to the sustenance of the entire family. Changeling tales support other historical evidence in suggesting that infanticide was frequently the solution selected.' Fairies were also believed to take adult humans, especially the newly married and new mothers; young adults were taken to marry fairies instead, while new mothers were often taken to nurse fairy babies. Often when an adult was taken instead of a child, an object such as a log was left in place of the stolen human, enchanted to look like the person. This object in place of the human would seem to sicken and die, to be buried by the human family, while the living human was among the fairies. Bridget Cleary is one of the most well-known cases of an adult thought to be a changeling by her family: her husband killed her, attempting to force the fairies to return his 'real' wife.
Did You Know?
- In medieval Scandinavia, it was believed that trolls considered it more respectable to be raised by humans than by their kind.
- In Scottish folklore, a child born with a caul across their face is considered a changeling and will soon die.
- The Mên-an-Tol stones in Cornwall are said to have a fairy or pixie guardian who can cure a changeling baby.
- The modern Irish girl's name Síofra means an elvish or changeling child.
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