Changeling | Stolen Child of Faery Lore

The term changeling most commonly refers to a human-like creature from European folklore, but it also identifies several significant works in film, literature, and gaming. 

Folklore and Mythology

In European legends, a changeling is a substitute—often a sickly fairy or an enchanted object like a log—left by supernatural beings (fairies, trolls, or elves) after kidnapping a human child. 

• Purpose: Reasons for the swap included using human children as servants, strengthening "fairy stock," or simply out of malice.
• Identification: Folklore suggests changelings could be identified by making them laugh or surprising them into revealing their true age (e.g., cooking a meal in an eggshell).
• Historical Context: Modern scholars believe these myths were used to explain developmental conditions like autism, Down syndrome, or physical deformities in a time before advanced medical knowledge. 

Games and Fiction

• Dungeons & Dragons: Changelings are a race of humanoid shapeshifters, often associated with the Eberron setting, who can alter their appearance and voice at will.
• Star Trek: The Founders of the Dominion are a liquid-based species of "Changelings" capable of mimicking any form, including humanoids and objects.
• Marvel Comics: A mutant meta morph (also known as Kevin Sydney) who can alter his appearance and voice to mimic others.
• Literature: Beyond LaValle's novel, 

The Changeling is also the title of a famous 1622 Jacobean tragedy by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, exploring themes of treachery and sin.