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ceremonies were used to baffle the fairy influence over the child, 

 otherwise it would be carried off to fairyland. The belief 

 in fairies, as well as most of these superstitions, are traceable 

 to the early ages of the British Druids, on whose practices they 

 are founded. The fox-glove (Meuran sithe), odhran, the cow- 

 parsnip, and cofagach, the docken, were credited with great power 

 in breaking the fairy spell; on the other hand, some plants were 

 supposed to facilitate the fairy spell, and would cause the individual 

 to be fairy "struck" or buaillte. The water lily was supposed to 

 possess this power, hence its names Buaillte and Rabhagach, 

 meaning beware, warning. Rushes found a place in fairy 

 mythology. Schmnus nigricans (Seimkean) furnished the shaft of 

 the elf arrows, which were tipped with white flint, and bathed in 

 the dew that lies on the hemlock. 



