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Article THE FAIRY FAMILY. ← Page 6 of 13 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Fairy Family.
apple-grey horse by the seaside , but always with one of his hoofs reversed . If any one should be indiscreet enough to mount him , he plunges into the sea , bearing his rider to destruction . The Feroe and Shetland islanders have also
beings more or less similar to these . In the Orkneys the Avater-sprite is termed Tangle , from the tang , or sea-weed , with which his body is covered . The nymph of the river Elbe , of great repute in Saxon times , had a temple at Magdeburg , ancl Avas believed to visit the markets held at that place , with a basket on her arm and
habited as a burgher ' s daughter . Those AA'ho looked closely , might observe that one corner of her apron Avas constantly Avet , in token of her real nature . It is worthy of remark , that those Avere to be found Avho , not more than thirty years since , attributed the inundations of the Valais to some similar creature . Amongst all these varieties of river-spirits we shall
not fail to be reminded of the Mermaid , the appearance of which is too generally familiar to need description . Pliny describes one found by some Roman knights in the Spanish Ocean ; ancl Roudelet , a physician of Montpelier , who published a work on the finny tribe in 1554 , assures us that two mermen were ca 23 tured , to his knowledge , one in Poland , ancl another off
the coast of Norway . It is certain that a mermaid , or as the Fh'ench term it , Syren , Avas exhibited at St . Germains ; as well as another found at or near La Vendee ; ancl a third , which formed a great attraction for London sight-seers . The latter proved to be an impudent imposture , being fabricated of the upper portion of an ape and the loAi-er half of some fish of the salmon kind . The older accounts of these fabulous beings probably arose from the appearance of phocce or creatures of similar nature .
The Russians believe m a watermaid called Rusalki . She has long green hair , and swings about the branches of trees on the river-side . The people Aveave garlands for her , which they cast on the Avater . But to return to the Scandinavian Elves ancl Dwarfs . The Swedish Skagard are little beings whose chief occupation is
that of milking COAVS on the sly , and laming horses . These lose all their poAver if any iron touches them . The Swedes say that the Nis tribe , already alluded to , have always haunted the precincts of their royal castles in a disturbed , unquiet manner , upon the eve of any of those revolutions so abundant in Sivedish history . The dwellers on the Baltic islands believe in three races of Dwarfs , distinguished according to the colour of their garments .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Fairy Family.
apple-grey horse by the seaside , but always with one of his hoofs reversed . If any one should be indiscreet enough to mount him , he plunges into the sea , bearing his rider to destruction . The Feroe and Shetland islanders have also
beings more or less similar to these . In the Orkneys the Avater-sprite is termed Tangle , from the tang , or sea-weed , with which his body is covered . The nymph of the river Elbe , of great repute in Saxon times , had a temple at Magdeburg , ancl Avas believed to visit the markets held at that place , with a basket on her arm and
habited as a burgher ' s daughter . Those AA'ho looked closely , might observe that one corner of her apron Avas constantly Avet , in token of her real nature . It is worthy of remark , that those Avere to be found Avho , not more than thirty years since , attributed the inundations of the Valais to some similar creature . Amongst all these varieties of river-spirits we shall
not fail to be reminded of the Mermaid , the appearance of which is too generally familiar to need description . Pliny describes one found by some Roman knights in the Spanish Ocean ; ancl Roudelet , a physician of Montpelier , who published a work on the finny tribe in 1554 , assures us that two mermen were ca 23 tured , to his knowledge , one in Poland , ancl another off
the coast of Norway . It is certain that a mermaid , or as the Fh'ench term it , Syren , Avas exhibited at St . Germains ; as well as another found at or near La Vendee ; ancl a third , which formed a great attraction for London sight-seers . The latter proved to be an impudent imposture , being fabricated of the upper portion of an ape and the loAi-er half of some fish of the salmon kind . The older accounts of these fabulous beings probably arose from the appearance of phocce or creatures of similar nature .
The Russians believe m a watermaid called Rusalki . She has long green hair , and swings about the branches of trees on the river-side . The people Aveave garlands for her , which they cast on the Avater . But to return to the Scandinavian Elves ancl Dwarfs . The Swedish Skagard are little beings whose chief occupation is
that of milking COAVS on the sly , and laming horses . These lose all their poAver if any iron touches them . The Swedes say that the Nis tribe , already alluded to , have always haunted the precincts of their royal castles in a disturbed , unquiet manner , upon the eve of any of those revolutions so abundant in Sivedish history . The dwellers on the Baltic islands believe in three races of Dwarfs , distinguished according to the colour of their garments .