what is a changeling

A changeling is a creature found in European folklore that was believed to be a fairy that had been left in place of a human (typically a child) stolen by other fairies. The abducted human children are given to the devil or used to strengthen fairy stock. A changeling is typically identifiable via several traits, which vary from culture to culture. In Irish legend, a fairy child may appear sickly and will not grow in size like a normal child, and may have notable physical characteristics such as a beard or long teeth. They may also display intelligence far beyond their apparent years and possess uncanny insight. A common way that a changeling could identify itself is through displaying unusual behavior when it thinks it is alone, such as jumping about, dancing, or playing an instrument – though this last example is found only within Irish and Scottish legend. The existence of changelings is believed to stem from the idea that infants are susceptible to demonic possession.