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The Fairies of Merlin's Craig is a fairy tale that originated in Scotland. This story is a fairy tale that consists of the belief of true fairies. The date of publication is unknown, but the author is a man named Charles John Tibbits and was published in 1889

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A man who worked for a farmer had a job that consists of digging up peat for fuel. While one day he was digging as usual, digging up peat, he struck a piece of dirt that felt unusual. As he looked up, he saw a fairy. About 2 feet tall, wearing a red dress with green stockings, and long yellow hair. Struck with fear, the man stopped and froze. The wee fairy came above ground very angrily, stomped her foot and angrily told the man that he had dug up the roof of her house entirely. The man was frightened, so he put the dirt back and went back to his master. After he told his master what had occurred moments before, he did not believe the man, so his master sent him home to his wife, son, and daughter.

An exact year later from when the man dug up the roof of the fairies home, he had a very successful day of work at the farm. His master treated him with milk and bread and sent him off home. He suddenly got very tired on his journey home; sat down and soon fell asleep. He awoke to the sound of dainty music. Looking up and soon to be on his way, he noticed a cluster of fairies dancing around him in a ring. At first he was frightened, but after one of the fairies invited him to dance along, he then began to dance with them! The man and the fairies danced until the man could no longer. Then, fairies led him into their home underneath the surface and he saw a glimpse of their world. Fairies were writing laws, drinking fairy drinks and conversing as a normal group of individuals. After the fairies sent him away making him promise to never tell a soul what he had seen, he continued his journey back home. When he arrived back at home and saw his wife, he noticed she had aged somehow, not only her but his son and daughter as well had grown old. The man was confused and soon realized that he had been gone for a total of 7 years. His wife was furious and his children had no idea who he was. From that day on, he never set foot in the farmland of Merlin's Craig again.

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In 1889, in Cawdor, a man named John MacGregor, (who would later join the Canadian army) became the First World Wars recipient of the Victoria Cross. Victoria's Cross is a metal given to those after battle for those who had shown up most bravery, self sacrifice and extreme devotion to the line of duty, in the midst of being in enemy territory. He was greatly admired throughout the land and is honored to this day.

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Popular religions in Scotland in the 19 century consists of Christianity and variants of Celtic faith.

Popular values included and still include loyalty, courage, pride and memory of their roots.

Daily lifestyle in Scotland during this time varied on which part you lived in. Some who lived in the countryside, worked on farms and provided for themselves and made profit off of food and cattle. Those who lived in more rural areas, went to school and typically got their education.

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This photo is of a traditionally seen Celtic fairy

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There are many ways that fairies connect to Scottish culture. The most well known connection is through the Celtic religion. The Celtics believed that fairies were fallen angels whose sins were not great enough for them to be cast into Hell. They were seen and known as being guardians of nature and protectors of the wild. Today, you can still find connection between the Celtics and fairies in many old texts and myths along with other fairy tales and stories.

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Peat is a traditional Scottish fuel formed by many layers of decomposed material. Found in the ground, it almost resembles hard dirt, or coal. Peat takes a very long time to form, almost 100 years, but is found in the dry-lands of Scotland and Ireland. It was mainly used as fuel for fire by crofters (workers on farmland) and was used widely up until about 30 years ago. Peat is becoming less and less available due to climate change. The once dry lands are now turning into wetlands and peat is only sustainable in dry lands. Overall, peat is a fuel used typically by farmers and is rarely used in today's world.

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\In the story, we see that the man was gone from his family and practically went missing for specifically 7 years. What is the significance of 7 years in Scottish folklore?

In numerology the number 7 indicates a full or complete cycle. To the Celtics (which were a group of religious people in Scotland) seemed to symbolize it in a way where the number 7 represented the 7 planets in the cosmos. The word 'seven' was also used to call something large or great in size at that time. Another reason standing strongly, the Oak tree is a sign of strength and rules as the seventh month in the calendar. The Celtics symbolized the Oak tree as the "Father of the Woods" as they're known for their great size and strength. Oak trees are easily known as strong and seen for their nobility and wisdom. In conclusion, the number 7 signifies strength, a complete cycle and magic.

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I personally think that the theme of the story is to never trust anything you don't know of. When the man saw the fairies had offered him to dance with them, he accepted it and ended up dancing for 7 years and hurting his family along the way. He trusted in these fairies that took him away from the people he loved for a long time. Overall, I don't think you need to trust everything you see.