To get a fayrie...An excellent way to get a fayrie, (for myself I call Margaret. Barrence, but this will obteine any one that is not allready bound.) First, get a broad square christal or Venice glasse, in length and breadth three inches. Then lay that christal in the bloud of a white henne, three Wednesdays or three Fridayes. Then take it out and wash it with holy aq. [water] and fumigate it. Then take three hazel sticks, or wands, of a yeare groth as you write the spiritt’s name or fayrie’s name, which you call, three times on every sticke, being made flat on one side. Then bury them whereas ye suppose fayries haunt, the Wednesday before you call her; and the Friday following take them uppe, and call her at eight, or three, or ten of the clock, where be good planetts houres for that turne; but when you call be cleane in life, and turn thy face towards the East. And when you have her, bind her to that stone or glasse.
—attributed to the Bishop of Dromore, 1406, who had collected an account from an “alchymist”.
The above was quoted in:
Rev. Edward Smedley, W. Cooke Taylor, Rev. Henry Thompson, The Occult Sciences, Traditions and Superstitions of Past Times and Marvels of the Present Day, 1855. This information found on: The occult sciences - Esoteric Library (Yet, I read this same Faerie Summoning in a 20th century book of folklore in the mid 1980's. I would cite that book here, but I have not been able to find it for several years.)
The above is clearly an example of a magician’s “summoning ritual” to acquire a “Faery Spirit” as a “familiar spirit” or “servitor” or “quibus pythonicus”.
Apparently an identical version of this summoning ritual can be found in Percy’s Reliques (III, 263). See reference in the article by British Fairies. This FAERIE SUMMONING is shared primarily as a pre-20th century curiosity. Allegedly it originated in the 15th century, but it is possible that it is no older than the late 17th century.
In my internet googly wanderings, I also read reference to: “A seventeenth century spell book in the Bodleian library in Oxford contains a variety of faery related spells, including ‘To call Oberon into a crystal stone’.”
The faery-spirit, Oberon, is found in medieval and Renaissance literature. Apparently, the name “Oberon” first appeared in a French song, about a faery who was bespelled at his birth to remain dwarf-sized. It is not terribly surprising to find his name attached to a spell. It is possible that the summoning method would be similar to the first example given above.
So who is Oberon? To Anglophones (English-speakers), Oberon is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which he is a powerful “King of the Faeries”. While Shakespeare did not make mention of it in his play, folklore claimed Oberon possessed a magical cup, which was always full for the virtuous—certainly something a Faery King would own.
Nevertheless, I get the impression that calling, or conjuring, a faery-spirit into a crystal stone whether square-shaped, or sphere-shaped, or just naturally shaped by earth and/or water was not that an unusual practice in the 15 th century.
The practice of crystal gazing is much older than the 15th century. Indeed in the 1st century ce, Pliny the Elder describes use of crystallum orbis (aka “crystal balls”) by soothsayers. By the 5th century ce, scrying (gazing at a smooth reflective stone) was a widespread practice within the Roman Empire. In Medieval Latin sources, the scribes referred to crystal balls as orbuculum. There is yet another term, “shew stone”, which retained the archaic spelling of the word, “show”. (The verb “show” was once spelled “shew.”) 1
In 1558, John Dee became the astrological and scientific advisor of Queen Elizabeth I. Later in 1582, Edward Kelly managed to impress Dee with his abilities in scrying apparently through use of a “shew stone”. John Dee then summoned sundry spirits and angels into a black mirror (Speculum)—into which Kelly scryed, as in looking into a “shew stone”. 2
This next item is an Experimentum optimum verissimum, which translates as “Experiment Most Excellent”, allows an individual to summon three "fairies mayds" to him. It was a common belief that there were certain ointments or oils that could be rubbed on the eyelids to give "second sight", which included "faery-sight" and the ability to see the "Faerie Realm" and faery-spirits when "glammoured" or "invisible".
