Fairies are very light and I suppose the strong winds have blown them away, as they are not allowed to come into the houses in stormy weather as they used to do, for they get no ‘Shee dy Vea’ (welcome).
Fairies don’t show themselves to the present generation as they did to the old folks, but it is not to be wondered at, for the people are now so sinful, and impudent, and wicked, that the fairies themselves make no acquaintance with us; and every generation gets worse, for the faith of many is waxing cold.
I have not heard anything about fairies this long time. There is no one hearing them but the woman in the little shop. She was telling me the other day that she went out one night this winter about twelve o’clock and she heard them among the elder trees, and they were talking away in some language that she could not understand, and they came as near to her that she could hear them whisper in her ears, but could not understand what they were saying. So she got very fearful, and got in the house as fast as possible and shut the door after her.
I fancy they must be foreign fairies that are visiting the Island for all the fairy tales I have heard from the old folks was Manx. But it appears the Manx fairies are gone away, or have changed their language like the Manx people, and it is no wonder when the people gave over talking Manx. Perhaps the fairies could not understand English and changed their language as well.
(source: Folklore Notes, A Manx Notebook; photo is from a wallpaper site)