Cowslips are another flower that is guarded and well-loved by the fey. Also known in the west of England as Culver's Keys, they are thought to be keys to unlock the way to faery gold. According to Answers.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/cowslip),
where we got the above image, they're also known as Fairy Cups.
In Medieval times, according to Wightdruids.com (http://www.answers.com/topic/cowslip)
, it was called Herb Peter and Key Flower, and frightened faeries were said to hide in it. It was also said to have the ability to split rocks with treasure inside.
Bibliography: Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee.
To be pixy-led is to be misled by faeries. In Ireland, stepping upon a tuft of grass or stray sod will cause one to be pixy-led, although if one has angered the fey, or if a pixy is feeling mischievous, one may also be led astray.
One may discover that an exit that was clear upon entering a specified area is suddenly gone; and nothing one does will reveal the exit. Or it may be that one finds oneself suddenly heading in a different direction to the path he wishes to take, and be unable to right himself. This spell may be broken by turning one's coat inside-out and wearing it. One may wonder what one is to do if one is not wearing a coat to begin with . . .
It is possible that one may turn other clothes inside-out and wear them that way (we have also read that even turning a pocket inside-out works); it may have been thought that this changed one's identity or otherwise confused the faeries. However, this trick does not always work. Other methods for breaking faery spells include the use of St. John's wort, red verbena, daisies (especially little field daisies), or a staff made of rowan wood or ash.
Bibliography: An Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs; Faeries, by Brian Froud and Alan Lee.
Above image found at Google Images (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1024&bih=600&q=pixies&oq=pixies&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1484.3017.0.3593.6.5.0.1.1.0.50.220.5.5.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.17.img.wdIa7Vq44aw#hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=pixie+fairy&oq=pixy+fA&gs_l=img.1.1.0j0i10l9.666937.672418.5.674911.26.15.1.0.0.5.74.616.14.14.0...0.0.0..1c.1.17.img.8uLA8iYGG5A&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48293060,d.eWU&fp=4bdfcf4ffb0aa612&biw=1024&bih=600).
Faery rings are toadstools growing in a circle. Step inside a faery ring, it is said, and you will travel to Faerie -- perhaps never to return. The rings are made by faeries or elves dancing in circles.
Stepping inside the ring compels a human to join the wild dance, which may seem to last minutes or a couple of hours or a whole night -- but in fact would last seven years or longer, and the victim may be forced to dance to the point of exhaustion, death, or madness. Some say anyone who steps into a faery ring will die at a young age.
Faery rings are also known as elf rings, faery circles, elf circles, or pixy rings. In the Welsh and Manx tradition, the faery rings grow overtop underground faery villages. One must not violate a faery ring by collecting dew from the grass or flowers growing there, else he risk misfortune. Destroying a faery ring is fruitless (it will only grow back) and also causes bad luck.
Humans who are held captive in a faery ring may be rescued by someone who follows the faery music but keeps one foot outside the ring and pulls the dancer out whilst others hold onto his (the rescuer's) coat-tails.
Other methods for rescuing someone trapped in a faery ring include tossing wild marjoram and thyme into the ring, thus confusing the faeries; touching the victim with iron; or a stick from a rowan tree may do the trick.
Bibliography: Faeries by Brian Froud and Alan Lee
Webography: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring).
The above image was found on Google (https://www.google.com/#gs_rn=17&gs_ri=psy-ab&gs_mss=faery%20ri&tok=8idwsvsGPsHmvQCaqJX9gA&suggest=p&cp=11&gs_id=1e&xhr=t&q=fairy+rings&es_nrs=true&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&oq=faery+rings&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48293060,d.eWU&fp=d0df36031120a59a&biw=1024&bih=600).
