| Abducted in Fairyland Next we will visit abductions which are said to occur in the fairy world in literature and history. The following tales are borrowed from Wentz, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, its Psychological Origin and Nature, from 1909. The beginning of the book begins with an interview with a “seer witness.” This in itself tells me there is a sense of “shamanism” being placed into the book. The book is introduced by Douglas Hyde, President of the Gaelic League; author of A Literary History of Ireland. Hyde stated the following regarding his opinion of Wentz’s work: “In making a collection of these things I have naturally come across a very large amount of folk-belief conversationally expressed, with regard to the ‘good people’ and other supernatural manifestations, so that I can bear witness to the fidelity with which Mr. Wentz has done his work on Irish soil, for to a great number of the beliefs which he records I have myself heard parallels, sometimes I have heard near variants of the stories, sometimes the identical stories. So, we may, I think, unhesitatingly accept his subject-matter, whatever, as I said, be the conclusions we may deduce from them.” (108) It sounds to me like the reader is expected to believe the authenticity of the claims, regardless of the opinions we draw afterwards. I can’t say I completely trust this source, so let’s proceed with caution. Hyde has already admitted some of these stories he has either heard before or slight variations of. The question is then put forward whether or not these beings are real? And the book appears to be an investigative study to learn the truth. The quote I bring up next is the one where he uses the term, seer-witness: “Fin Bheara, the King of the Connacht Fairies in Cnoc Meadha (or Castlehacket) in the County Galway, his Queen Nuala, and all the beautiful forms seen by Mr. Wentz's seer-witness (pp. 60 ff.), all the banshees and all the human figures, white women, and so forth, who are seen in raths and moats and on hill-sides, are the direct descendants, so to speak, of the Tuatha de danann or the Sidhe. Of this, I think, there can be no doubt whatever.” (109) Here he has already linked the fairies to the ancient Irish origins mythology of the Tuatha de danann and claims he has no doubt whatsoever that these stories are true. On Page 35, Wentz proceeds to tell the story we read already of “The Fairy Queen,” as if it was a real story, passed down through folklore. The next bit contains superstitions which include, strangely enough, provisions for milking cows so as to appease the fairies, like setting portions of the milk and butter aside for them: “Milk and Butter for Fairies.—‘Whatever milk falls on the ground in milking a cow is taken by the fairies, for fairies need a little milk. Also, after churning, the knife which is run through the butter in drying it must not be scraped clean, for what sticks to it belongs to the fairies. Out of three pounds of butter, for example, an ounce or two would be left for the fairies. I have seen this several times’.” (110) |
Now, this next section is interesting because it reveals a few things. Can you spot the giveaways?: “Those who Return from Faerie. –‘Persons in a short trance-state of two or three days’ duration are said to be away with the fairies enjoying a festival. The festival may be very material in its nature, or it may be purely spiritual. Sometimes one may thus go to Faerie for an hour or two; or one may remain there for seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years. The mind of a person coming out of Fairyland is usually a blank as to what has been seen and done there. Another idea is that the person knows well enough all about Fairyland, but is prevented from communicating the knowledge. A certain woman of whom I knew said she had forgotten all about her experiences in Faerie, but a friend who heard her objected, and said she did remember, and wouldn't tell. A man may remain awake at night to watch one who has been to Fairyland to see if that one holds communication with the fairies. Others say in such a case that the fairies know you are on the alert, and will not be discovered.” (110) Next, Wentz presents a witness, Mr. Ruan, whom he claims to have interviewed: “Steven Ruan a piper of Galway, with whom I have often talked, says there is one class of fairies ‘who are nobody else than the spirits of men and women who once lived on earth’; and the banshee is a dead friend, relative, or ancestor who appears to give a warning. ‘The fairies,’ he says, ‘never care about old folks. They only take babies, and young men and young women. If a young wife dies; she is said to have been taken by them, and ever afterwards to live in Fairyland. The same things are said about a young man or a child who dies. Fairyland is a place of delights, where music, and singing, and dancing, and feasting are continually enjoyed; and its inhabitants are all about us, as numerous as the blades of grass’.” (111) When it is claimed that “fairies carry off young people,” who then would be the people who are to be most concerned about this? Well, I would imagine it would be young people first and foremost, and secondly, their parents who are not bright enough to know these are “fairy tales” for children. The idea that children are stolen works hand in hand with the idea of human sacrifice. Now, I stated before, I am not 100 percent sure there was no human sacrifice and I cannot be 100 percent sure fairies do not abduct children into another realm, but it does go against my better judgment. Do I believe UFOs abduct people into other realms? That is very possible, but I am not 100% convinced as I used to be. The British regiment in the story of Hill 60 is very compelling. The important question for now is, are the UFOs truly “fairies” and do fairies truly exist, or are the fairies in literature just a symbol for the mushroom? (108) Wentz, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, its Psychological Origin and Nature, (1909). P. 23 (109) ibid, p. 28 (110) ibid, p. 38-39 (111) Fairy Faith, p. 40 |