Across the globe, you’ll find a rich and varied tapestry of customs associated with fairy food offerings. Although these cultures and beliefs differ, they share a common thread: fairies are strongly associated with nature and therefore believed to prefer pure, natural foods (although there are some exceptions!).
In Celtic folklore, fairies are said feed on the toradh (meaning “profit” or “fruit” in Irish Gaelic) of the food rather than the physical item itself. This refers to the hidden spiritual essence of the food. However, there are many stories and accounts of fairies consuming physical food. For instance, in an account from Llanrwst (Wales), a servant girl claimed to have seen fairies stealing cake from a stand at Llanrwst fair. There are also tales within Celtic folklore of Sidhe who give up their fairy existence and become human by physically consuming human food.
Why do people leave fairy offerings?
Earning the goodwill of fairies and keeping ill-fortune away
There are many reasons why people left food offerings for the fairies. Some hoped to seek the favour of fairies and receive good fortune, assistance with household tasks, or better crop growth. Others felt that they owed the fairies for every successful yield; in Ireland, for example, the fairies would be left a small portion of every batch of churned butter.
People were also cautious of fairy malice, and food offerings were thought to be a way to protect oneself from being on the receiving end of any animosity. Fairies were generally known to dislike hearing a direct “thank you”, as they then consider themselves to be indebted to that person, so it was better to leave a food offering.
Moving Home
Traditionally, before moving into a house, it was advised to check whether the fairies approved of the new inhabitants by placing their bed and other possessions in the house along with some food. If the food had not been touched and there were no crumbs by the door, the goodwill of the fairies had not been earned and it would not be wise to move in. If the food had been eaten, the occupants could move in safely.
What do the fae eat?
Are you thinking of leaving food out for the fairies? Remember to consider the insects, animals, pets, etc. that might also eat it. Keep an eye on the local wildlife that visit your area and ensure that you don’t leave anything toxic or unsuitable for them. Don’t touch or consume any plants or berries unless you’re 100% sure what they are and how to handle/ prepare them safely.
Milk
Fairies were known to be especially interested in livestock like cows and sheep, and were thought to influence the production of milk. In Ireland, it was said that if someone suspected that they were not in favour with the fairies, they could try to reconcile with them by pouring new milk from a calving cow onto the rath (an earthen wall).
The Gruagach is a Scottish fairy who is said to watch over cattle at night and control over the quantity and quality of the milk they produce (not to be confused with the sun god Gruagach). In the Isle of Skye, farmers would leave milk in the hollows of rocks as an offering to the fairy to retain her good favour. Failure to do so was thought to result in in sour milk or no milk at all the next day.
Fairy Cattle
Fairies are so fond of milk that they have their own cattle. The crodh mara or crodh sith are fairy cows that reside on the West Coast of Scotland. Known as the “Cattle of the sea”, they’re said to live in fresh and saltwater, coming ashore only to graze on grass. Farmers sought after these cows because it was believed that if a crodh mara bull mated with a mortal cow, her offspring would be healthier and produce more milk.
Porridge
In Scotland and England, it was thought that if you left porridge as an offering, it would help you to gain favour with brownie spirits. Brownies were known to be incredibly helpful in the home and on the farm, aiding with tasks like sweeping, scrubbing, milking cows, or gathering hens into the coops. However, these services were conditional; if your home was already spotless, the brownie would have nothing to do and would leave, but if your house were too messy, they would contribute more to the mess and cause possessions to go missing!
Cake
“There wis nae thrift in coontit cakes, as the fairies ate the half o’ them…”
There is a Scottish saying about cakes and fairies that goes, “there wis nae thrift in coontit cakes, as the fairies ate the half o’ them,” meaning that it is useless/ unlucky to count the number of cakes you’ve baked, because the fairies will eat half of them anyway.
Fairies were known to have a sweet tooth, and some stories say that they would kidnap talented human bakers to cook for them. In a tale that originates in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a renowned baker was said to be taken away by the fairies to bake her famous cake for them. After escaping, she made a deal to leave a cake by their mound each week in exchange for gold.
Another story from Llanrwst in Wales tells of a servant girl who got fairy soap in her eyes while cleaning up after some fairy guests. Later, when she went to a Llanrwst fair, she saw the same fairies, who were invisible to everyone else, stealing some cake from a stand.
Honey
In Devon, England, it was once a popularly held belief that pixies and fairies would steal honey from the hives of bees for their banquets. Fairies in Ireland (the aos sidhe) were also said to enjoy eating honey, as well as drinking the nectar from flowers as fairy wine.
Honey is a traditional food to leave as an offering for the fae. In particular, it would be offered to brownie fairies in exchange for the labour they performed around the house alongside milk, bread, and porridge.
Bread
There are many accounts of bread being offered to fairies to gain their good favour. One tale from Scotland follows the story of a shepherd who kept losing his cattle through a series of misfortunes. He returned home one day to his wife who’d just baked a loaf of bread and was sweeping up crumbs from the floor. The shepherd told her “gabh ealla ris is ioma beul feumach tha feitheamh air,” an old Scottish Gaelic saying that roughly translates to “leave it alone, there are many needy mouths waiting for it”.
The shepherd gathered the crumbs, and took them to a fairy hill as an offering. That day, he lost no cattle. From then onwards, he brought provided the fairies with crumbs in exchange for good fortune with his animals.
Similarly, in England, it was common practice within rural areas to set aside a small portion of every loaf of bread for the fairies.
Blackberries
According to folklore from the Isle of Man, the first few blackberries of the season should remain on the bushes as an offering to the fairies. It was thought that if a person failed to leave the fruits for the fairies, every berry they picked throughout that season would be cursed to be crawling with insects.
In conclusion, people have long offered a diverse range of food to the fairies and do so for various reasons. Some people hope to gain favour from the fairies and receive good luck, help with household chores, or better crop growth. Others feel a sense of gratitude towards the fairies for every successful harvest.
This post was all about fairy food offerings!