Experimentum optimum verissimumThe working above requires a house where “…the fairies mayds doe use…” In other words this is an abandoned human dwelling which the "faery-spirits" (or maybe "witches") have taken to “frequenting”/“haunting” usually on:In the night before the newe moone, or the same night, or the night after the newe moone, or els the night before the full moone, the night of the full, or the night after the full moone, goe to the house where the fairies mayds doe use and provide you a fayre and cleane buckett, or payle cleane washt, with cleere water therein and sett yt by the chimney syde or where fyre is made, and having a fayre newe towel or one cleane washt by, and so departe till the morning; then be thou the first that shall come to the buckett or water before the sonne ryse, and take yt to the light, that you find upon the water a whyte ryme, like rawe milk or grease, take yt by with a silver spoone, and put yt into a cleane sawcer; then the next night following come to the same house agayne before 11 of the clocke at night, making a good fire with sweet woods and sett upon the table a newe towel or one cleane washt and upon yt 3 fyne loaves of new mangett [fine wheat bread], 3 newe knyves with whyte haftes and a newe cuppe fulle of newe ale, then sett your selfe downe by the fyre in a chaire with your face towards the table and anonynt your eyes with the same creame or oyle aforesaid. Then you shall see come by you thre fayre maydes, and as they passe by they will obey you with becking their heads to you, and like as they doe to you, so doe you to them, but saye nothing. Suffer the first, whatsoever she be, to passe, for she is malignant, but to the second or third as you like best reache forth your hand and pluck her to you, and with fewe words aske her when she will apoynt a place to meete you the next morning for to assoyle such questions as you will demand of her; and then, yf she will graunt you, suffer her to depart and goe to her companye till the houre appointed, but misse her not at the tyme and place; then will the other, in the mean tyme whyle you are talking with her, goe to the table and eat of that ys ther, then will they depart from you, and as they obey you, doe you the like to them saying nothinge, but letting them depart quyetlye. Then when youre houre is come to meete, say to her your mynde, for then will she come alone. Then covenant with her for all matters convenient for your purpose and she wilbe always with you, of this assure yourselfe for it is proved, ffinis [the end].”
A. the night before the new moonThe ritual requires that a person must bring three fresh fine wheat loaves, and three new cups into which he pours some “new ale” (probably some good tasting stuff that has not soured and acquired a vinegary taste), three brand new white handled knives, some clean buckets filled with clean water, and clean towels.
B. the night before the full moon
C. the night of the full moon
D. the night after the full moon
The three maids who come may be three faeries—or three witches. It can be very hard to tell the difference, because in sundry folklore both faeries and witches eat and drink, and come and go, often as much as they please. It was a traditional practice to set out food and drink, often cream and/or butter, for faery-spirits. Yet, some legends do mention butter sometimes with bread and it was not unheard of to set out a small cup of wine or ale.
Supposedly this text is from another 18th century source.
Likely, it is the senior ranking faery woman who will rise from the table first, and depart before the other two. Indeed, by following these directions the person will have made at least one or two of them receptive to almost any request that the person has in mind.
These "offerings" to the faery women are a polite bribe to win their good favor. After the senior faery leaves, the person must choose one of the other two and—at that point—grab the hand of the faery to whom he wishes to speak. He must quickly ask her when and where she chooses meet the next morning, so that he might speak to her and ask her questions. If she will tell where and when, he must allow her to depart and “go to her company” until the hour and place she named. The instructions warn, “misse her not at the tyme and place”. Doubtless, if he misses the appointment, he will never get another chance—no matter how many abandoned houses he waits inside for the arrival of magical faery women or witchy women.
Just My Own Humble SuggestionEnd notes:Rather than “summon a faery”--which implies ordering a faery-spirit to appear--perhaps one should just “politely invite” one of the Good Neighbors to one's yard to enjoy a bit of cream in a shallow inexpensive saucer—or maybe a bit of sweet butter (aka salt free) on Melba toast. (Melba toast—named after Dame Nellie Melba—is a dry, crisp, and thinly sliced small piece of toast. My mother used to buy Melba toast unsalted--and she was very insulted if I put a piece of her Melba toast out under the bird feeder, especially with a bit of peanut butter on it.) Perhaps because they value their privacy, the faery-folk seem to prefer to be given occasional offering discreetly. To avoid your human neighbors noticing, you can also place outside—and periodically refill—bird feeders. It is my experience that faeries seem to coexist well with local wildlife.
Lisa Asanuma, Oberon, King of the Faeries February 18, 2010, accessed April 13, 2021.
British Fairies, Summoning Faeries—spells and practices May 31, 2020, Accessed April 20, 2021.
William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream c. 1595 or 1596.