There are a number of Little Ones who can be considered Dark Faeries. These are the entities who are primarily connected with the Earth. Sometimes they are called Dark simply because they like to live in dark places such as under stairs and in basements, not because they are evil. The Coblynau of Wales are mine spirits who knock where rich ones can be found. The Knockers from Cornwall (also called Buccas) are like the Coblynau of Wales. The Gnomes are Earth Elementals, who live underground and guard the treasures of the Earth; they are also wonderful metal workers, especially of swords. Goblins or Hobgoblins originally were not the nasty, evil creatures portrayed today; they were a small, grotesque but friendly type of brownie. The Bwca or Bwbachod of Wales is also a type of brownie. The Brownie himself (called Bodach in Scotland, Fenodoree in Manx, and Pixies or Pisgies in West England) dresses in brown clothing and makes himself responsible for the house where he lives; unless offended, he is an amiable little creature. Dark Elves and Faeries of the Unseelie Court can be unfavourable to humans. They have had good reason not to trust us. They often shelter in dark areas, under stairs, or in the attic or basement. Ordinarily, the most they do to humans is make them feel very uncomfortable in their inhabited areas. Sometimes they were called the Sluagh or Host. Dwarves are probably the best known of the Dark entities. They are not the stupid, silly creatures portrayed by Disney, but keepers of the Earth, its minerals, and gems. They are marvelous workers in metal: swords, magickal items, jewelry, etc. One should not take things from their kingdom without asking their permission. Rather than being frightened of these entities, you would be wise to cultivate their friendship. Those dwelling within your house will protect and bless it if you are their friend. Those who dwell outside or in the ground (and they are everywhere!) will bless your property, making the plants and trees grow better and once in a while allowing you to turn up some stone or other treasure that will help you in your magickal work. Gnomes and dwarves like a clear dark green colour or a rich brown. You can entice them to your altar with candles of these colors. Also use pyrite (fool's gold) and steel or iron. Spicy scents, such as ginger and cinnamon, draw their attention. Elves like the colours of silver, light green, or light blue. They are fond of ginger, lily of the valley, fir, and floral scents. You can attract them by laying out silver, quartz, rock crystal, and moonstone. All of these Dark Faeries or beings are attracted to ginger, honey, and milk, as well as by rock crystal. If you call them to participate in a ritual, keep it light and full of fun. They like happy music and dancing. Of course it is usually the small irritations in life that are actually caused by the mischievous faerie. Tangles in human hair and horses´ manes are better known as elf-locks. Queen Mab for one... "plats the manes of horses in the night; And bakes the elf-locks in foulsluttish hairs, Which once untangled much misfortune bodes". Numerous indeed are the folktales that remind us of the dangers of Faery and of the many treacherous creatures the unwary traveller might encounter in that realm. The lamia is a seductive faery woman who gives men pleasure beyond their wildest dreams, but she sucks their life´s vitality and leaves an empty husk behind. The lovely nixies who dwell in the rivers may be enchanting to look upon, but humans who spy on nixies at play are pulled into the water and drowned. The wail of the banshee foretells a death; Jack-In-Irons assults travelers on lonley roads; and the Red-caps earned their names by dying their hats in human blood. At certain times of year, (such as All Hallows´ Eve) it is wise to stay safely within doors, for the Faery Host goes rifing across the land hunting for souls. Scottish legends have a name for this dark side of Faery: they call it the Unseelie Court - and woe to any woman or man who underestimates its dangers. On Dartmoor people are haunted by apparitions of sinister black dogs - a typical faery form. (Arthur Conan Doyle´s Hound of the Baskervilles was written near here and is based on one of these dark apparitions.) One stormy night a man was walking from Widecombe, high up on the moor, back home to his village. Suddenly the Wild Hunt was upon him. Jet-black hounds with glowing eyes were baying all around him, barely under the control of the weird Huntsman who led them. The man boldly asked what it was they hunted. Wordlessly, the Huntsman threw him a small bundle, gathered his dogs, and rode away. The man hurried across the moor, clutching the bundle. Only in the candlelight of his home could he see that he held the dead body of his own child. The faeries take great umbrage at interruptions and interference. There are many accounts of men and women punished for interrupting faery revels, chopping down faery bushes and trees, or otherwise giving offence. A farmer in Cornwall decided to steal the stone basin from the local pisky´s well, with the intention of turning it into a nice new water trough for his pigs. He chained the stone to two oxen and pulled it to the top of a steep hill - whereupon the stone broke free of the chains, rolled downhill, made a sharp turn left, and settled back into its place. One of the oxen died on the spot and the hapless farmer was struck lame. Like any supernatural encounter, meeting a faery - even one who is gentle and benign - is never a comfortable experience. But to meet one of the dark creatures from the shadowed depths of the faery Otherworld can be frightening indeed. As you travel into the faeries´ domain, it is best to be wary of things unseen and of the music that lures you into the woods. And always treat faeries with courtesy. You don´t want to make them angry. Failed crops were once blamed on the mischief of malice of faeries. The Irish potato famine of 1846-47 was attributed by some country people to disruptions caused by various factions in Faeryland, and witnesses reported seeing great faery battles in the sky above the blighted fields. In those days, faeries were still known to have a profound effect on our physical and psychic well-being. They were known as the bestowers of special gifts and curses at the cradle: talents and handicaps, and luck both good and bad. Childhood wasting illnesses were often attributed to the faeries. Sometimes children were stolen by the faeries and sickly replicas left in their place. These changelings wasted away and died, buried under the child´s name, while the real child remained a prisoner in Faeryland. In Armenia, the áls were spirits of disease blamed for causing miscarriages, blinding unborn children, and stealing infants away. In Persia the devs stole newborn babes and left withered changelings in their beds; in Japan it was the bakemono (goblins); in Malaysia, the bajang, an evil spirit in the form of a polecat. In West Africa, spirits called the abiku were known to be particualrly dangerous to children. Voraciously hungry, the abiku searched for vulnerable young bodies to enter in order to obtain food and drink, at which point the child´s own strength and health quickly deteriorated. In Germany, the pilwiz (an evil creature with a sickle on his big toe) was given food on Walpurgis Night to protect children from harm. Many adult illnesses have also been attributed to faeries and spirits. The term "stroke" comes from Elf Stroke (or the Touch): invisible faery fingers stroking their victims into seizures. Amadán, the faery Fool of Irish folklore, was particularly feared in this regard; also known as the Stroke Lad, his touch caused crippling injuries and permanent paralysis. "Touched" is also a word still used today to refer to madness. The arrows of Faery, called Elf Shot, created invisible wounds with fatal results, a phenomenon used to explain a variety of mysterious ills. Small flint arrowheads, which we now know were made by Stone-Age man, were attributed to the elves. A faery´s glance or look could induce a state of trance, forgetfulness, even coma. The Faery Blast was an ill wind blowing nobody any good. Deformities, barrenness, cramps, slipped discs, and rheumatism were all considered faery work, while blindness could be caused by an angry faery spitting in your eye. Consumption was the results of nocturnal abductions to faery mounds. Squints and sneezes, pimples and poxes were alll evidence of faery influence, and cures were as various as ripping your shirt or washing in south-running water. A cure from 1574 recommends "oyle of bay on a linnen cloth" laid upon the afflicted place. Moss from the water of a millstream, aslt poured on the table, and the Lord´s Prayer said three times were each considered efficatcious against the faeries. Yet only a proper and stable relationship with the faeries could truly effect a cure or ward off such faery blights altogether. When treated in a respectful manner, the faeries brought people into a balanced relationship with the workings of their own bodies and the mysteries of nature.