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| ISBN-13: | 9780835631600 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Quest Books |
| Publication date: | 04/08/2015 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 126 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
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Fairies at Work and at Play
By Geoffrey Hodson
Theosophical Publishing House
Copyright © 1982 Theosophical Publishing HouseAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8356-3160-0
CHAPTER 1
BROWNIES AND ELVES
THE brownies I have studied, though varying considerably in detail, have always presented certain common characteristics which placed them unmistakably in their own family.
A mediæval style of attire is invariably affected. A short brown coat, sometimes with a wide scalloped collar, bright buttons and facings of green, brown knee breeches, rough stockings, and two distinct kinds of boots: sometimes a large heavy "agricultural" boot is worn; at others a long pointed shoe of lighter make. How variations occur will be seen from the description given later, of the manufacture of a pair of fairy shoes.
A long pointed cap is the usual head dress, though a low-brimmed hard hat occasionally replaces the deer-skin nightcap-shape more generally worn. Groups of brownies, hard at work, have been noticed to be wearing aprons closely esembling those worn by blacksmiths; bright buckles and clasps are generally part of their equipment. Working brownies carry and pretend to use tools, hiefly spades and picks, with which they delve in the earth with great earnestness.
Brownies vary in build: some tribes being short and squat, with fat, round bodies and short limbs; others being slim and youthful in appearance. Their height varies from four inches to a foot. Usually the face is that of an old man, with grey eyebrows, moustache and beard, red complexion, and a weather-beaten aspect. The eyes are small and beady, and the expression simple, kindly and bucolic.
By nature they are communicative and friendly creatures, living in tribes, and, like most of the fairy peoples, highly imitative in their habits, their attire, and their methods of work and play. They belong to the soil, and have much of the rustic simplicity of the tiller of the ground. Apparently the type is of mediæval origin; at any rate, their present appearance is certainly moulded upon the countryman of that period. What function they perform in the processes of Nature is not clear; they are generally to be found on or just beneath the surface of the ground, and amongst the roots of trees and plants. I have seen them digging most solemnly amongst the roots of growing plants, yet such an expression of mock seriousness and make-believe pervades all their activities that it is never quite clear whether they regard their endeavours as work or play. The following accounts of several different occasions on which they have been observed may help us to an understanding of them.
A BROWNIE VILLAGE
In a thick wood consisting of oak and hazel, with some beech. Lake District. June 28th, 1922.
"On the steep side of one of the crags on the western shores of Thirlmere is a very large colony of brownies; they live just below the ground level and spend their time as much beneath as above the surface. I see a number of tiny little houses, just beneath the surface of the hill. They are quite perfect in shape, mostly wooden and thatched, and they have windows and doors. They are scattered irregularly about the hillside. In among them, and the roots and rocks which surround them, numbers of brownie figures are to be seen. The following is an attempt to describe one selected at random.
Not more than six inches high, he looks like a little old man, wearing a brown hat shaped like a nightcap, and a brown suit, consisting of what appears to be the brownie regulation knickerbockers, stockings and boots. The face is grey-bearded, and bears the impress of an ancient rusticity. Undoubtedly there is the make-believe of domestic life, though I do not see any female figure in this fairy village. Brownies literally swarm over this hillside and vary very little in appearance, expression, or intelligence. They seem to be just 'evolving' here. They differ from any brownies I have previously seen in that they do not appear to work in connection with any processes of Nature; though they venerate the trees, they do not appear to serve them in any capacity.
One of the more boyish nature-spirits which also 'live' here has now approached me, and, standing some two or three yards on my right, is proceeding to 'show off,' with extravagant gestures and simple-minded humour. He is much slimmer than the older-looking brownies, and has a touch of colour about him—a little red on the hat (which is conical with the point hanging back slightly) and a little green in his brown costume. I hardly think he can be a brownie; his feet run down to a point, his nether limbs are thin and elongated, and his hands are far too large for the rest of his body. He rests his left hand on his hip, and points with his right hand in the direction of the wood, as if proudly displaying the beauties of the place: added to his pride there is a good deal of vainglory and childish self-satisfaction. His face is clean shaven and red, his eyes are small, his nose and chin are prominent, his mouth is very wide and still further expanded into a grin. His gestures and poses are amazing. His body is so supple that he can bend and stretch himself to almost any position.
I cannot persuade him to approach any nearer, as he immediately begins to show apprehension. He appears to feel uncomfortable, though not, I think, really afraid. The human 'aura' is inharmonious to him and he would probably lose his equilibrium within it. By contrast I realise how ethereal and fragile is his make-up, possessing less consistency than a puff of wind; yet the form is perfectly clearly outlined, and the details are sharply defined.
