Middle Earth Cuckoos: The Changeling Phenomenon in British Faery-lore

The changeling (a faery substituted for a stolen human child) is one of the central and most disturbing concepts of British faery-lore. In this extended essay, John Kruse examines all aspects of the folklore record on changelings- how and why babies are taken and what parents can do to prevent or reverse an abduction. The study is illustrated with plentiful examples from the faery-lore of the British Isles as well as with poetry from Britain and Ireland.