Some of you may have seen the recent news of a fairy bridge springing up overnight in the marshes in Norfolk. After a previous, human-made, bridge was taken down by landowners on health and safety grounds, it’s fortunate that the marsh fairies stepped in when they did - not once, but twice, owing to the landowners removing the first. The rickety narrow bridge serves a distinct purpose, allowing people to leave the marsh when the tides roll in. That is, if you trust that the fairies won’t lead you astray…
Nonetheless, as large landowners in England are wont to do, the fairies have been reported to Norfolk Police. Fairies are easily upset, so I suspect no prosecutions will be forthcoming for fear of retribution, no matter how many times it is replaced. After all, the fairies are the true guardians of the marshes.
Norfolk, like much of England, has a long relationship with fairies. The entrance to Fairyland was once posited to be in a field near Bawdeswell, and fairies were regular visitors to houses in the area - though never to be spotted by humans. Evidence of their residence in the area is still apparent in the form of fairy rings. These bring luck, good or bad, should you step inside of one, and may even be the site of an underground fairy village. Further afield, fairy rings have been shown to be hundreds of years old - generally speaking the larger the fairy ring, the older it is. It makes sense, when you think that fairy villages probably expand over time.
It’s worth noting that fairies are generally perceived differently than faeries, or the fae folk as tend to appear in fantasy novels. The latter are seen as malicious, rather than mischievous, whereas the former are those one might see fairy doors for around the woodlands and fields. That’s not to claim they are innocent, more that they have less deliberateness in the injury that they cause. Of course, these terms are often used interchangeably, just to add to the confusion!
There are many stories that stem from sightings of - or interactions with - fairies around the world. What stories are in your local area? Have you had any experiences with fairies? Or do you think people have been taking too much fairy dust? I’d love to hear your views!