THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

THE CHANGELING AND THE WITCH
The most important feature of the fairies' earthly ac-
tivities in the 16th century, as in all the centuries of their
existence, was their abduction of human beings.
During the preceding periods, for the most part, ac-
cording to romance, ballad and folk-tale, men had dis-
appeared with their fairy mistresses, or been forcibly
abducted by the elf queen or one of her company. And
the king of fairies and his rout had enchanted away noble
ladies who were so unwary as to put themselves under the
fairies' power. Most of these abductions, however, had
proceeded from the fancy or desire of the queen or king
of fairies or one of their train, for an especial mortal, or
from the love and desire of a mortal for a fairy knight or
lady.' In the 16th century, the desire for human victims
was regarded as characteristic of the whole race of fairies
and would seem to have been motivated by necessity
rather than by romantic attachment. And the abduction
of mortals was accomplished by means of the witch end
the changeling.
The reason for the fairies' abduction of mortals has
never been definitely settled. According to the confes-
sion of Alesoun Peirsoun, in I 5 88 :
. . . quhene we heir the quhirll-wind blaw in the sey, thay wilbe
commounelie with itt, or cumand sone thaireftir; than Mr Wil-
liame will cum before and tell hir, and bid hir keip hir and sane hir,
In discussing the fairies' abduction of mortals, the question of be-
witchment is not taken into account.