Editing Fairy (section)

== Characteristics ==
Much folklore of fairies involves methods of protecting oneself from their malice, by means such as cold iron, charms (see [[amulet]], [[talisman]]) of [[rowan]] trees or various [[herb]]s, or simply shunning locations "known" to be theirs, ergo avoiding offending any fairies.<ref>Briggs1 (1976) pp. 335,36.</ref> Less harmful pranks ascribed to fairies include: tangling the hair of sleepers into [[fairy-lock]]s (aka elf-locks), stealing small items, and leading a traveler astray. More dangerous behaviors were also attributed to fairies; any form of sudden death might have stemmed from a fairy kidnapping, the evident corpse a magical replica of wood.<ref>Briggs1 (1976) p. 25.</ref> Consumption ([[tuberculosis]]) was sometimes blamed on fairies who forced young men and women to dance at [[wikt:revel#Etymology|revels]] every night, causing them to waste away from lack of rest.<ref>Briggs1 (1976) p. 80.</ref> [[Rowan]] trees were considered sacred to fairies,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/kis/kis55.htm|title=The King of Ireland's Son |publisher=Internet Sacred Text Archive |website=The House of Crom Duv: The Story of the Fairy Rowan Tree |first1=Padraic |last1=Colum |date=1916 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407175359/https://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/kis/kis55.htm |archive-date= Apr 7, 2023 }}</ref> and a charm tree to protect one's home.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 November 2003 |title=Mythology and Folklore of the Rowan |url=http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.mythrowan.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204015629/http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.mythrowan.html |archive-date=Dec 4, 2003 |website=Trees for Life}}</ref>