In olden times, when the fairies' numbers were far greater and their powers far more potent, people were certainly wary of them, even afraid of them.  Fairies have a strong code and are easily offended.  The common people were worried about the magickal mischief they might have to endure should they say or do something to insult or hurt the fairies.  They gave them names like The Gentry and The Good People and such, especially when they spoke outdoors, because they knew that the wind carries every voice to the fairies' ears, and people hoped that if they spoke of the fairies respectfully, they would enjoy the goodwill of their powerful, elusive neighbors.

Those who were really worried might carry certain things that were said to ward off fairies: bread, salt, any objects made of iron or steel (especially crosses or horseshoes), four leaf clovers, red verbena blossoms, daisy chains, St. John's Wort, rue, yarrow, walking sticks made of mountain ash or rowan wood, and trinkets made of coral or amber.  Those fearful of becoming pixie-led at night might turn their coats inside out as a charm to protect them.

To promote friendship and cooperation, people would often leave cakes and other food out for the fairies, as well as buckets of clean, clear water for the fairies to wash their babies in.  As it is known that the fair folk are mad for dancing, it was considered important to keep your hearth swept clean, for hearth-stones, and other large, flat stones in the countryside, are among their favorite dancing-spots.

Likes & Dislikes

Here are a few of the things they especially like:

Music and dancing.

Hunting, riding in procession, and sports such as hurling.  Often the fairies must bring a mortal man to join their side in a hurling match, to give them strength.

Playing chess, long considered a game fit for kings.

Hawthorne trees, holly, foxglove and ragwort are dear to fairies, and they punish people who abuse them. (They use a ragwort stalk to fly through the air.)  In Northern Ireland in 1907, a farmer who had swept his chimney with a holly bough was troubled with flying stones in his house.

Order, tidiness, and neatness.

Dishes or buckets of clear, clean water to wash their babies.

Cake, especially if served with dishes of milk or cream.

Warm hospitality, generosity, good manners, and cheerfulness, honesty, and sincerity.

"Borrowing" items from humans such as food, tools, fire, etc.

Golden hair, particularly on beautiful young women.

They also appear to favor brightly colored clothing, for that is how they often appear to travelers in Fairyland.  But those who have had a touch of the fairy ointment and seen them without the magic of glamour upon their eyes report them looking quite different, often darkly dressed and raggedy.  Perhaps they only dress up for special occasions, as we do.  Or perhaps they do not bedeck themselves like kings at a carnival, but merely wish us to see them rich and colorful, either for their pride or because they think that is what we expect of them.

Here are some of the things they most dislike:

Being intruded upon or spied upon (they punish this severely).

The sound of bells, especially church bells.  (The one exception are those bells that they hang on their horses' harnesses)

The crowing of a cock.

Iron.  Long ago, those fearful of meeting fairies would carry a piece of iron (or steel) with them, especially a cross or a horseshoe.

Rue, St. Johns Wort and yarrow are said to be anti-fairy herbs.

Disorder and untidiness.  It used to be said that a housewife who did not keep a neat home would be pinched by the fairies in punishment.

Empty pails or those filled with dirty water.

Rudeness, selfishness, lack of generosity, people who are moody or melancholy.

Lies or deceptions by humans.  Even evil fairies do not lie, although they may seriously mislead or deceive.

Theft of fairy possessions by humans.  Though they think it perfectly acceptable to steal from people, they are furious if people steal from them.  Similarly, they have no sense of humor if one of their tricks gets played back on them.

Nagging wives, or husband-or wife-beaters.

Humans who boast of fairy gifts they've received.

Humans who break taboos (known as geasas) imposed by fairies. Often a fairy gift is given with a magickally imposed prohibition attached to it.  If the taboo is broken, the gift or power is often taken away.

Gifts & Mischief

Of course, people are always blaming the fairies for all sorts of accidents and unexpected occurrences:  I cannot find the broom anywhere; the fairies must have taken it!  Who ate the pie I had cooling on the window-ledge?  It must have been the Good Neighbors, Ma.  The milking-stool seemed to be pulled right out from under just as I was about to sit on it; fairy mischief, to be sure!  In truth, the Good People, no matter how numerous or magickal, could not have done all these things.  But it is generally agreed that the Fair Family do come and borrow of mortals when they're in need, and this may account for a certain amount of the things that seem misplaced and can never be found.

