THE ELIZABETHAN FAIRIES

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS 107
Goodfellow in Robin Goodfellow; his mad prankes, and
merry Jests.
SO-much were the fairies associated with the hills, that
the charms and conjurations " to gett a fayrie " were
buried under " some hill, whereas you suppose fayries
haunt," and " the flowers or toppes of wild time," which
helped to make up a magic medicine, " must be gathered
neare the side of a hill where the fayries use to be, and
the grasse of a fayrie throne there." lgO
Some hills and smaller mountains, particularly, were
known to be inhabited by the fairies1lg1 for instance, the
downs near Yatton Keynel in Wiltshire1ls2 " a hill named
Blackdown" near Tanton,lg3 and Downiehillis in Scot-
land.lS4 And in Scotland also,
There be many Places called Fairie-hills, which the Mountain
People think impious and dangerous to peel or discover, by taking
Earth or Wood from them; superstitiously beleiving the Souls of
There are several now living, who assert that they have seen and
heard this aerial hunting; and that they have been suddenly surrounded
by visionary forms, more numerous than leaves strewed on the streams
of Vallumbrosa in November blasts, and assailed by a multitude of
voices, louder than the noise of rushing waters." John Sinclair, The
Statistical Account of Scotland, 1791-1799, Vo1. 12, pp. 461-462.
lS0 W. C. Hazlitt, Fairy Tales, 1875, pp. 276-277.
191According to Kirk, " They remove to other Lodgings at the Be-
ginning of each Quarter of the Year, so traversing till Doomsday,
being imputent and [impotent of?] staying in one Place, and finding
some Ease by so purning [Journeying] and changing Habitations.
Their chamaelion-lyke Bodies swim in the Air near the Earth with
Bag and Bagadge; and at such revolution of Time, SEERS, or Men of
the SECOND SIGHT, (Faemales being seldome so qualified) have very
terrifying Encounters with them." Sec. Comm., pp. 7-8.
lg2 Aubrey, " Natural1 History of Wiltshire," rpt. Hazlitt, Fairy
Tales, pp. 349-350.
lg3 Bovet, Pandaemonium, Hazlitt rpt., p. 334.
lS4 Pitcairn, Crim. Trials, Gen. App., p. 611.