In Irish folklore, a changeling is a fairy left in place of what?

In Irish folklore, a changeling is a fairy left in place of a human child.

The traditional story says that fairies steal a human baby and substitute a fairy child, an elderly fairy, or sometimes a magically disguised object. The replacement is called a changeling because it has been exchanged for the child who was taken. In Irish tales, the changeling may seem sickly, fail to grow normally, or display strange wisdom and behavior.

These beliefs were not uniform. Some stories say fairies wanted a human child as a servant, nursemaid, or companion; others connect the exchange with obligations imposed on the fairy community. In rare versions, the substitute is an old fairy seeking comfort in a human household.

“Changeling” is broader than “fairy child”: European traditions also blame trolls, demons, or other supernatural beings. Modern historians and folklorists have also examined changeling legends as cultural explanations for illness, disability, or developmental differences. The core Irish quiz answer remains a human child, not a human adult or a magical object.