New-York tribune., 1909-03-14
"BL4Ck F4IRIES."
Mr. Lang Discusses Them sCith
GrdsIty.

from The LONDON Morning Post.
Fairies Of many colors torment FaIstaT IN
aThe Merry Wives Of Windsor" but concerning
black fairies science has hitherto had little
knowledge. did not know that the naked
sborgines q Central Australia believe in fairies
50 deyoutly an old Irish peasant in County
sligo, who once gave me the fun natural history
NJ these tTiCllSy beings He had no more doubt
about their existence than about that Of the
rariSh priest but she won't hear of Them he
said Indignantly. pointing to his comely young
6aughter-iT-laW- Yet she cannot deny'-and
here followed story Of some recent and notori-
Gus dongs Of the fairy dwelleTs in or below
peghboriDg mote"
The fairies Of the Arunta tribe in Central
Australia. fairies called ITuntarinia. have been
described by MessTs. Spencer and Gillen- There
can b doubt, / think. that our fairies are
direct descendants of such a belief as that in
the Iruntariuia, though our authors do not COM
Inent on this connection, and do not seem to
have observed it
Near Alice Springs. in the very CEN
Ire Of Australia, there is ancient hollow tree,
grounds or winter gardens of the Iruntarinia,
witch according to native belief stretch out
for many miles underground" Doubtless there
are tales Of daring blacks who have visited the
fairy realm but none of these stories IS re-
reated by our learned authors.
The Iruntarinia have mortal friends whom
they follow on hunting expeditions, and for
whom they drive the game, very small deer
as 2 rule The Iruntarinia cor at least mans
Aryluharinga which Is much the same thing)
cause him to notice suddenly any snake on
which he IS apt to tread He looks down with
out knowing why, and sees and avoids the dan
ger Really il is his sublininal self that gives
him the warning but if he likes to use the term
Arcrnbaringa- OF Guardian Angel. We know quite
as well, perhaps better, what he means If a
nan has been born with his eyes Open." if he
be q sensitive" or seer. he can see the lrunta-
riDia. other people are less fortunate
Tie Iruntarinia steal hair and fur string and
other material which after time is as mystic
riOusly returned TO its owner as il disappeared
in the first instance X Is. so say the natives,
no uncommon thing for q man to wake in the
morning. or even after sleep in the middle OF
the day. and find that his spare string has dis
appeared" Even an irknun oknira. scOfer,
may believe this Sooner or later the man viii
awake TO find his string by his side What may
be the real meaning Of this belief Il is difficult
10 see" say Messrs. Spencer and Gillen I
envy their Inexperience Of misfortune; the thing
often happens to me / have the permission Of
Mrs Lang who is not an alkna buma, to give
this example in the interests of science We
were staying at a rural hotel in Scotland. I
Joined her At luncheon. when she told me that
she had lost curious antique japanese brooch,
which she had been wearing that morning. l
went Up tC her room and carefully examined
her writing and toilet tables and other places in
vain After luncheon We both renewed our re
searches. 10 no purpose. I sat down while she
stood al her writing table, to her left; on her
right was her toilet table. There was an empty
space IN the middle OF the writing table. she
moved two or three little boxes at the side Of
the table, and then l heard her utter an excla-
nation The brooch was lying on what a mo-
-aent ago had been the empty space IN the centre
Of the writing table.
Obviously the Iruntarinia were at the bottom
n this experience at all events, whatever the
iriznun okni-a may say. the Arunta would be
seddad 10 that opinion When ancient Gaelic
manuscript was found lying on the heath the
people writes Campbell, said that ''it if
tie fairies had brought it" Like our fairies the
IGntarinia carry women of TO their fairyl2nd.
Not Eery long ago, at q place called Undoolya,"
was ONLY just in time 10 rescue his wife.
whom the Ir1utarinia were carrying away, as in
Scott's ballad OF Alice Brand if l remember
the name of The piece. Like the fairies, the
Eunt2T!ni2 are freakish: sometimes most kind,
at Other times cruel like the fairies they wander
between The Quick and the dead Here we have
ne fairy belief in its most primitive known
shape and, Ike "ChaTley's Aunt" 1t lis stiu
rCnnilg"