Faeries & Elementals for Beginners: Learn About & Communicate With Nature Spirits Read Online Free PDF Page B

from wetland regions of the land down
    under, but may have also originated in central Africa as well as Australia. They are about four feet in height, and are fat and humanoid with feet turned backwards. Bunyips are
    coated with a thick layer of the muck and the mire of the
    swamp.
    Friendly bunyips are helpful to humans, warning of
    danger, leading hunters to prey, and chasing away danger-
    ous wildlife. A bunyip emerges at night or during the cre-
    puscular hour, but legends say that only those of aborigi-
    nal origin may be able to actually see their physical forms.
    Bunyips make a sound that is very much like a dog barking.
    Getting started with Faeries • 31
    You can call out to a bunyip for assistance, should you
    ever find yourself wandering in a swampy region of Aus-
    tralia. Even if you cannot see the bunyips, listen for their barking to allow them to lead you or warn you during your
    travels.
    Bwaganods—Water
    Welsh goblins called bwaganods spend most of their time
    occupying a humanoid shape, but can shapeshift to any-
    thing they like. Luckily for people, bwaganods are terribly sloppy shapeshifters, and usually make a mistake that leaves their form so outlandish as to be clearly identified as a bwaganod. Bwaganods emerge at dusk and enjoy frightening
    humans for fun and because they dislike them. Avoiding a
    bwaganod is easy, since they are largely harmless and the
    fun stops for them when their prank is discovered.
    Bwciods—Fire
    Bwciods are solitary Welsh goblins that are a foot tall in height. They are skinny and have enormous feet. Their
    hands are slender and long, and their noses are pointy. All bwciods have purple eyes and emotionless faces that don’t
    show their feelings. Their faces are deceptive, since they can be quick to anger and can be dangerous or annoying when
    provoked.
    At night, bwciods wander in wilderness places looking
    for humans to follow home. Though they don’t necessarily
    like interacting with people, they do love peoples’ homes.
    When your house becomes occupied by a bwciod, it is very
    difficult to make him or her leave. The best way to prevent 32 • Chapter One
    a bwciod infestation is to make sure that one doesn’t follow you home.
    Callicantzaroi—Earth
    From Albania, Greece, and Italy, callicantzaroi are naked
    faeries that are small and thin, each with the feet of a different wild animal. They travel in groups during the winter, riding atop chickens and wearing fantastic and fancy hats.
    Callicantzaroi are functionally blind and mostly harmless.
    However, callicantzaroi pollute the water they use, so if
    you have callicantzaroi around your water sources, you are advised to add a bit of hyssop to magically counteract their effect. It is said that lighting an old shoe on fire and setting it outside will scare the callicantzaroi away for good if you don’t want them around. If you want to get to know or like them, give them an offering of pork.
    Changelings—Earth
    Originating in European folklore, a changeling is an elf or a troll that has been switched with a human baby shortly
    after birth so that the human family would raise it as their own. Faeries of all types were blamed with the theft of children. After all, in ancient times, childhood diseases were rampant and many children did not live to adulthood. Perhaps mythology about changelings helped parents come to
    terms with an early death or come to grips with the myste-
    rious and terrifying effects of a childhood disease. Scariest of all, a changeling child that did live would often suddenly disappear, running away to rejoin his or her own faerie
    family.
    Getting started with Faeries • 33
    Changeling children could be recognized by their strik-
    ing good looks, and they were often described as having
    golden hair. Despite their physical beauty, changeling children were always of delicate health. The only way to cure a changeling or to prevent a child from being switched with a changeling was baptism in