Kindling the Native Spirit: Sacred Practices for Everyday Life - Denise Linn 2015

The “Little People”
Great Mystery: Touching the Soul

When we think of fairies and wee folk, it’s not uncommon to think of the misty green hills of Ireland, the windswept Highlands of Scotland, or a countryside garden in England. However, most native cultures recount true stories about fairies or what they usually called the “little people,” and there are many similarities between the fairies of Western cultures and those found in native traditions. In fact, the uniformity that exists among cultures is remarkable. Sometimes the little people are feared and sometimes they’re revered for the assistance they give, but in all native cultures, they’re respected. Also, in a similar fashion to Western fairies, native fairies can run the gamut from beneficent to malevolent. Another similarity is that they’re usually invisible and make themselves visible to very few. Here are some examples of little people in different tribal cultures.

HAWAIIAN LITTLE PEOPLE

When I was a young woman, during my training with the Hawaiian kahuna Morrnah Simeona, I used to accompany her into the forests so she could take offerings of fruit and flowers to the menehune king. (Menehunes are akin to elves.) I was never allowed to enter into their realm, so I would stand just at the edge and wait while she conversed with the king. She always came back with her offering platter empty because the menehunes liked the food she brought. Morrnah described them as having long, straight hair growing almost to their knees and being very fond of singing and dancing. Most of their activities were done at night. (This is similar to the way Native American little people are described.) She said that they were the original inhabitants of the island, before the Polynesians came.

MAORI LITTLE PEOPLE

Later in my life, I had a profound experience with nature spirits alone in the bush of the North Island of New Zealand. On a lazy summer day, as I was lying on my back on the mossy bottom of the forest floor, gazing at the soft rays of light filtering down through the trees overhead, I became drowsy and fell asleep. When I awoke, I sat up and was surrounded by what looked like hundreds of very pale, small, white beings. They all looked so sad. They seemed to be aware of me. There was something almost ghostly about them, but I wasn’t frightened, only saddened to see them. Then they simply vanished, like mist dissolving on a sunny morning. I was surprised; it all seemed so real.

The next time I saw the tohunga (Maori medicine man), I asked him what they could have been. He told me that they were the patupaiarehe—the little people who were also called “the children of the mists.” The tohunga said they had pale skin and they used to live in the deep forest, but now they were sad because of the multitude of trees that had been chopped down, so they wandered the landscape hopelessly looking for a home. (Prior to the arrival of the settlers, New Zealand was almost entirely forested. By the end of the 20th century, half of the forestland was gone.) He said that you could sometimes hear a soft kind of music or singing, and then you would know they were near. It was easier to sense them in the mists, he said. Hence, they were called children of the mists, because of their diminutive size. The tohunga told me that they must have felt very safe to show themselves to me, because they were rarely seen.

I was surprised to hear of white little people, but sometimes they do appear in different colors. When I was with the Zulu in Africa, my teacher Credo Mutwa talked about the little people that he saw. He said that some were blue in color, and they used to teach him things when he was a small boy. Interestingly, in many earth-based cultures, little people are described as having a lighter hue to their skin, but also looking indigenous with their dress in the prevailing native attire.

AFRICAN LITTLE PEOPLE

In West Africa, the belief in little people is rampant. Natives describe fairy-like beings, bush sprites, and little people that are called the aziza. They are thought to live in anthills and silk-cotton trees and are timid and shy, but are also beneficial. They are thought to help hunters, and it’s considered very good luck to see one.

In Zulu tradition, the abatwa are very tiny fairies who are also reclusive and shy. They are so small that they can ride on the backs of ants. They can only be seen by children, pregnant women, and sangomas (native healers). They’re believed to be powerful warriors and carry poisonous darts with them.

Most adults in the Wolof of Gambia have a story or two about the little people and share these stories with relish. They describe the little people as about two feet tall and dwarflike in appearance. If you see one, it’s thought to be very good fortune.

NATIVE AMERICAN LITTLE PEOPLE

Cherokee myths are replete with numerous stories of the little people. They probably have more written material about them than any other tribe. Most of the stories talk of them in beneficent terms, with occasional stories of mischievous or vengeful beings. The Cherokees had three different kinds of little people (Yunwi Tsunsdi’) called the Laurels, the Rocks, and the Dogwood. They believed that fairies, for the most part, lived in rock caves on the side of mountains or in grassy patches on hillsides. The Rock People powerfully defend their land and don’t like any intruders. The Laurel People are curious and friendly but very mischievous; for example, if you were making a basket, they might cause you to make a mistake and have to redo your work. And the Dogwood People like humans and try to help whenever they can.

Reporting in his book Myths of the Cherokee, James Mooney says that the little people are described as barely reaching a man’s knees but are “well shaped and handsome, with long hair falling almost to the ground.” The Cherokees also have a fairy called “Little Tsă wa’sĭ” who is said to help hunters with stealth so they can hunt silently and be unseen by their prey.

The Umatilla Tribe of Oregon called the little people “stick people.” The Choctaw believed the fairies (kwanokasha) helped determine the destiny of a child. And, the Shoshone Tribe called their little people nimerigar, and they gave them wide clearance because they felt that these fairies were protective of their lands. They believed that the nimerigar would shoot arrows at them if they got too close. The Iroquois had the jogah, who are described as knee-high, usually friendly, but dangerous to anyone who disrespects their homeland.