Looking again at the brownie community and striving to grasp some of the details of their life, certain peculiar facts present themselves. For example, an endeavour to see the inside of their houses showed to my surprise that they had no inside—that when one went in at the door there was nothing there! The outside shape is fairly perfect and quite picturesque, but the inside is just darkness. In fact the illusion of a house entirely disappears when the consciousness is directed to the interior. Certain fine lines of flowing magnetism are all that one sees. The brownies enter by the, door and then put off the brownie form, and descend deeper into the earth in a relatively formless state. They all seem to have the conception of being busy, hurrying about the place in a pseudo-serious manner—but to me the whole thing is pure make-believe. There does not appear to be much communication between them, and they are all exceedingly self-centred.
The houses do not belong to any individual or group—any member of the colony uses them, this 'use' being limited merely to passing in and out through the door. They certainly get some satisfaction from contemplating the exterior of these houses. I do not see belonging to these woodland brownies, any of the working tools, satchels, or aprons which I have noticed on other occasions. They appear to be less intelligent and less highly evolved, more self-centred and far more aimless in their existence than any others I have met."
A HOUSEHOLD BROWNIE
Preston, January, 1922.
"For some weeks my wife and I have been aware of the presence of a nature-spirit of the brownie family inside the house. He was first observed in the kitchen on the shelf over the range, and later in the hall and the drawing-room. He differs somewhat in consciousness and appearance from the working brownies whom we have hitherto observed. This evening he entered the drawing-room, viâ the closed door, through which he has been seen to pass and repass. He began gambolling round the room, and the occasional flash of etheric light which accompanied his rapid movements attracted my attention. I gathered from him that these movements were expressive of his pleasure at my return after an absence of three days. He evidently regards himself as a member of the family, while there is also the suggestion that he has adopted us. This state of affairs gives him much happiness, and he contrives to give the impression of belonging to the place.
He is some five or six inches high, wears a conical brown cap, of a texture like deerskin, tilted at the back of his head. He has a bright, youthful clean-shaven countenance, with fresh colour, and dark brown eyes which are round and bright. The neck is a little too long and thin for our sense of proportion. He is clothed in a green, close-fitting coatee, knee-breeches, and brownish-grey stockings of a rough material; at the present moment he is wearing large boots somewhat out of proportion to the rest of his body.
He is very lively, very familiar, and evidently has some regard for us, though normally we are not aware of his presence. I gather that the kitchen is his proper habitat, and that in some way the sight of household utensils pleases him. Again, unlike those of his kind that we have hitherto met, he does not belong to a band, and appears to have neither kith nor kin. On my saying this he looked up at me from the sitting posture which he assumed at the time I began to describe him, with an expression which plainly conveyed that as far as he was concerned we were his kith and kin.
He finds his amusements and occupation in a manner all his own, and evidently possesses all he needs within himself. In his small way he has idealised the house, the hearth, the household affairs, and appears to gain great satisfaction from his association with them. His intelligence is absurdly childlike; he has no reasoning faculty, and little of what we call the instinct in animals. He just plays and amuses himself with imaginary occupations, to pursue which he often retires into a corner and becomes oblivious of everything outside the thought world he creates for himself. To me this appears as a lavender-blue haze of glamour, surrounding him like a large cocoon; therein he plays much as a child plays with its bricks. He knows of our goings and comings; he showed himself clearly on a recent occasion when we were about to leave the house for ten days. Beyond the effect upon him of the human emanations, I see no purpose for his presence. He certainly does not appear likely to fulfil the legends of his type and perform any household duties! Though he does not materialise he is able to increase his visibility and to change his form from that described to a more subtle one."
MANUFACTURE OF FAIRY BOOTS
Facing Helvellyn. November, 1921.
"Among the little folks on this hillside the first observed was an elderly brownie, who, soon after we had seated ourselves, stepped out to the edge of the little firwood behind us.
He was some six or eight inches high and wore a long pointed cap, like a slightly imperfect cone, and a little green jerkin scalloped at the lower edge and falling about his hips; it was edged with brown, fastened with buttons, and had a broad cape-like collar, also scalloped and edged: little trousers completed his attire. At first he showed the lower limbs of an elf (i.e., long and pointed). He had a long, grey, scanty beard, and both his face and body were thinner and more austere than those of the usual brownie. He reminded me slightly of a caricature of Uncle Sam, clothed in the costume attributed to Falstaff.
He took much interest in our dog and approached close to its nose, being absolutely fearless. He appeared unable to take in the group as a whole. He realised the presence of human beings, but the first detail which struck him was the type of boots which I was wearing-canvas-topped army gum-boots. After looking at mine steadily he proceeded to make himself a very respectable imitation of them of which he was inordinately proud. His own simple mental image was sufficient to cover his own feet with a copy of what he looked at so admiringly. After strutting about for a time, as if to get used to them, he finally stalked off into the woods."
