The everyday insult oaf traces back to older English and Norse words for elf, specifically a fairy child left in place of a stolen human baby. This episode unpacks the sprawling cross-cultural folklore of the changeling, from the fairies of the British Isles and the trolls of Scandinavia to the German water spirits and dwarves, the Polish Mamuna, and Martin Luther's belief that the devil himself placed changelings in cradles. It explores the surprising motives attributed to these swaps, including trolls seeking a more respectable upbringing, elderly fairies wanting a comfortable retirement, and a fairy tithe owed to hell.

The conversation covers the signs parents watched for, such as ravenous appetites, failure to grow, and a baby caught playing the bagpipes, and the protective wards of iron scissors, constant fires, and red ribbons. It the ...