Are the Dancing Fairies of Northumbria Benign or Malevolent?

Are the Dancing Fairies of Northumbria Benign or Malevolent?

Tales of fairies exist all over the world, and there are hundreds to choose from right here in the British Isles. Yet they often have a particular 'flavour' or motif that lets you group them together. One of the common motifs of folk tales in the northeast of England is that of dancing fairies. It seems the fairies in these parts loved a good feast, or a sing-song after dark.

Many of the stories are benign, with fairies simply enjoying a good knees-up and largely leaving human witnesses alone. Others see the fairies try to invite humans to join them - many of whom are never seen again.

We'll explore some tales of Northumbrian fairies, including hunters that disappear into Fairyland, fairy hills, and a milkmaid with the power to see fairies in this week’s episode of Fabulous Folklore!

Find the images and references on the blog post: https://www.icysedgwick.com/northern-dancing-fairies

The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast: https://www.scarlettofthefae.com/the-modern-fairy-sightings-podcast/

Get your free guide to home protection the folklore way here: https://www.icysedgwick.com/fab-folklore/

Become a member of the Fabulous Folklore Family for bonus episodes and articles at https://patreon.com/bePatron?u=2380595

Enjoyed this episode and want to show your appreciation? Buy Icy a coffee to say 'thanks' at: https://ko-fi.com/icysedgwick

Request an episode: https://forms.gle/gqG7xQNLfbMg1mDv7

Tweet Icy at https://twitter.com/IcySedgwick

Find Icy on Mastodon: @IcySedgwick@mastodonapp.uk

Get extra snippets of folklore on Instagram at https://instagram.com/icysedgwick

'Like' Fabulous Folklore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousfolklore/

Jaksot(437)

Festive Folklore & Christmas Carols with Loremen

Festive Folklore & Christmas Carols with Loremen

For this first episode in our Festive Folklore series for December 2025, I'm joined by my podcast pals, James Shakeshaft and Alasdair Beckett-King, better known as the Loremen. We discuss some obscur...

6 Joulu 202546min

Legends of New York's Islands: Buried Treasure and Typhoid Mary

Legends of New York's Islands: Buried Treasure and Typhoid Mary

New York City conjures up images of a neon-drenched Times Square, skyscrapers gleaming in the sun, and the labyrinthine subway system.  Yet the city also boasts three main rivers; the Hudson to the w...

29 Marras 202524min

Menorca Legends: Lost Cities, Giants, and the Cyclops

Menorca Legends: Lost Cities, Giants, and the Cyclops

Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Well-known for a huge collection of megaliths, Menorca has seen human activity since the prehistoric era. This period was the Talayotic...

22 Marras 202518min

Anglesey Folklore: Witches, Ghosts, and Ancient Druids

Anglesey Folklore: Witches, Ghosts, and Ancient Druids

Perhaps most famous as the home of the druids, Ynys Môn, also known as Anglesey, occupies 275 square miles just off the north Wales coast. It is an ancient place. Archaeologists found Neolithic settl...

15 Marras 202524min

Legends of Drake's Island: Tunnels, Ghosts, and a White Lady

Legends of Drake's Island: Tunnels, Ghosts, and a White Lady

Drake's Island sits in Plymouth Sound, around 500 m from the mainland. The island is just 6.5 acres, and around 250 yards wide at its broadest point. You can reach the island by boat in 10 minutes. I...

8 Marras 202522min

Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 4

Listener Supernatural Experiences Part 4

Today marks All Saints' Day, also known as All Hallows' Day or the Feast of All Hallows. That's why Hallowe'en is called that - it's All Hallow's Eve. The day celebrates saints, but the far more inter...

1 Marras 202525min

How do we understand the reputation of the Amityville Horror House?

How do we understand the reputation of the Amityville Horror House?

If I ask you to think of a famous haunted house, will your mind wander to a white Dutch Colonial house, with quarter-round windows lit from within to look like red eyes? Yes? Then the reputation of 11...

25 Loka 202518min

Just how bad were the prisons at the Doge's Palace?

Just how bad were the prisons at the Doge's Palace?

The Palazzo Ducale dominates the view as your vaporetto approaches the San Marco stop. The huge building is an example of Venetian Gothic architecture, all pointed arches and quatrefoils. It's hard to...

18 Loka 202520min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

sita
olipa-kerran-otsikko
kaksi-aitia
ihme-ja-kumma
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
i-dont-like-mondays
uutiscast
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
poks
antin-palautepalvelu
kolme-kaannekohtaa
mamma-mia
rss-murhan-anatomia
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
aikalisa
rss-nikotellen
meidan-pitais-puhua
loukussa
naakkavalta
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2