Changeling is a supernatural, often elfish or fairy, child that has been secretly exchanged for a human child. Beliefs and tales about changelings date back centuries. They are found in European folk, religious, and literary traditions. As non-human intruders into human families, stories of changelings touch upon themes of belonging and danger.
In European legends, changelings usually appear shortly after an infant’s birth. The mother notices that something is wrong with her child. It may eat too much or cry all the time. The child may not grow or hit development milestones at the right time, or it may appear physically deformed. The mother, confused and concerned, often consults a wise older person and follows their advice.
There are a number of ways to rid oneself of a changeling. One such way is to present the changeling with a ridiculous or unlikely situation, like preparing to cook a simple meal, like porridge, in an eggshell or walnut. This is supposed to trick the changeling, which appears to be an infant, into speaking and revealing its true maturity. More cruel solutions include beating the changeling, throwing it onto a fire, or abandoning it outside. These actions are supposed to prompt the changeling’s rightful fairy mother into returning the human child.
German theologian Martin Luther wrote about changelings in the 1500’s, believing them to be soulless children of the devil. The Grimm brothers collected and published changeling legends in the early 1800’s. In modern popular culture, changelings appear in some role playing games. For example, they are main characters in the game Changeling (2007) and a fantasy race in the game Pathfinder (2009). Changelings are popular as characters in fantasy literature, paranormal romance, and young adult fiction. The film Changeling (2008) uses the idea of a magically switched child as a metaphor for the main character’s abducted child.
Folklorists believe that changelings may have been a way for people in the past to talk about disability before there was scientific language for such conditions. Such stories blame an outside force for unwelcome changes in a child as a way to justify or explain certain behaviors.