To the Algonquin the pukwudgies (which means “person of the wildness”) are the little people of the forest. They’re described as knee-high or smaller and divided into different types: beneficial, mischievous, and very dangerous (if not respected). The Crow Tribe calls their little people the nirumbee. They believe that their tribe was saved once because of a vision the nirumbee gave the renowned Crow chief Plenty Coups. To this day offerings are left for the little people in remembrance of their aid to the Crow Nation.

The Mi’kmaq First Nation People of Canada have many legends of little people living in the hills called the wiklatmu’j. (They’re also called the Stone People.) Similar to most tribal traditions, they dress and speak like Mi’kmaqs. They’re thought to be incredibly fast and strong. Encounters with them are recounted even into present times. Also, Eskimo Netsilik Inuit report little people in their legends.

Mayans and the Olmecs talked about fairies in a similar way, but theirs dwell under the surface of the land and are cruder than typical fairies. Perhaps a better equivalent would be the dwarves of European lore. Yucatec storytellers share tales about fairies helping to build temples by making the work easier and helping the stones fall into place more easily. In Central America, the Yaqui talk of an ancient race of little people called the surem who are described as very gentle and who do not like any kind of conflict or noise.

Interestingly, there are even early stories of white settlers in the Americas encountering the little people. For example, in 1804 the Lewis and Clark Expedition stayed for a time with a band of Sioux on the Vermillion River in what is now called South Dakota. On August 25, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and ten other men traveled north of the river’s junction with the Missouri River to see the “mountain of the Little People.” Lewis wrote in his journal that the little people were “deavals” (devils) with very large heads, about 18 inches high, and very alert to any intrusions into their territory.

SIMILARITIES OF LITTLE PEOPLE IN NATIVE CULTURES

Although there are differences in descriptions and attributes of little people that vary from culture to culture, the fact that there are so many similarities about little people in native traditions around the world makes it difficult to deny their existence.

Here are some of the similarities:

· They’re shy and difficult to see: Sometimes only the pure of heart see them; sometimes they appear when someone is in need; sometimes they appear in the twilight or mist. Other times they’ll appear when they’re irritated about something a human is doing.

· They live in wild and natural places: It’s an unusual occurrence for fairies to live in a populated area. However, there are rare occasions where fairies can be found in parks or even in gardens, if there’s a wild area or if the people tending the area are sensitive to the fey realms.

· They’re usually under two feet tall: There are some cases when they’re taller, and sometimes—but rarely—they can be as tiny as an insect, but most cultures recount little people between a foot and two feet tall.

· They’re very protective of their land: Throughout the world indigenous people report that most little people are beneficent; however, harm can come to those who don’t respect their sacred places.

I personally had an experience of fairy folk being highly protective of their land. Late last autumn I was in Vermont with my husband, David, taking photos of the fall foliage. As we drove down an isolated country road, I saw a glimpse of a pond behind a thick growth of trees. I asked David to stop the car, then jumped out and pushed my way through the trees and brush to get a photograph of the pond. It was a beautiful, almost magical little pond. But as soon as I reached the pond’s edge, I heard the words, “Get out!”

I didn’t hear it aloud, but as a very distinctive voice in my head. I decided to pretend that I didn’t hear it because I really wanted to get a photo. As I snapped a shot, I heard the voice again, this time it was much louder: “GET OUT!” As I maneuvered to get another photo, there was a kind of an invisible push, and I started to slip down the bank. As I started to fall, I snagged my hair in a branch and twisted my ankle. Deciding I’d better leave immediately, I ran back to the car.

I know I should have left as soon as I heard the warning, but I’m glad I stayed to get the photograph. Just looking at it, I can feel the magic of that place. I imagine if I would have entered the area in a slow, conscientious way—rather than just plunging forward without care—my welcome might have been very different. To the little people, my hurried approach must have felt abrasive and disrespectful.

EXERCISE: HOW TO SENSE THE LITTLE PEOPLE

1. Spend time in quietude in a wild place in nature. You can recognize fairy places because there’s often something luminous about them.

2. Approach the area slowly, then stand at the edge of the area and “ask” for permission to enter. Do not enter if you get any kind of “no” answer. If you get a “yes,” you can slowly approach and sit down.

3. If there’s something in the area that’s edible (and not poisonous), put a tiny bit of it in your mouth and gently suck on it—for example, a blackberry leaf. This will help attune your energy to the place.

4. Sitting quietly, slowly take out your offering. (Fruit is excellent.) Speak softly, saying that you have brought an offering for them.

5. Allow your eyes to almost close. It’s often easier to see them this way. Perhaps you’ll see a slight movement or feel as if someone has just walked by you. Sometimes you’ll know fairies by a feeling. Trust the feeling. It’s as valid as what you see with your eyes.

6. Before you leave, be sure to thank the fairies for the visit.

7. To invite fairies into your garden, make sure that you leave one area wild and never use pesticides, especially in that area. You might even consider creating a fairy house using natural materials. It’s not that they live in the house, but they appreciate the effort and will feel welcomed.

Usually I feel the presence of fairies rather than see them; in fact, it’s rare that I see them. But, just as I completed this section about little people, I looked out my home-office window and curiously, on top of the telephone pole, there was a very thin yet robust little person, about a foot and a half tall. He was aware of me and was doing things seemingly to make me laugh. He would act like he was going to fall and would totter back and forth, and then he’d instantly upright himself and do a kind of jig as if to say, “Ha! Ha! I fooled you!” Amazingly while he was doing this, a large number of birds gathered on the lines on either side of him—and nowhere else. It was as if they were also enjoying his antics. I’m not quite sure why he appeared, but to me it seemed to be a kind of blessing about what I wrote here.