Fairy path

Fairy paths and dwellings

In parts of Ireland, Brittany, and Germany, fairy or spirit paths were considered invisible yet geographically real, influencing building practices to avoid obstructing them. Many characteristics of fairy paths overlap with those of ley lines. Cornwall remains a stronghold of fairy lore, with fairies said to dance on Carn Gluze near St Just in Penwith. In Danish Jutland, barrow-folk were believed to dwell in barrows as descendants of fallen angels cast out of Heaven, and it was considered bad luck to let cattle graze where elf-folk had been or to let them mingle with the elves' large blue cattle.

However, asking at an elf-barrow for permission to graze could avert evils. In Sweden, a barrow called Helvetesbacke near Kråktorps gård in Småland was claimed to be Odin's burial mound.

In Germany, the Wild Troop of Rodenstein was said to ride a straight path between the castles of Rodenstein and Schnellert. Corpse roads across Europe share the same basic belief as fairy paths and likely a common origin; in Germany and the Netherlands they are called Geisterweg, Helweg, or Doodweg. A straight road at Rösaring in Lassa, southern Sweden, ran over several burial mounds.

Consequences of blocking fairy paths

In Ireland, people suffering illnesses or misfortune were said to live in houses that obstructed a fairy path, being in a contrary place. One family lost four children to sickness; after a wise woman told the father his new extension blocked a fairy path between two fairy forts, he demolished it, and his fifth child recovered. At a croft in Knockeencreen, Brosna, County Kerry, the last human occupant reported that his grandfather's cattle died inexplicably until a passing Gypsy advised that the dwelling stood on a fairy path between two hills and that the doors should be kept slightly ajar at night to allow fairies free passage; the problem ceased.

The building lies on a straight line between two hilltops and at one end of a long, straight track. Fairies processed nightly from Rath Ringlestown in Ireland, and parents brought children indoors before the procession. The path passed around several bushes left undisturbed by locals; a man who cut one down could not burn it, sickened, and died. The route also passed between two mud-wall houses, and a man found dead at the wrong time was believed taken by fairies for obstructing the procession.

A traditional folk tale from the Southern Shore of Newfoundland, Canada, tells of a young couple who built their house on a fairy path and took steps to rid themselves of fairy mischief. Home-owners have knocked corners off houses that blocked fairy paths, and cottages have been built with front and back doors in line so both could be left open for fairies to troop through all night.

Detecting fairy paths and overcoming their influence

Builders once tested for fairy paths by laying out a building’s floor plan in the dirt, placing a stone pile at each corner, and checking the next morning. If the piles were untouched, construction was safe; if disturbed, they abandoned the site. A house built on a fairy path required leaving both front and back doors and windows open at night so fairies could pass through.

White quartz was avoided in stonework, as it was considered a fairy stone. Wise-women could identify fairy paths, but in most stories they were only called in after bad luck or disturbances had already started. A structure on a fairy path would be torn down by fairies at least twice, though it often stood on the third attempt.

Walking along fairy paths

Fairies were known to travel along certain paths, and while these routes were generally considered best avoided, some offered unexpected benefits. In the West of England, so-called trods appeared as straight lines of grass in a field, a different shade of green from the rest. People suffering from rheumatism would walk these tracks for relief, though animals refused to use them. However, great danger remained if a supernatural procession happened to be passing.

Fairy rings share similarities with this phenomenon and were regarded as gateways to the fairy realm. In Wales, the Tylwyth teg had paths that were deadly for any mortal to tread. The Breton Ankou, king of the dead, and his followers also processed along their own specific paths.

Did You Know?

• Irish fairy paths are said to exist underwater, running from one island to another and paved with coral, making them visible to fishermen in boats above.
• In Denmark, it was believed that barrow-folk were descendants of fallen angels cast out of Heaven.