If you see a fairy ring
In a field of grass,
Very lightly step around,
Tiptoe as you pass;
Last night fairies frolicked there,
And they're sleeping somewhere near.
If you see a tiny fay
Lying fast asleep,
Shut your eyes and run away,
Do not stay or peep;
And be sure you never tell,
Or you'll break a fairy spell.
~ William Shakespeare
Fairy Rings are found in woods and fields and appear as rings of dark grass or circle of mushrooms (or a combination of the two). The grass within the ring is usually a bright, shade of green.
A Fairy Ring is a place where fairies meet to dance. All fairies adore dancing, and they particularly enjoy leaping and bounding in circles. Legend says the rings themselves are created from the marks that fairies make on the grass during their circular dance.
In some parts of the country, stepping into a fairy ring will bring good luck, in others, it will bring misfortune.
Rings appear to have a link with Fairyland. A person who steps in a ring will suddenly be able to see the fairies dancing and hear their sweet music. This can be so entrancing that those who experience it lose all sense of time and will stay dancing with the fairies until they are pulled away.
In medieval times, dancing in a circle- caroling -was a common practice, even in church around the pillars. Dancing in a circle was seen as old- fashioned, then un- Christian or even sinister. It became associated with witches and fairies. And where better for fairies to be assumed to dance than in these mysterious rings?
( Fairies by Philip A . )