User:WillyMeriwether/sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The houle fairies are fairies native to the French coast of the English Channel, ranging from Cancale to Tréveneuc in Upper Brittany, to the Channel Islands, and known by some fragments of stories from the Cotentin Peninsula. According to legend, they live in coastal grottos and caves referred to as houles, are female, are considered immortal, powerful, splendid, benevolent, and have a sensitivity to salt. They live communally, occupy themselves with washing, bread baking, or shepherding, marry male fairies called féetauds, and are served by warrior elves called fions. They come to the aid of humans who request it, furnishing them with food and magical objects, but they anger at disrespectful acts or when humans acquire the ability to see through their disguises without their consent.
Grouping | Legendary creature |
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Sub grouping | Fairy |
Other name(s) | Fée des houles |
Country | France |
Region | Brittany, Cotentin_Peninsula, Channel_Islands |
Habitat | Grottos in rocks on the channel coastline of Brittany |
Paul Sébillot assembled fifty tales and fragments of legends about these creatures both in French and Gallo. The houle fairies, considered demi-gods, were probably worshipped locally by the Upper Bretons. Belief in the fairies diminished in the 19th century under the influence of Christianity and education. The collected tales themselves evoke the disappearance of these fairies, often as a consequence of the loss of their immortality and magic powers.