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Do You Believe? Mischievous Fairies and Hungry Grass

© Lianne Bruynell Lopes

Do you believe in fairies? As a child, I never believed in Santa Claus, never believed there was an Easter bunny, but I really did believe in the tooth fairy. She'd take my tooth from under my pillow at night and give me a quarter in return. What fun! And she only missed once. For whatever reason, she couldn't find the tooth, but left me the quarter anyway. I was disappointed, though, when one night I awoke to find the thick arm of my Dad reaching under my pillow. Talk about a rude awakening!

Fairies and fairy tales have been around almost since the dawning of time. They were believed by some to have been the spirits of fallen angles who were not good enough for heaven, nor bad enough for hell. Some believed, and still do, that fairies inhabit the insides of hills. A human wandering about at night might hear their music, and enter in the revelry. He would stay but one night, but upon returning to the outer world would find 100 years had passed. Hm...do you suppose that's what really happened to poor old Rip Van Winkle?

In ancient times, people feared the wee ones. There were the fairy rings to be wary of, for if a human were to fall inside one, he could be taken captive by the fairies. Foxglove was considered sacred, and anyone who messed with it could call down upon himself the wrath of the little people. But around the time of the Victorians, a new interest arose, giving fairies a somewhat less ominous reputation. They were seen primarily as tiny little Tinkerbell types, with wings and magical powers. When I think of fairies, this is how I prefer to think of them, rather than as baby snatching imps.

Fairies have been know to be mischievous. They like to play tricks, and can lay a curse if messed with. Have you ever been strolling across a green grassy knoll on a bright sunny day and were suddenly overtaken by a hunger so strong you almost passed out? Well, it's happened to some, and a good Irishman would immediately know why and what to do. Hungry Grass. There are those who say it's a spot where a corpse has lain on the way to its final resting place. But in reality, it is a fairy curse. Maybe a joke by the wee ones, or just a light curse, who knows, but anyone who walks or passes over the hungry grass, or in the Irish, "fear gortach" will suddenly become hungry beyond reason, even if they have just been well fed. Those who live near patches of such grass have been known to keep extra food on hand in the case of afflicted travelers knocking on their door. No other side effects are known, only extreme hunger, and those who have suffered from this have reported no ill effects from over eating. Not such a bad little trick, as long as you're close to a place with lots of food.