ELVES
My experience of the elf is very limited, and I have only the two brief descriptions given below to offer as examples of a type which does not appear to be very common in those parts of the country I have visited for the purposes of investigation. Elves differ from other nature-spirits chiefly in that they do not appear to be clothed in any reproduction of human attire, and that their bodily constitution appears to consist of one solid mass of gelatinous substance, entirely without interior organisation.
WOOD ELVES
Under the old beeches in the wood at Cottingly. August, 1921.
"Two tiny wood elves came racing over the ground past us as we sat on a fallen tree trunk. Seeing us, they pulled up, about five feet away, and stood regarding us with considerable amusement, but quite without fear. They appeared as if completely covered in a tight-fitting one-piece skin, which shone as if wet, and was coloured like the bark of a tree. There were a large number of these figures racing about the ground. Their hands and feet were large, out of all proportion to the rest of their bodies. Their legs were thin, and their large ears ran upwards to a point, being almost pear-shaped. Their noses, too, were pointed and their mouths were wide. No teeth, no structure existed inside the mouth—not even a tongue, so far as could be seen—just as if the whole were wade up of a piece of jelly. A small green aura surrounded them. The two we specially noticed lived in the roots of a huge beech tree, and finally disappeared through a crevice, into which they walked as one might walk into a cave, and sank below the ground."
SEASIDE ELVES
Blackpool. July, 1921.
"Playing on the shore, amongst the seaweed and the stones, are queer little elf-like forms. They have large heads, elfish faces, large ears, little round bodies, and short, thin legs ending in a foot which appears almost web-like. They are from three to six inches in height. They are familiar with human beings, and are in no way disturbed by their presence. They do not appear to go into the sea."
CHAPTER 2GNOMES
THE gnome is usually classified as an earth-spirit. Investigation shows that while all the types of traditional fairy actually exist in Nature, there are wide divergences within each type. Some of the differentiations are so great as to call for new names and classifications.
In the future when the naturalist, ethnologist and explorer enter Fairyland, and its scientific text-books are studied in every school, new names will of necessity be given to all the many and various kinds of fairy people. As I find the traditional names to be the most satisfactory from many points of view, I have classified such inhabitants of Fairyland as I have studied under the name given to the race they most nearly resemble.
Examples of tree creatures and winged mannikins are described in this chapter, although they differ in many important particulars from the true gnome. The student may demur at a winged gnome which lives in a tree, nevertheless, so far as my observation goes, the bodies of those I have classed under this heading resemble the gnome more closely than any other type. I shall class as "Gnomes," therefore, several creatures which differ, in many respects, from the true gnome of fairy tradition.
The gnome is usually thin and lanky, grotesque in appearance, cadaverous and lantern-jawed, and is generally, though not always, a solitary. He gives the impression of extreme old age; his whole appearance, bearing, and attire are utterly remote from those of the present day. His arms are too long for our sense of proportion, and, like his legs, are bent at the joints as if they had grown stiff with age. The complexion is very rough and coarse, the eyes are small and black, sloping slightly upwards at the sides. It has been said that the gnome form is a relic of the days of ancient Atlantis, and if this is true it may mean that the type is a representation of the appearance of the peoples of those days, and though grotesque to us, is an expression of their standard of beauty.
The true earth gnome is not a pleasant type of elemental; those met with in England have been either quite black or peat-brown in colour, and though I have never incurred their hostility their atmosphere is decidedly unpleasant.
A TREE GNOME
In the fields near Preston. September, 1921.
"Living in the lower portion of an ash tree is a gnome. He appears larger than any gnome I have ever seen, being, probably, two feet six inches high to the top of his cap. He assumes his gnome shape when preparing to leave the tree, which he does in order to make short excursions into the field. He moves across the field swiftly, at not less than twenty miles an hour, yet, in spite of his speed, he appears to pick his way fantastically over the grass, taking long strides and lifting his legs high into the air. He is in a happy mood, thinking of himself, his tree, and his excursions, while in the background of his mind there are memories of play, mostly of a solitary nature, beneath the branches of the tree. These memories and their complementary anticipations increase his happiness. There does not appear to be the slightest room for anything but joy in his mind. His pleasures are in himself. He does not need the companionship of his kind in order to be happy. His happiness is therefore permanent and stable. He appears to live very largely in the present.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Fairies at Work and at Play by Geoffrey Hodson. Copyright © 1982 Theosophical Publishing House. Excerpted by permission of Theosophical Publishing House.
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Table of Contents
Contents
PREFACE,INTRODUCTION,
I. BROWNIES AND ELVES,
II. GNOMES,
III. MANNIKINS,
IV. UNDINES AND SEA SPIRITS,
V. FAIRIES,
VI. SYLPHS,
VII. DEVAS,
VIII. NATURE-SPIRITS AND ELEMENTARIES IN CEREMONIAL,