In Irish legend, the Changeling is a decoy set up by fairies to replace a newborn child they have just maliciously abducted. More specifically, it’s a form of deception, designed to avoid arousing the concern of parents, who are then convinced that they have their child with them.
Changelings are traps found in Irish and Scottish writings. The story goes that fairies, out of mischief and curiosity, would not hesitate to kidnap men’s babies for fun. As a substitute, the fairies would then place a Changeling in the place of the abducted newborn.
The form of a Changeling can change from story to story, but most of the time, a Changeling takes the form of a baby fairy, or an enchanted piece of wood. The spell then has the effect of making this substition a complete illusion for the parents, who are then convinced that they have their child next to them.
However, there is a technique for unmasking them: simply arouse the Changeling’s curiosity and it will reveal the whole truth!
For parents who have unmasked the subterfuge, it is then possible to catch the Changeling, and summon him to return their child. Generally speaking, fairies always return newborn babies to their parents: they would only have abducted them for fun.
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