CHANGELING MYTH AND THE PORTRAYAL OF UNUSUAL CHILD CHARACTERS IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

Abstract

This article examines the origins and literary significance of the changeling myth and its
relationship to the representation of the unusual child in English literature. The changeling is a folkloric
figure traditionally associated with European, particularly Celtic and Irish, beliefs concerning the
supernatural replacement of a human child. The article analyses the changeling as a figure of otherness,
uncertain identity, liminality, and belonging. It also explores the transformation of the traditional myth in
later children's and fantasy literature. Particular attention is paid to the ways in which the changeling motif
anticipates modern representations of extraordinary children who occupy a position between ordinary social
reality and supernatural or alternative worlds. The study argues that the changeling should be considered
not simply as a supernatural folkloric figure but as an important cultural prototype for literary
representations of children whose identities, abilities, or behavior challenge conventional concepts of
childhood.