In the old days, the attitude towards children was not the same as in our days. It was believed that until a certain age they belong to the other world. Many beliefs and rituals were associated with this circumstance, which today may seem simply wild and terrible.
Fairy kidnappers
Many peoples have myths about otherworldly entities abducting children. In some cases, we are talking about folklore evil known to people. For example, among the Eastern Slavs, these are night witches (bat). The Russians have kikimors. According to one version, these are dead children cursed by their parents. Although kikimora is most often female.
The Europeans had a belief that representatives of evil spirits are able to replace human children with their own babies. Usually they were ugly and a lot of trouble for their parents. Therefore, they tried to get rid of them.
Why did the fairies need human children? According to one version, their own children were born sick and weak, so they needed "fresh blood". On the other, they wanted their children to be raised by people, so that they grow up in a human environment - perhaps they thought that people would take better care of them, or perhaps they were pursuing some magical goals …
By the way, in many fairy tales, sorcerers and representatives of the other world, in exchange for some kind of help, demand that parents give them their child - usually the firstborn. And when the time comes, they take it. Sometimes the child dies. However, he may have already grown up by that time …
Shining perfume
In Germany and some parts of Great Britain, there is a belief about a special category of perfumes called kindermorderinn. These are ghosts of children who are always surrounded by radiance.
It is said that all kindermorderinn were once killed by their mothers. During the Middle Ages, children were often killed. In some cases, this was because the child was born out of wedlock. In others, poor parents were eager to get rid of the "extra mouth" because there was literally nothing to feed the child. Thirdly, the reason for the murder was the law that existed in Germany at that time, according to which a widow could inherit the property of her deceased husband only if none of his children survived.
According to legend, such children could not find peace after death and continued to walk on the earth. It was believed that meeting with them promised misfortune or death.
Phantoms of English castles
In the 18th-19th centuries, the legends of kindermorderinn "moved" with German immigrants to the English counties of Cumberland and Northumberland.
Such ghosts were commonly referred to as the Shining Boys, although girls were sometimes seen. Phantoms most often appeared in front of people in the nude and were surrounded by a bright glow that could be of different colors - for example, golden or blue.
One such episode is described by the Reverend Heinrich of Redburgh, who in September 1803 was visiting Corby Castle in Cumbria, which belonged to the noble Howard family. He and his wife were accommodated for the night in a luxurious bedroom with tapestries. Waking up somewhere in the second hour of the night, Heinrich found that the fire in the fireplace had gone out, but in the middle of the room something seemed to be burning. Looking closer, he saw a little boy with golden curls, dressed in white. He stood by the bed and looked at the monk. There was nothing threatening in his gaze. A few minutes later the ghost slid towards the chimney and disappeared.
This incident frightened the couple, and in the morning they hurried to leave the castle.
More recently, the ghost of the Shining Boy could be seen in the old English castle of Chillingham (Northumberland County), which was a monastery in the XII century, and then played a strategic role in the battles between the British and the Scots. The last recorded encounters with the ghost date back to the Second World War, when soldiers' barracks were located here. Most often, the phantom appeared in the part of the castle, which is called the "Pink Room". Eyewitnesses described him as a completely naked child surrounded by a blue glow. Unfortunately, it is not known whether these meetings had any consequences.
Author: Irina Shlionskaya