Tales of Cornish Fairies

It could be said that there are not many people today who believe in fairies, however as recently as the 19th century, there was a strong belief in the little people especially in Celtic Britain. Many of the stories of old were passed on by word of mouth, often by travelling story tellers, and because they weren’t written down many of these tales have been lost. Maybe losing this part of our history is why many people now choose to dismiss beliefs of old as mere superstition, however there is no reason why our beliefs are any more credulous than our ancestors.

A bit more about fairies
There are many contradictions in tales about fairies. It has been said fairies are seen only in the twinkling of an eye between one blink and the next, and time can pass so slowly that in a single second many things can happen. Other tales have suggested that people have spent what they thought to be only a few hours in the company of small folk, and then leave their company and find years have passed. Many fairies are said to be the masters of magic and could appear and disappear at will. Another common story was that people could see fairies by rubbing a magic ointment on their eyes which was made by the fairies themselves.

It has been suggested that fairies are the spirits of people who inhabited the earth and weren’t good enough to get into heaven but also not bad enough to enter hell. While others believe they are ‘elementals’; creatures made only of earth, air fire or water. One common belief is that fairies are beautiful winged miniature creatures; however they can also be can be of human size and hideously ugly. It is also suggested that many fairies are not as friendly as we would believe, they can be incredibly mischievous, and are known for their thieving. Stealing human babies ‘Cradle snatching’ was also a fairy vice, and in place of a stolen baby they would often leave a changeling, sometimes a fairy child, or a withered old man or sometimes just a piece of wood that would appear to be alive just for a moment.

Other fairies however could be very friendly. One reported fairy activity was to leave presents which may appear as rubbish but would turn into gold and jewels. However there were also reports of them leaving gifts of gold and jewels, which would then turn into rubbish. Another common tale was of fairy’s seeking help from humans, by leaving their broken shovels or stools for people to fix. They would pay them back for their help by leaving gifts or bestowing good luck on them.

Many different kinds of fairies have also been described and this is indeed the case in Cornwall:

The Spriggans of Cornwall are said to guard treasure buried beneath stones. It is said they can change shape at will. They are said to be extremely mischievous, and if a children was taken, a house was robbed or cattle went missing it was thought to be the work of the Spriggans.

The Piskies are also rather playful and naughty. It was said one of their favourite pastimes was to entice people into bogs by appearing as a light or a lantern that people would follow. They would also cause farmers trouble by chasing their cattle and riding their colts. They enjoyed their mischief making and a popular saying in Cornwall was ‘to laugh like a piskie.’

The Browneys are said to be kindly and good. They took up home in families houses, where they were devoted to helping out with odd jobs, and household chores, and generally caring for their human hosts. They were experts at hiding and could make themselves invisible. It was said they were often naked or just wore a few rags, and they would move on if they were given a gift of clothes.

The Buccas or Knockers were the sprites of the mines and were said to be the souls of people who had once worked the tin mines of Cornwall. It was said they were cursed and unable to rest due to the wicked practices as tinners.

The Small people as they were known are said to closely resemble the elves of Scandinavia. They are a playful bunch however if they knew human eyes could see then they were quite timid. They were said to be very friendly and aid people to whom they took a fancy.

Robert Hunt was born in Devonport (Plymouth) in 1807. As a young man he moved away to London to work as a physician, however after suffering a breakdown he came back to the West Country to recover. As a child he had visited parts of Cornwall with his Mother, and had kept a notebook of tales people had told him about encounters with fairy folk. Unfortunately since his childhood he had lost the notebook, so while he was convalescing he set about visiting magical settings in Cornwall and Dartmoor, and talking to locals and recording these tales again so that they wouldn’t be lost forever. Thirty years after his first collection of stories, he published the book ‘Popular Romances of the West of England’ in 1865.

These stories are from some of the tales he recorded in this book:

Tales of St Levan Fairies
Many years have passed since the green outside Trezidder gate was a favourite place for fairy folk to hold their fairs. It was said you could see evidence of their celebrations such as; trodden down rings in the grass made by the fairies dancing.

A man named Mr Trezillian was returning on horseback form Penzance late one evening and noticed little folk dancing round and round, and could not resist joining them. However as soon as he got off his horse, the fairies were all upon him and he felt as if they were sticking needles into him. It was believed that small folk could not harm humans if they wore a garment of clothing inside out, and it was common practice for people travelling at night to wear their coats inside out, for this very reason. Thinking quickly Mr Trezillian turned his glove inside out and as soon as it hit the ground the small folk had disappeared. However they still led him a merry dance and he wandered around all night unable to find his horse, until the morning when he found him only a few yards from where he had left him.

In Penberth Cove there lived an old woman who was bed-ridden. Her relatives would drop in every so often and help out with a few chores and leave food, however as soon as they left small folk who were very fond of the old woman, would come to amuse her. They would dance around the rafters, ride on mice, and swing on the cobwebs. She described the small men as dressed in green with a red or blue cap decorated with a feather, and she described the women as bright and very saucy with the men folk. They wore hooped petticoats, feathers, and fans. As one party of small folk got tired and left, another party would come to frolic and party, and so she was kept company through the day and the night.

Cherry of Zennor
On the Cliff side of Trerreen in Zennor there once lived a family in a little two roomed hut. Old Honey and his wife had many children, and while they were happy and healthy, they were very poor. They had a little garden and collected limpet shells and periwinkles so they were able to eat fish and potatoes most days. One of their daughters was called Cherry who was full of frolic and mischief. However in her teenage years she became discontented with her lot, as she had wished for a new dress so she could look as smart as other girls when she went to the local fair. At sixteen she decided to travel to the ‘low countries’ (the valley parishes) to seek work. Old Honey who had wanted her to seek service nearer to home to please her mother, eventually gave her his blessing and Cherry tied a few belongings in a bundle and set off on the road leading to Ludgvan and Gulval. As she lost sight of Trerren she felt disheartened, and when she came to the cross roads at Lady Downs she sat down and cried, and decided she would go home and make the best of it.

