Changelings in the Modern World

Historical records show us that changelings were very much believed in, and they documented the various cases where children were treated as if they were fairies. However, as time has gone by people have begun asking themselves if these legends are real-- and in the modern world, the way these children were treated is quite upsetting. Now, it is generally speculated that the children who were thought to be fairies were likely just children who were born with birth defects or mental illnesses. Parents who were stricken with grief became convinced that their child was not their own in order to cope.

 In the most recent and well-known case of a speculated changeling, a husband was convinced that his wife was switched out with a fairy and killed her. Something convinced him that his wife was no longer his own. He claimed strange changes in her; such as her becoming taller, and refusing to eat bread. He attempted to force feed her, and torture her with fire-- eventually lighting her on fire with an oil lamp. All of this occurred in 1895, when this kind of behavior would no longer simply be associated with changelings. So, he was put to trial and found guilty.