A gateway to faerie land can be found under the hollow hills that rise up on pillars
during Lammas Tide (7th August)
The faerie portal can be opened by striking a faerie rock with a posy of primrose
flowers.For your own protection you must use the correct amount of blooms
(which I believe is five)
The rock will split and the entrance will be revealed. The faeries dislike being
disturbed and will try to pull you through the entrance into their world and you will
never be allowed to return to the land of mortals.
If, however, you have used the right amount of flowers they will be unable to do so
and don’t forget, if you wish to see the faeries that reside within, remember to eat
a primrose flower first and this will make all visible.
The hill of Ile in the west Highlands is a faerie dwelling in which the Faerie Queen
resides. From here she hands out ,with the aid of a golden goblet, wisdom to all the
women of the world.
'Still on the hill when the wisdom was handed out' is the local saying for anybody less
than bright.
Elva Hill (North East of Bassenthwaite Lake) is a faerie hill. Elva meaning the place of
the elves in old Viking. The stone circle upon the hill is no longer complete, only 15
stones of the original 30 remain.
Also on the banks of Bassenthwaite Lake is Castle Howe which is the site of a faerie castle.
On misty mornings or sometimes late in the evening the reflections of it can be seen in
the waters of the lake, but never the actual castle itself.
There was once three beautiful trees growing on the top of a hill and on moonlit
nights singing could be heard and underneath the spreading boughs three green
clad faeries would dance.
No one dared go close to the hill except the farmer who tilled the ground around
the hill, he climbed to the once a year on Midsummer Eve to lay a posy of
primroses at the base of each of the trees.
But he did not linger on the hill, he made sure he was safe indoors when the
sun set. It was a rich farm and he often told his three sons that 'My father
always said our luck lies up on the hill; and when I am dead and gone do not
forget to do the same and take the flowers up the hill. My father did so before
me and as all our forbears did through out the years.'
They listened to their father but took little heed except for the youngest son,
and when the old man died the farm was divided into three. The eldest got the
biggest portion, the second took another and the youngest was left with the
poorest strip of rough ground at the foot of the hill.
He did not mind too much and set about working his piece of land but he
always made sure he was inside before sunset. The young man worked hard,
sowing his crops and tending his cows; and when his brothers visited him they
could not believe their eyes.
They became very angry and jealous as their farms were not thriving.
'Who helps you in your work?' they demanded. 'There is gossip down in the
village that there is singing and dancing every night. A hard working farmer
should be abed.'
But their brother did not answer.
They carried on their ranting 'Did we see you up on the hill earlier, what
were you doing?'
'I was doing as our father instructed before he died, it's Midsummer Eve.'
His brothers were very angry and did not even bother to mock him for his
odd behaviour.
'The hill is mine,' warned the oldest brother, 'so do not let me see you up
there again. And anyway I need timber for a new barn so I am going to cut
one of the trees down.'
The next was Midsummer's Day but the eldest brother did not heed this; he
took his wagons and his axe to the top of the hill. His brother saw him ride
past and called out to him 'Remember what day it is!'
His warning was ignored and the eldest carried on to the three trees.
As he laid his axe into the trunk of the first tree it screamed like a woman,
his horses ran away in terror but he went on hacking at the trunk. The wind
blew up and howled around the top of the hill and the remaining two trees
lashed their branches in fury. Nothing stopped the man however,
he carried on chopping until the tiniest bit of trunk was left, it suddenly
snapped and fell down on top of him and killed him.
Now there was only two green ladies left to dance on moonlit nights.
The second brother took the dead man's farm as well as his own but neither
prospered.
The youngest man carried on working his little piece of land and everything
grew and flourished, and he never forgot to take the primroses up the hill
on Midsummer Eve.
The second brother saw him toiling up the hill, and now being fearful of the
trees shouted at him to stay away. 'Stay off my land, I am going to build a
stout timber fence around the hill to keep your cows off. And I am going to cut
one of the trees down to do it.'
That night no green ladies were seen dancing on the hill, the wind howled
around and the leaves shook and trembled. The youngest son was very sad
as he watched his brother stride past bearing his axe. Again the tree
screamed like a woman as the axe bit into the trunk; he chopped steadily
away being very careful that the tree fell away from him as it
came down.
The youngest was watching from the lane below the hill; he saw the last
remaining tree raise a great branch and bring it down on his brother's
head and kill him.
So the remaining son inherited his brother's farms but he still lived in his little
cottage at the foot of the hill, and up on top the green lady danced on alone
in the moonlight.
Every Midsummer Eve he climbed the hill and laid a posy of primroses
at the base of the remaining tree and his farms prospered from that day.
One Tree Hill is situated in Derbyshire and there are many among the
locals who will not climb the hill especially in Midsummer's Eve, and they
all know that it must never be fenced as it belongs to The Green Lady.
Some of the faerie islands float, some are underwater and surface only at night
( Islands can be made to stay on the surface if fire or steel is taken onto them).
Others can only be seen at certain times of the year. They all have endless spring
and happiness, ageing and sickness is unheard of. The most famous of the islands
is Breasail or Hy-Brasil, the homeland of the Formorians and Firbolgs which is
situated to the west of Ireland in the Atlantic.
From the north of Wales sometimes the hazy silhouette can be seen of the Western
Lands just hovering over the sea. It appears differently to each person that sees it,
sometimes a wooded island, to others a sparkling city high on a rock.
There is a faerie island on Llangorse Lake, the beautiful buildings and gardens can
be seen clearly from the lake side. It is linked to the mainland by a faerie causeway
that can only be used at certain times. The island is inhabited by a Faerie King
and Queen.
Near the Lake Llyn Cwm Lilwich in the Brecon Beacons is a secret door to the land of
the faeries. It used to open every 1st May until a mortal stole a flower from faerieland,
since then it has remained firmly closed.
Llyn Dywarchen, Nantle Valley, Gwynedd.
This lake contains a floating spirit island which is constantly moved about the waters
by the strong winds.
There are two faerie islands that only rise from time to time in the Orkneys,
Hildaland and Hether Blether. They are both surrounded by a magical mist and can
only be seen briefly.
If you do see one make sure that you hold iron in your hand while travelling
towards it, the enchantment will break if you manage to set foot upon it.
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