‘He’s away with the fairies’

What are the origins of this phrase? It’s used to describe someone who is anyone who is incapable of normal conversation, utterly distracted, or displaying odd or bizarre behaviour.

In Irish and Scottish tradition there are numerous tales of humans who, by accident or design, found themselves visiting the Faerie Folk. They would spend what appeared to be just a short time among them, but on their return to the human world they would find that many years had passed. So someone who is ‘away with the fairies’ is so called because he or she does not seem to be part of the normal, human world.

A New Faerie Ring

Residents of the city of Dublin in California are looking forward to the completion of the new Shannon Community Centre which is due do be finished by the end of January 2009. As well as all the amenities one would expect of such a place the new centre will also contain a Faerie Ring in which local residents will be able to meet and dance. Perhaps, when the humans have left for the day, the local fairies will be able to make use of the space too.

Dublin (Ireland) already has plenty of places for both humans and fairies to meet and to dance.