However as she dried her tears and looked up she saw a gentleman. She was surprised to see him, as she had not seen him moments before and surely would have seen him approaching. The gentleman bade her good morning and inquired about where she was going. Cherry replied she had left home to seek service, but had decided to head back home instead. Upon which the gentleman replied he could not believe his luck as he had left home that very morning to seek a girl to keep house for him. He explained he was a widower and there would be little work to do other than look after his son and milk the cow. He could see that Cherry was handsome and cleanly and asked if she would take the position to which she agreed.

He told her he lived a short way off in the ‘low countries’ and they set off along the road. The gentlemen talked so kindly that Cherry didn’t notice how much time and distance had passed, until she found herself walking along a beautiful lane with the sunshine glimmering through the trees where she could see and smell the perfume from sweet briars and honeysuckle. They crossed a stream of water as clear as crystal and the lane began descend downwards and get darker and narrower. She was a little nervous about where she was going but felt she could trust this kindly gentleman. After walking a little while longer they came across a gate and the gentleman said ‘Cherry my dear, this is the place we will live in’.

The gate opened to the most beautiful garden Cherry had ever seen. There were flowers of every colour, fruits of every kind hanging from trees, and birds singing the sweetest songs she had ever heard. As they entered the little boy greeted them, pleased to see his father. From his size he looked about two or three, but had the look of age about him. His eyes were brilliant and piercing. Moments later an old dry-boned woman appeared, seized the child and took him away to the house grumbling and moaning, and gave Cherry a look that was most disconcerting. The gentleman explained this was Aunt Prudence; his late wife’s grandmother. She would only remain until Cherry was acquainted with the work, as she was old and ill tempered.

Aunt Prudence took charge of Cherry, and directed her to her chamber where the boy would also sleep. She was instructed to keep her eyes closed even if she was not sleeping so she wouldn’t see things she may not like. She had to be up at sunrise and take the boy to a spring in the garden where she would rub ointment on his eyes which was to be found in a crystal box in a nearby rock. She was warned however that she must never touch her own eyes with the ointment. She was then to call the cow, and take a bucketful of milk ready for the boy’s breakfast.

On the first morning Cherry did as she was instructed and went to the spring which flowed from a granite rock which was covered in moss and ivy. She milked the cow and returned to the kitchen to be told of her daily duties. After a hearty breakfast she was informed she was to keep to the kitchen where she would make butter, scald the milk and wash and clean. Aunt Prudence kept her watchful eye on her all the time and warned her not to be curious, not to explore the house and try and open any locked doors. On the second day her master required her to help in the garden picking fruit and weeding and she was pleased to get away from Aunt Prudence for a while. She got on so well with her master who treated her very kindly, and would kiss her to show how pleased he was with her.

A few days passed and Aunt Prudence took Cherry to parts of the house she had not visited. They entered a room with a glass like floor and all around were people big and small turned to stone. Cherry had heard tales in Zennor of conjurers who turned people to stone, and was a little scared as she thought they may, at any moment, wake up and eat her. She was set the task of polishing a box which looked like a coffin while Aunt Prudence called out at her to rub harder. She rubbed with such vigour she almost upset the box, and this made such a noise Cherry collapsed. On hearing the noise the master appeared. He was very angry with Aunt Prudence for taking Cherry into this room and sent her away from the house. He then took Cherry to the kitchen and gave her a drink to recover her senses. Upon waking she could not remember much apart from knowing there was something fearful in the other part of the house. After Aunt Prudence had left she was so happy and contented in her work that a year passed as if it was only a day.

Occasionally her Master would take leave for a season and when he was at home she was sure she heard him talking to the stone people. Although Cherry had everything she could desire, she felt she wanted to know more of the place and the people. She knew that the ointment she rubbed on the son’s eye made them bright and felt he saw things she didn’t so she decided she would try some. So the next morning after milking the cow she sent the boy to pick some flowers and rubbed some ointment on her eyes. However this made her eyes feel as if they were burning, so she rushed to the pool to splash some water on them, and was amazed at what she saw.

At the bottom of the water were hundreds of little people playing, and there was her master as small as them joining in with their play. Everything seemed different; she saw little people everywhere hiding in the flowers, and running through blades of grass. The master would not show himself in the day but would return at night as the handsome gentleman she had known before. Sometimes he would go into the room with the stone people, and now Cherry was able to hear the most beautiful music. Day after day passed until her curiosity got the better of her and she went to have a peek through the keyhole. She saw her master dancing and singing with lots of ladies, and felt especially jealous when she saw him kiss a lady dressed in such finery and robes.

The next day her master stayed at home and asked Cherry to help him gather fruit, however this time when he went to kiss her, she slapped him in the face, and told him to go and kiss the small people instead. So her master discovered she had used the ointment, and said that she must leave. He could not have a spy working for him. He gathered her clothes into a bundle and bade her to follow him. They walked for miles uphill through narrow lanes, and when they came to level ground the sun was rising. He kissed her and said although she had been punished for her curiosity, if she behaved herself he would come and see her at Lady Downs, and then he disappeared. She found herself sat on a granite stone in the middle of a desolate moor instead of the enchanted garden she had become accustomed to. Her parents had thought she was dead and were very pleased to see her return. She told the tale of her time away, and while she never varied her story, people doubted her and believed she was not right in the head for a long time afterwards. Cherry never gave up on seeing her Master again, and up until her death could be found wandering to Lady Downs on Moonlit nights.