Faeries

Korrig, Kôrigans, Kouricans, Corrigans, Corrics, Kornikaneds, Korandous (Fountain Women) Demoiselles Filandières (Spinning Ladies)

[13k link to faery ring illustration, 60K]

Magic Well where the fairies rest
Some believe ’tis in Champagne,
And others by the Rock Grifaigne;
Perchance it is in Alleman [Germany];
Or Bersillant of the Mountain;
Some even think that ’tis in Spain,
Or where sleeps Artus of Brittany
– Bruno of The Mountain

La fontaine la ou les fees viennent se reposer.
Il a des lieux faes es marches de Champaigne,
Et aussi en a il en la Roche Grifaigne;
Et si croy qu’il en a aussi en Alemaigne,
Et en bois Bersillant, par dosous la montaigne;
Et non pourquant aussi en a il en Espaigne,
Et tout cil lieu fae sont Artu de Bretaigne. – Brun de La Montagne

Breton faery women who can assume any shape they want and predict the future. They are said to be the grand-daughters of the 9 holy druidesses of ancient Gaule. They guard springs and fountains near dolmens (standing stones). Two feet high with long flowing, curly, golden hair they comb with golden combs and bind with golden pins. Beautiful by night, they wear white gossamer robes, white veils, flower garlands, and have clear blue eyes. In daylight their eyes are red like the heart’s blood of a dove, hair white, and faces are wrinkled.

They can shapeshift into spiders, eels, or snakes. A man who sees a korrig at night must marry her in three days or die. The Seigneur of Nann was stricken dead for not marrying the Korrigan in the green forest of Brocéliande. He was hunting roe: red deer on his black horse when he followed a white doe to their fountain

They also steal children, replace them with leanamh tacharan: changelings (pron. LYEHN-uv TAKH-uh-run), play the lute, and have deadly breath. They baptise children and endow them with: beauty, grace, generosity, strength, valour, and love. They possess glaumerie and with magic wands can transform dark thickets into their glittery-roofed palace: château with tapestried walls, carpeted floor, silver cups, fair hallway with viol & flute music and dazzling mirrors.

They live in a land with roses of every color, yellow broom, pink honeysuckle and scarlet pansys. They eat quince paste and vin gris: grey wine, a special pink-colored French wine a little bit lighter-colored than rosé. Women come to their standing stones and rub against them for fertility. Roches Piqées in Haute-Sève forest, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. Youths who tried to move a rock in Auvèrnha: Auvergne for treasure were suddenly swallowed in darkness and all died within the year. Gallicenæ, priestesses of Gallic mythology, who had power over the winds and waves. There were 9 of them, all virgins. Entrance to their knolls are called sithean (pron. SHEE-hun) (19, 33, 94, 197, 232, 255)