Mythic Writers Blog

Thunk. That would be the sound of a clue hitting me in the back of the head.

My good friend Laura reminded me on Friday that the gwragedd annwn story I’m working with actually has a way into Faerie that isn’t accidental. Before someone just had to go and take a flower and get us banned forever, humans were invited into the gwragedd annwn’s realm as long as they knew where the correct rock with the doorway was located. So, yeah, obviously that’s not accidental.

She then went on to mention reading a legend that says if you walk around a fairy mound nine times you can get in to Faerie. Thunk. There’s another clue. I knew this bit of folklore! As a matter of fact, I know I’ve read it more than once. How could I forget?

What’s especially embarrassing is that I think that’s actually how the main character in Stephen Lawhead’s Song of Albion trilogy got into the Otherworld, and I was just writing about that series and didn’t remember that part. I can’t believe I forgot all of that! I’m going to blame it on sleep deprivation and move on.

So there we have it. Now we know of at least two ways to purposefully cross into Faerie. There are probably more. I hope if anyone tells me about them I don’t discover that I already knew them and forgot. I’m not sure my ego could stand the embarrassment!

At least knowing about these ways into Faerie is good news for my story. I now have two ways to get there on purpose. This doesn’t mean I’m not going to make up something for my characters, some way for them to get into the door in the rock that has nothing to do with knowledge from folklore. I can do that. I’m a fiction writer! But it’s good to know that there’s historical (folkloric?) precedent for humans crossing into Faerie. Having some folklore for my characters to research so they can cross over might just be the trick I need. I’m going to go write this down before I forget!