Faerie Week: The Dark Side of Faerie

While the likes of Disney and Mother Goose have encouraged us to think of faeries as gentle, mischievous beings, the truth is that the “fair folk” have their shadow side as well. Man-eaters, kidnappers and murderers dwell among them, and they no sooner hesitate to inflict their evil upon us than we pause before swatting a gnat.

Although modernity would seem to have swept these mythic monsters aside, there are certain dark corners of the world that may yet be haunted by the worst faerie has to offer. Today at Suvudu we’ll look at some of these creatures, plus their modern guises and habitats.

Black Annis
Then: The Black Annis (also known as “Black Annie”) is a malevolent,
cave-dwelling faerie that appears as a wizened old hag. She’s
particularly fond of the flesh of small children, and is rumored to
wander the hills of bonnie Scotland, gobbling up lads and lasses foolish
enough to stray from their beds after nightfall.

Now: These days the Black Annis is likely to take the form of a harmless
old woman, a grandmotherly type with a purse full of hard candy and
shiny quarters for the children in her neighborhood. Look for her there
or at your local park. She’ll be sitting on a bench with the rest of the
old-timers. It might look like she’s feeding the pigeons but, really,
it’s not them she’s hoping to fatten up.

Quote: “Little boy, would you like a peppermint?”

Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones
Then: Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones is a goblin of a particularly ghoulish
appearance: a human skeleton dripping with blood. Like Black Annis, he’s
got an appetite for children. He prefers living under staircases in a
nest of human bones. 

Now: Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones keeps a low profile, and with living space
in the city at a premium, he’s likely to take up residence in a
building’s boiler room since the tiny little cubby under the stairs was
converted to a “cozy studio apartment” in a fit of gentrification. Lots
of times, Rawhead-and-Bloody-Bones will take a job as a building
superintendent in order to gain access to a lair and plenty of easy
prey. 

Quote: “Just leave your key under the doormat and I’ll take care of that
- uh – repair for you. You said the nursery, right?”

Kelpie
Then: The Kelpie or “water horse” is an evil faerie that takes the form
of a beautiful steed. It lingers on the shores of lakes and ponds
waiting for an unsuspecting person to hop on for a ride. When this
happens, the Kelpie gallops full-tilt into the water, drowning the
hapless equestrian. 

Now: These days, a lone horse wandering the shores of a lake would
probably raise a lot of questions, and these creatures prefer to keep a
low profile. The Kelpie has had to change with the times, and its
preferred form now is that of a seemingly abandoned Jet Ski or Seadoo. 

Quote: Hapless victim: “Sweet! Free Seadoo!”

Redcap
Then: An extremely territorial variety of goblin, Redcaps can be found
haunting ruined castles on the outskirts of civilization. They get their
name from their practice of dyeing their hats in the blood of their
victims. 

Now: The fashion world is an extremely tough business, and some
designers are willing to kill to keep their competitive edge and none
more so than the Redcap. His hat designs are a perennial favorite, even
though they come in just one color…

Quote: “Sweetie, my hats are to die for.”

Changeling
Then: A changeling is a faerie baby left in place of a kidnapped human
infant. Recognizing a changeling is difficult, but as the changeling
grows older, it may develop a strange appearance or peculiar habits that
hint at his or her otherworldly origin.

Now: Oh, I know you’ve seen one. Ever had a new parent show you a
picture of their newborn and you had to struggle for something polite to
say? That’s it. The changeling has a face that only a mother could
love. Older changelings can be harder to spot, but if you hear the theme
from The Omen whenever a neighbor kid comes over to play that could be a
clue.
 
Quote: “Come play with us, Danny.”