Changelings
One prevalent superstition in medieval Britain was the fear that a child could be taken and replaced with a changeling. Today this is believed to have arisen out of a need to explain child illnesses that came on suddenly or children that were born with deformities. One of the stories of the changeling comes from the tale of a blacksmith who noticed one day that his son suddenly became lethargic and was wasting away.
The blacksmith was told that his son was taken and replaced with a changeling. To prove it he was told to put water into empty eggshells and place them around the fire. The child then sat up and spoke in the voice of the changeling stating he had lived for centuries and had never seen something like that. The blacksmith then threw the changeling into the fire. The man journeyed into the land of the fairies with his bible and the fairies, unable to harm him due to the Bible, returned his son.
There were a number of strange tests that people performed to try and see if their child was a changeling. They typically involved doing something so strange that it would draw the changeling out in surprise. One test was to place a shoe in a bowl of soup, if the baby laughed it was a changeling. Also making bread inside of eggshells was said to be so amusing to changelings that it would cause them to expose themselves. Even as late as the 19th century, the belief in changelings prevailed.
Some scholars have suggested that changelings may have been used as a way to explain autistic children, especially since the changes can come on quickly. When a child’s behavior and verbal skills rapidly declined or changed, it was blamed upon the doings of the changeling.
Sources For Further Reading:
History – What’s So Unlucky About the Number 13?
Grunge – The Mythology of Balder Explained
Google Arts & Culture – 18 Superstitions from Around the World
How Stuff Works – Why Are Horseshoes Considered to Be Lucky?
Daily Sabah – Superstitions Busted: Hanging A Horseshoe for Good Luck
Live Science – Why Are Horseshoes Considered Lucky?
RD – Why Do People Say “Bless You” After Someone Sneezes?
How Stuff Works – ‘The Last Supper’: The Masterpiece Leonardo Didn’t Want to Paint
Tutorial Point – Is Spilling Salt Believed To Be A Bad Omen And Bring Bad Luck?
Times Of India – Superstitions Irk Wine Lovers Too!
Medium – Some Common Superstitions Explained, from Spilling Salt to Bird Poop
Mapping Ignorance – The Changelings: Fairy Tales About Autism?