Fairy Ointment facts for kids

Fairy Ointment is a magical substance often found in old English fairy tales. It's also known as "The Fairy Nurse." This special ointment lets humans see fairies and their hidden world.

Many stories about this ointment have been collected over time. For example, Joseph Jacobs included a version in his book English Fairy Tales. Andrew Lang also shared a story about it in The Lilac Fairy Book. Tales about this magical ointment can be found in places like Scandinavia, France, and the British Isles.

What Happens in the Stories?

Imagine a story where a human is called to help a fairy family. This often happens when a fairy baby is about to be born.

The Midwife's Discovery

In these tales, a human midwife is asked to help with a birth. After the baby is born, she is given a special ointment. She is told to rub it into the baby's eyes. This helps the fairy baby see properly.

Sometimes, the midwife gets curious. She might accidentally or on purpose rub a tiny bit of the ointment into one or both of her own eyes. This is where the magic begins!

Seeing the Hidden World

Once the ointment touches her eyes, the midwife can see the true fairy world. What looked like a simple, old cottage might suddenly become a grand, sparkling castle. Or, sometimes, a fancy-looking castle turns into a hidden, humble cave. The ointment helps her see past the fairies' magic, which often makes their homes look ordinary to human eyes.

In one story collected by Andrew Lang, a woman used the ointment. She then saw a neighbor who had been taken by fairies and was kept as a nurse. The ointment helped her tell her husband how to rescue her friend. This was like other old tales where humans are pulled away by riding fairies.

The Fairy's Secret

Soon after, the midwife might see a fairy in a public place. She might accidentally let slip that she can see them. Fairies are very protective of their secrets. If a fairy realizes a human can see them, they often act quickly. The fairy will usually touch the eye that saw them. This touch instantly blinds that eye. If the midwife put the ointment in both eyes, she might lose sight in both.

The Cornish Tale of Joan

There's a fun story from Cornwall, England, about a woman named Joan. She was going to the market to buy shoes. On her way, she stopped to visit her neighbor, Betty. Betty was known for having unusual abilities.

Joan saw Betty rub a special ointment into her children's eyes. When Betty left the room for a moment, Joan's curiosity got the best of her. She rubbed some of the ointment into her own right eye.

Betty came back with a drink for Joan. After Joan drank it, she was amazed! The cottage was suddenly full of tiny, dancing people playing games. Betty said she wouldn't go to the market that day, so Joan went alone.

At the market, Joan saw Betty's husband, Thomas Trenance. He was taking things from the market stalls and putting them into a bag. No one else seemed to notice him! Joan bravely called him out, saying he was stealing.

Thomas asked her which eye she saw him with. When she pointed to her right eye, he touched it with his finger. Instantly, Joan's right eye went blind. This showed the power of the fairy ointment and the fairies' desire to keep their world secret.

Fairy Ointment in Other Stories

The idea of fairy ointment appears in many other fantasy stories and books. It's usually used as a way for humans to see through fairy magic, also called "glamour."

For example, in The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, the main characters enter a fairy hill. They are looking for a child who was stolen by fairies. But the fairies' magic makes them confused and hypnotized. To break the spell, they rub their eyes with stolen fairy ointment. This helps them see clearly again.

These types of tales, about magic ointments and midwives helping fairies, are known in folklore studies as "Midwife to the fairies" (ML 5070). They are also classified as Aarne-Thompson type 476*.