Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-05-22
FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.
BY MRS. A. E. BARR.

TAIN ML1hOLUHLe
BY MRS. A. E. BARR.
Remote in the nowhere of nature
lies the land of the silent people, for
/ the realm of fairy is gone; not even
/ its beauty and innocence has been
able to save il. But we haYe been
there in our childhood, and though
reason long agO'turned US out of that
world of splendid possibilities, she
has never yet given US anything half
so enchanting. No hero of our ripper
years has come within half the
I diameter of the earth of Jack the
! giant-killer. We have climbed really
above the clouds since then, but the
blended terror and delight Of our first
ascent up the wonderful bean-stalk
has never been e9ualled. Who can
recall without tender regret the time
in which he believed in Esop's won
| derful beasts and birds ? or the days
in which the seven vOyagers of Sinbad
were the seven articles of his childish
faith? All weerush many beautiful
/ things under our feet as we advance
/ to knowledge; but reason which
I destroys the faith and worship of the
child, substitutes in its place profound
admiration for those charming fables,
and wonder at their wide diffusion
and general resemblance
Shakespeare has made us familiar
with many mysteries of the fairy
court, and drawn four Us in Puck no
Z bad likeness Of the whole race One
thing is to be observed with regard to
all fairy ministration-that it was
always in favor Of the good and virtu-
Gus, though if any one had incurred
their displeasure by spelling their
/ rings or gazing AetaeOn-like inadver-
tantly on their mysteries they became
subject to their ill-will. There were
however many plants, stones, and
noises which were projections against
them.
The Scandinavian Mermen and
Neeks We're identical with the Scotch
Kelpie. He is generally represented
as an old man sitting on the cliffs
wringing the water out of his long
white beard According to the Ice
landie Sagas 0din has more than once
revealed himself in this form. Steel
was believed to bind all water spirits,
hence the Scotch and Norwegian
fishermen generally lay a knife at
the bottom of their boat. The later
traditions of the mermen and women
make them half mortal and half fish,
but this is vulgar rendering Of the |
more beautiful early legend which |
gave them exquisite forms but said, |
that in order to traverse the water |
more easily they enclosed their bodies /
from the waist downwards in the skin |
Of seal. All the family of water
spirits were great musicians, but !
their music always bOded i'll to the
sailor.
The Trolls or Dwarfs dweft under
ground, and were skillful workers in
metals. To them was intrusted the
making Of the famous swOrd-Excali-
bur. As they could not cross running
water it is probable they were the
elves who pursued Tom O'Shanter.
Their subteranean country was the
groundwork of numberless mOnkish
legends. The principal entrance to it
was be in the great cave of the Derby
shire Peak, and the Peverells have
tradition in their family regarding
OneOf their retainers who accidentally 1.
discovered this entrance, and pursu-
ing it, found a rich and cultivated
country, and reapers cutting corn.
Wherever any singular freak OF
nature occurred which was imagined
to be beyond the power Of the fairy
family, it is remarkable that the devil
was always credited with the phenO-
mena; and some of the most charming
and humorous fietions in our language
are those in which his skill and cum
ming are again pitted against that of
humanity. Among many we select
the popular account of the building
of the natural bridge across the
Mynach river in Wales because it is
really gem Of this branch Of litera-
ture- Once upon a time an old
woman had a COW that fed on the
Crom Toider mountain, and came |
home night and morning to be milk
ed. One evening she did not come, (
and the old lady, much troubled, went
to fetch her. When she came to ]
where the Mynach flows between I
two high rocks she saw the COW on !
the other side. Then she set up loud
lamentatiOn for she saw the COW could {
not come to her, and she could not !
go to the COW; for the river could not {
be crossed, and it was days journey
to go round. In this strait the devil 1
appeared, So, so you've lost your
cow, old lady, old lady, have you? '
Never mind, I'll build you bridge,
and you shall go and fetch her. G
Thankee kindly, Sir, I'll be much s
obliged to you If you will, > and she e
8urtsied low with great humility.
To be sure l will, and he cast look
1T her out of the corner of his eye.
But the cows worth something-I S
must have toll-keep that dog quiet is
amt you ?. For the old woman had '
/ cur dog that kept on growing aSd e
yrumbling. 'Harkee, old lady-iE .
build you the bridge I'll have the j
irst that crosses it. Is il a bargain ? q
She was sOrely troubled. If she went o
'ver for the COW she knew that she d
rad sold herself to the devil, and If I
be COW came to her. she lost her COW. 0
Bridge or no BRIDGE said the devil. p
Build the bridge, Sir, if you please q
Ay, ay, said the devil, it's very easy 81
o say build the bridge, but do you d
gree to the toll?i Yes, sure, Sir, c.
eplied the woman-and with that n
he devil put both his forefingeFs n
o his mouth and gave a shrill el
there was the bridge II
ure enough, and the devil sitting on d
he m ddle of it, smiling away like "
lock work, rocking himself to and ol
70, and switching his tail with great pi
abstraction. The old woman shook al
Ike an aspen leaf, but she took q CT
rust of bread ON her pocket and b
hOwing it to the dog, threw It over b
he bridge. And the dog ran over II
he bridge and passed the devil o,
there he sat in the middle. q
Whip that dog said the devil, for he OF
-as cut to the quick at being out OF
lifted by the old woman but he did ie
Ot want the dog, and he did not try 81
) stop him, andathe was. crossed and h
ne spell broken. He was mortified ia
nd. angry, but being gentleman he
rose and doffed his cap to the old
sdy-for the keen respect the keen, al
nd having done so he hung his tail II
luch humbled and walked Off" in
lr. Hemingway makes the following d
onment on the incident sit must N