If you're walking through the woods and you come across a circle of mushrooms, be wary of stepping inside! Legend has it that these are "fairy rings", and to enter them is to enter the realm of the uncanny. #FolkloreThursday

The most popular story is that these are left behind by the footsteps of dancing fairies. They might even still be there dancing, just invisible to your mortal eyes. #FolkloreThursday

Many tales tell of musicians stumbling home at night who wander into a fairy ring and are trapped there, forced to entertain the fairies for the rest of the night. But what is time to a fairy? Some come home to find years have passed by. #FolkloreThursday

Other stories tell of human children who are taken through the ring to fairyland. Though the children are often cherished there, these tales seldom end happily. #FolkloreThursday

There are, of course, scientific explanations for these rings. Fungal dispersion, spores, and in some cases the interaction between trees and the soil. There are dozens of mushrooms who form rings, often through different mechanisms. #FolkloreThursday

But still, I'd be wary of stepping into one. After all, you never know what you can't see, and the Fair Folk were named for their faces and not their temperament. I guess it depends how brave you feel - and if you mind a brush with the uncanny. #FolkloreThursday

All images via Wikimedia: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fairy_rings