Mushroom Fairy Rings Inspire Fantastical Folklore until Science Steps In

Mushroom ring photos by Marilyn McLain.

Well, in my neck of the woods, heavy rainstorms combined with cooler weather have sparked Fairy Rings that have popped up overnight. On Facebook, friends and I started swapping stories about what we remembered about Fairy Rings—were they good luck, bad luck, should we go inside them?

That led me to do a little research on the real story behind these mysterious circles—along with some great lore that developed over centuries of trying to make sense of these odd occurrences.

We know today that the brain attempts to find explanations for natural occurrences, sometimes attributing supernatural forces to that which we do not understand. So, imagine yourself, centuries ago, getting up in the morning after a big rain and finding this perfect circle of mushrooms in your front yard, pasture, forest, castle—it’s your imagination, so take your pick.

Fairies, elves, pixies and little people were often associated with these rings, especially in European mythology. Some folks reasoned that little fairies danced in circles, sat on toadstools for a rest, or that the mushrooms could certainly have been little umbrellas for the delicate dancers that they left behind after they completed their moonlight frolicking.

However, there were those who thought that since these circles appeared with such suddenness, there must be some sort of trickery involved—perhaps sorcery, witchcraft—one legend even supposed it was a ring which the devil entered at night to churn his milk. Another supposed it must have been a dragon, or perhaps just the dragon’s tail swooshing around.

My favorite myth comes from the south of Wales, where, as the story goes, two fellows—Rhys and Llewellyn, were passing through the countryside after a hard day’s work when Rhys reported hearing, however faintly, some sort of merriment and music. Like the irresistible Siren’s call in Greek tragedy, Rhys felt inexplicably compelled to seek out this beautiful sound and join in. Llewellyn went on home, but next morning realized Rhys had never returned during the night. After a failed search, much time passed, maybe as much as a year, and Llewellyn and some fellow countrymen decided to search once more. Using precautions so as not to be sucked into the ring themselves, they reached in and pulled Rhys away from the fairies with whom he was still dancing. When Rhys came to, he insisted he had only been dancing for five minutes. Rhys begged not to leave, but his friends forced him to come home where he promptly took to his bed, despondent, and soon thereafter died a premature death.

Interestingly, several varieties of mushrooms are commonly found in these circular patterns—including both toxic mushrooms or hallucinogenic mushrooms, which may explain some of the more nefarious legends surrounding the circles. For example, if livestock were to nibble on a poisonous strain of the mushrooms, it would make sense that folklore would develop to explain why the milk-producing animal was now giving “soured” milk or perhaps even died as a result.

Or, if one consumed a “magic mushroom,” stories of lost time or vivid imagery of cavorting sprites might simply be the result of inadvertently consuming a hallucinogen or a mild toxin (which can lead to delirium).

Science explains what really happens to create these mysterious mushroom rings:

Mushroom growth occurs because of mycelium, the underground vegetative  organism that makes mushrooms grow. Mycelium naturally grows in a circle to maximize the amount of nutrients supplied to its fruit (in this case the fruit is the mushroom). It will continue to move outward into bigger circles and can live for years as it conquers more nutrients.

So if the mycelium remains healthy, the rings can come back year after year and just grow wider as time goes on. In fact, there was a ring found in France that was estimated to have been fruiting for more than 700 years and had grown to over 2000 feet in width. (The rings are estimated to creep along at somewhere between 3 and 19 inches per year).

So back to the original question between posed by my Facebook friends: are fairy circles good luck or bad luck and should we step inside?

I’ll just leave you with this little poem written by William Shakespeare:

If you see a fairy ring

In a field of grass,

Very lightly step around,

Tiptoe as you pass;

Last night fairies frolicked there,

And they’re sleeping somewhere near.

 

If you see a tiny fay

Lying fast asleep,

Shut your eyes and run away,

Do not stay or peep;

And be sure you never tell,

Or you’ll break a fairy spell.