What Is A Fairy Glen?

What Is A Fairy Glen?

The name fairy glen has been attributed to almost any forest clearing. These are frequently places of great natural beauty and it appears impossible that they can have been created by chance. Sometimes the glen contains an ancient standing stone or tree (for instance an oak) or is connected with some other place of power such as a cairn or ley line intersection. Another feature found in many fairy glens is water, in particular a waterfall.

One feature of traditional fairy glens is that they can be very difficult to find on purpose. Many travellers stumble across them at night, led there by music, the sound of fairies playing or by strange lights in the distance. The next day the glen is nowhere to be found.

A common superstition is that anything that is removed from the glen must be returned or the fairies will take their revenge. It is, of course, inadvisable to eat or drink anything from such a glen if you wish to be sure of returning to the mortal world.

Where they fey folk are believed to live below ground, the fairy glen is sometimes said to contain the entrance to their underworld domain. Frequently this is via an ancient tree or stone. In many places it is said that if you place your ear to the ground and listen carefully you can hear the sounds of music and laughter from below.