According to fairy lore, fairies create a circular cluster of small bruises as their mark. The phenomenon is known as "fairy bruises" and is a sign of either favor or disfavor. The ring of bruises is often found around the genitals. They did this, according to various 17th century accounts, by pinching their victims.

An Encyclopedia of Fairies (Briggs, 1976) gives numerous ancient examples of fairy abductions. Almost always a special drink was given to the abductee. This drink, usually described as a thick liquid, was an essential part of fairy abduction. Women are abducted much more often than men and some fairies take special delight in repeatedly capturing women for amorous motives. In short, some fairies simply liked having sexual relations with mortals.

Fairies abduct their victims through paralysis; them they simply carry (levitate) and fly the abductee away into "fairyland". Fairyland is always nearby; under normal conditions we can't see or perceive it. The paralysis induced on the victim is how the fairies get their abductee into fairyland. The modern word "stroke" (meaning paralysis) is derived from the ancient terms meaning "elf-stroke" and "fairy-stroke". Fairies travel in circular globes of light, sometimes called "will-o-the-wisp".

Were we not in "modern" times, the marks seen on many UFO abductees would be seen as marks of the devil. Cuts on the back of the leg, purplish circular spots, bruises, circles of warts and spots surrounding the abdomen and genitals, facial holes,and nasal cavity hole all would have qualified. These were the exact same marks and areas of the body used for the Devil's mark. These are also similar to the "fairy bruises".

-by Gregory L. Little