The Dark Truth Behind Changeling Folklore

For centuries, changelings have haunted the darkest corners of European folklore — eerie stand-ins left by the fair folk, taking the place of a stolen child. In Celtic, Germanic, and Nordic tradition, a baby who suddenly changed in behaviour, appearance, or temperament was believed to be no longer human, but a fae impostor left behind as the real child was taken into the Otherworld.

These tales were not merely stories — they reflected the fears, grief, and misunderstandings of past societies. From unexplained illness to postpartum depression, to the pressures placed on parents in isolated communities, the changeling myth reveals how superstition grew out of human fear. And how, tragically, these beliefs sometimes led to real-world harm.

Join me as we uncover the dark truth behind changeling folklore — what people believed, why the stories spread, and the unsettling human realities behind one of Europe’s most haunting myths.

🕯️ Dark folklore. Myth. The fears we hide in the cradle.


Music:
Loss by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...

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