Etymology:
Meaning:
A changeling is: * A child secretly left in place of another child by fairies, goblins, or other supernatural beings. * A seemingly human creature that is not, in fact, human, but a creature of supernatural origin.
Origin:
The concept of changelings originated in folklore, particularly among Celtic and Germanic cultures. According to these traditions, changelings were often said to be sickly, irritable, or malevolent, in contrast to the healthy and well-behaved child they replaced.
It was believed that changelings could be swaps made by fairies or other supernatural beings who sought to capture human children for their own purposes. Sometimes, the fairies would steal a human child and leave one of their own in its place. Other times, they might swap a dead fairy child for a living human one.
Changelings were often said to possess certain characteristics that distinguished them from human children. They might have elf-like features, such as pointed ears or almond-shaped eyes. They might be cold to the touch or have an unusual appetite for strange foods.
To protect against changelings, many cultures developed rituals and superstitions. These included leaving an iron horseshoe above the baby's cradle, wrapping the baby in a white cloth, or baptizing the baby.
The belief in changelings persisted throughout the medieval and early modern periods. It was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that the scientific and rationalist movements began to challenge the supernatural explanations for changelings.
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