CHANGELINGS
A changeling is a creature found in folklore and folk religion. A changeling child was believed to be a fairy child that had been left in place of a human child stolen by the fairies. One belief is that trolls thought that it was more respectable to be raised by humans and that they wanted to give their own children a human upbringing. Some people believed that trolls would take unbaptized children. Once children had been baptized and therefore become part of the Church, the trolls could not take them. Beauty in human children and young women, particularly traits which, say enact metallic nature in blond hair and blue or gray eyes are said to attract the fairies as the fairies perhaps find preciousness in these perceived traits. In Scottish folklore, the children might be replacements for fairy children in the tithe to Hell. Some stories tell of changelings who forget they are not human and proceed to live a human life. X
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