Fairies are well-known to live underground,
most often under hills, in what are called
"fairy raths." The ancient hilltop earthen-forts
found all over the British Isles are commonly
referred to as "fairy-forts", and most reports
of entrances to Fairyland happen in such places.
Less frequently, we hear of an entrance that
was simply a hole in the earth.
Perhaps the most famous place that has been
reported as a portal to Fairyland is Glastonbury
Tor ("hill") in England, a place that has been
considered holy since long before Christian
times. St. Collen, a early Welsh saint who lived
in a hermitage on the hill, reported entering it
and confronting Gwynn ap Nudd himself, the king
of the Welsh fairies. In more recent centuries,
a church dedicated to St. Michael was built on
the top of the hill, perhaps because it was
feared that the fairies were really servants
of the devil, and St. Michael was revered for
his power to suppress the demonic flames.
Lucky observers in many different places have
told of seeing a hill open up, with its top
raised up on pillars and light streaming out,
usually on a special night of the year such as
All Hallows Eve (Hallowe'en) or May Eve. Others
have told of coming to an ancient ruin when the
fairies were at their revels within and seeing
light stream out of it.
The question of light is important, because
most visitors to the fairies' underground homes
have mentioned how they were lit up within by
neither sunlight nor torch nor lantern, yet there
was light, sometimes a dull glow, sometimes light
almost as brilliant as day. (Some sources relate
that the fairies grow crops under the earth,
particularly barley. But it is generally thought
that they are able to provide little of their own
food, and so are forced to "borrow" from mortals
so very often. This is why those who would
befriend the Good People often leave them gifts
of food or milk. When they are not forced to
steal, but can obtain a willing loan, they often
show their gratitude with a magical gift in
return.) The source of fairy light remains unknown.
