L is for... Leshii

The Leshii is the sprit of the forest in Slavic folklore.

Every forest has its own Leshii who lives deep within the trees with his wife and children. The Leshii normally takes the form of a man with hair and beard of leaves, grass and vines, but he can also take on the shape of any animal or plant - from a tall tree, to a single blade of grass.

The Leshii is the guardian of the forest and protects all the animals living there. He is thought to be an evil spirit by some but is, in fact, more like a tricksy fairy in nature. 

He does enjoy misguiding travellers and leaving them lost within the woods, but if he is befriended, however, he will pass on his vast knowledge of magic.

If there is more than one Leshii in a single forest then they will fight violently to claim the territory as their own, leaving a trail of fallen trees and scared animals. 

When travelling through the forest it is sensible to take a gift of bread for the Leshii to ward off his troublesome nature.

C is for... Changeling

Have you ever know a strange, quiet, otherworldly child?
Were you that strange child?

If so, you might just be a changeling!

A changeling is thought to be a fairy child that has been secretly swapped and left in the place of a normal, human child.

This changeling child is normally the offspring of a fairy, elf or troll. Though in some cases an enchanted piece of wood is sometimes left instead.
This fake, wooden child will quickly become sick and die soon after the swap takes place.

Vigilant parents can ward against a fairy swap by leaving iron scissors near where the child sleeps or by dressing the child with their clothes on inside out.
This clothes method can also be used to ward against fairies if you are passing near to where they may live - such as walking through the woods.



It can be extremely difficult to spot a changeling child as they normally look exactly like the child that they have replaced. However, a keen eye may be able to spot a slight change in height, weight or the colour of the eyes.
If a parent starts to suspect that their child may have been swapped then there are a few tests that they could perform in order to make sure. 

Many of these tests were designed to trick the changeling child into revealing that it might not be quite as human as it was pretending to be - either by doing something a normal child wouldn't be able to do, or by saying something which would show what they really are.
Sometimes the parents would just leave their child alone in a dangerous place, such as a dark forest.



This idea of a 'swapped fairy child' is a very common theme throughout history and can be linked with parents concerns over children in ill health or suffering from strange, unknown diseases and disorders back when medicine held very few answers.
When medicine fails you, turn to magic for the answers!
It was easier to assume your real child had been taken far away and replaced with a fake one, than admit that they might be seriously ill.

Books with Changelings:

New adventures

Writing the first post of a blog is much like reading the last page of a really good book.

Scary.

With one its the fear of leaving a world I've grown to love, and with the other its the fear of entering a new one but with no idea what to say.
Will there be terrifying dragons waiting to tear apart each word and syllable? Will I find new friends to share my adventure with? Will there be a butt load of feasting and frolicking? I sure hope so! Well....for the last two anyway.

So welcome to my new little world. Please take a seat, pour yourself a cup of tea and share some wonders with me.
I plan to fill this new space with books & stories, magic & dreams, fairies, dragons, mermaids as well as lots of cakes & sweets. I hope you enjoy it all as much as I do.

I have no idea where this blog is headed yet, as its just the very beginning. But I always think the start of new adventures are always the very best part. Don't you?