These mushrooms have been growing on the front lawn of Jefferson Avenue church of Christ for
probably years now. I especially noticed them tonight because they're so large! The grass has
grown up around them and they'll most likely be mowed over at some point this weekend. I've
heard something like this is called a Fairy Ring or Fairy Circle, so I looked it up. Pretty cool stuff.
By stepping into the ring to take the close up picture (cell phone camera), I may have brought bad luck upon myself. Or I could have made a wish. Either way, who knew? Now I know.
A "fairy ring" is a circle found in a lawn or pasture land thought to have been caused by dancing fairies. Scientific explanations for this widespread phenomenon are less poetic; the must usual is that it is caused by the spreading
mycelia of a fungus (Marasmius oreades). The fairy ring may appear only as a depression in the grass but may also include sprouting mushrooms. If a human steps into the ring he or she is compelled to join the fairies in their wild dancing, which would seem to occur in a few minutes but in fact lasts for seven years or more. The unfortunate mortal dancer can be rescued by having someone outside the ring grab hold of his or her coat-tails. The concept is widely discussed in Celtic languages.
When circles of lush, dark green grass were seen in meadows, they were said to mark the place where fairies had danced, and anybody who set foot in one risked being carried off. Such rings are caused by underground fungi, which at times produce visible toadstools; they persist for years, getting steadily larger, and grazing animals avoid them. No serious belief now attaches to them; at most, a vague idea that it is unlucky to step into one, or, contrariwise, that one can make a wish.