If they must find and take for themselves whatever they may need, they do not always return it, alas!  But a friendly loan freely given with a generous and open heart is often repaid by them in their kind of riches: good fortune, good health, sometimes even a special talent or skill (especially in music or dancing) or a bag of flour or seed that is never emptied no matter how much is taken out.  Sometimes they make payment with our sort of riches, great valuables such as gold or jewels, but these often vanish or turn into something worthless shortly afterwards.  They are not the true fairy gift.

It is important not to boast to other mortals of a fairy-gift, or it will almost surely be taken back.  Indeed, they scarcely like it to be mentioned at all, even in saying "thank you" in a direct way (although they are happy to see their gift is appreciated!) Sometimes the enchantment can be undone by just a foolish word. The bottomless bag of seed, or in one tale a plough that had been changed to a flying horse that allowed a mortal to ride over land and sea with the fairies, changed back to its original form when the mortal simply named it in its ordinary, un-enchanted condition.

One little-known method of dealing with fairies is that they can be compelled to a trade.  If a human offers the fairies a swap, the fairies must accept.  One formula to accomplish this is to shout "mine be yours and yours be mine," and immediately give them something of yours before they can refuse it.  It is said that a man of Scotland once heard them flying by, and saw them carrying something, but he had not time to see what it was.  He threw his hat into their midst and shouted "mine be yours and yours be mine," and found that by exchange he'd rescued a beautiful young woman who had been carried off by them.  (As you may well imagine, the fairy host was not happy about this!)

Approaching Fairies

It is wise always to treat fairies with respect, even more than ordinary mortals.  That which is, perhaps, most dear to the People of Peace is their privacy.  They hate being spied upon or intruded upon.  However, they occasionally welcome an outsider who knows how to enter their revels in the proper spirit.  This is a risky business and not for the timid.  Knowing the proper incantation, or fitting into a chant or rhyme often allows a mortal to join in a fairy activity.  A man, seeing a moving dust cloud and recognizing it to be a troop of fairies flying by, might shout "Horse and Hattock" (one of their little spells) and be swept up to ride with them.

Another story is told about a humpbacked man who heard the fairies at the revel, singing a monotonous song in Gaelic that translates to "Monday! Tuesday!"  The man, sitting unseen outside the wall of the ancient fairy fort, chimed in with 'And Wednesday, too!"  The fairies were so delighted to have an ending for the tune (it seems they'd been stuck) that they took him in to revel with them, and removed the hump from his back.  But another man who tried the same cure came into the song out of rhythm, which angered the fairies.  Instead of removing his hump, they doubled it with the hump they'd removed from the first man.

It is far safer to entice the fairies to come to you than to enter their realm and risk being lost there for good.  This is not easily done, for they seem to avoid our kind unless they want something. However, here is a chant which has been said to charm them (occasionally) into making their appearance:

Come out from your fairy bower
Come upon this golden hour
Come to us we beg you please
Fairies dancing on the breeze.

If you are so lucky as to call them successfully, or if you meet them by accident, a few simple precautions are worth taking.

Do's & Don'ts

Never set both feet in a fairy ring (known to fairies as "gallitraps"), for it can get you lost in Fairyland.  A fairy ring is a ring of a mushrooms sometimes found on lawns or fields, where fairies are said to dance.  The grass within the ring is an exceptionally bright and lush shade of green.  It seems to be some sort of link with Fairyland itself.  One who steps in it will suddenly be able to see them dancing there, where before they were invisible, and to hear their sweet, exquisite music where before there was but silence.  The music and dance can be so infectious that those who experience it lose all sense of time and will stay dancing with the Good People until they are forcibly pulled away.

Never take their food, drink or flowers, no matter how politely they are offered.  Those who do may remain captive in Fairyland forever.

If traveling at night (especially on foot) in a place inhabited by fairies, you may become Pixie-led.  This is a particular kind of pixie mischief, where the unwary may be misled by a pixie and left stranded in the dark.  One charm against this trickery is to turn your coat inside out.

Humans can also gain some power over fairies, or even wield the power of glamour, by gaining possession of objects belonging to fairies such as articles of clothing or household items such as combs or tools.  The best way to gain power over fairies is to learn their true names.  This is quite hard to do, as fairies are extremely secretive, especially about their names.  Some fairies, though, behave quite strangely in this regard.  They zealously protect this secret if they think there are humans around but, when they believe they are unobserved, they cannot resist repeatedly shouting out their names at the top of their voices.

It is wise always to have the last word in a conversation with them. Often, such talk ends up becoming a rhyme, and if so, then you had best rhyme your answers to each point they make.  They respect this sort of courage and cleverness.