Creatures, Myths & Legends

Mystery and intrigue as fairy doors adorn trees in Brooklyn Heights

By T.K. Randall
June 19, 2024

Image: Fairy Door in Corvallis, Oregon (illustrative)
Credit: Laura Klaus / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) To most people, fairies are little more than fictional creatures - small, winged beings that are mischievous but benign and that have appeared in cultural literature for many centuries.

Fairies appear in local folklore in some parts of the world more than others, but just about everyone will be familiar with them, either through stories told to them as children or from books and movies.

For the residents of Brooklyn Heights, New York recently, however, the idea of fairies has become just that little bit more real thanks to some unusual decorations that have been showing up on the streets.

Take a casual stroll around the block and you will find tiny, colorful doors and other curious things - such as signposts and speckled toadstools - adorning the bottoms of trees.These pint-sized creations are what are typically known as fairy doors, said to be portals into the fairy dimension that have been built by the fairies themselves.

While it's fair to assume that the builders of these particular doors were not literal fairies, this hasn't dampened the appreciation of the locals who have expressed approval of the new additions.

Local councillors have also welcomed the fairy doors as an expression of the community's creativity.

"I'm extremely happy they've arrived - and in force," said physician Dr. Jon Berall.

"These are tricky times and we need all the help we can get."

Source: Brooklyn Eagle

Tags: Fairy Doors