Pixie Skeleton Found In North Carolina

Enter a viral photo of a pixie skeleton discovered in the Rocky Mountains that shocked everyone who clicked on it. Remember that one? Was it real? Could the mythical realm of Faerie be a lot closer to California than we thought? What if those viral pics of a dead pixie are not a hoax, but as genuine as the dinosaur bones we dig up? And if so, are there still any pixies left among us? Where are the magical spots they call home?

As part of our Triptober deep dive, dare to ask the fantastical questions in the era of rigid fact-checking. Do pixies — tiny mischievous creatures of ancient myth and magic — actually exist?

Dead Pixie in the Rocky Mountains

On a trek in North Carolina, a man named James Cornan stumbled upon a falcon’s nest where he discovered a pixie skeleton, or so he claimed. The fairy remains resembled a set of human bones: skull, spine, and ribs… Only, well, fairy-sized. The pixie’s limbs, lower jaw, and pelvis were missing, so they must have been eaten by the falcon. ‘Twas an incredible find of the smallest set of humanlike bones, but how the heck did they end up in a bird’s nest? Soon, Cornan’s Facebook post went viral…

The pixie skeleton appeared to be in the late stages of decay, with its color a lot like that of excavated mummies. Take note that the tiny set of bones were found in a falcon’s nest. Falcons are known for keeping the same nest for years, with knick-knacks such as mouse bones laying around as souvenirs. It’s a clue that our pixie skeleton is at least a few years old, and not just some hastily-made Halloween decoration for ants.

Five-Pence Piskie

A similar case was recorded in a birds of prey rescue centre in Cornwall. A caretaker of injured birds of prey was checking the nests of protected species to make sure that the falcons were breeding enough for the year. (As well as guarding the eggs from poachers who smuggle rare eggs in the black market — It’s a problem.) As part of his job, the caretaker climbed up a tall tree to check on a falcon’s nest when he noticed some strange leftovers:

The caretaker took photos of the pixie skeleton with a five pence coin for scale. He then sent the series of images via email to a UK-based podcast called The Mystic Menagerie, which tackles all things strange and paranormal. The man wanted to remain anonymous for fear of being ridiculed. Only the Mystic hosts were worthy of the pics, he said. 

Hmm… Colour us intrigued! 

Ancient Pixie Folklore

Cornwall is one of the most magical places you can visit in the entire world. Spots such as the high moorlands are allegedly filled with piskies (or pixies) of both the naughty and nice variety. Ancient Cornish fairy tales are whispered to be “half-true” by tas-gwyns and mamwyns (Cornish grandpas and grandmas, respectively) whose childhoods had been spent playing in the cold, damp moors. A piskie would flit past on occasion in the guise of a trippy “bundle of rags” to tease them as kids, but they paid the creatures no mind. 

Pixies are believed to be Celtic in origin (same world as the Druids!) which explains their strong numbers in Devon and Cornwall. Do you know what separates pixies from other fairies? It’s the fact that they choose to live in Britain’s ancient ancestral sites, such as barrows, ringforts, and stone circles. This is also why pixies, despite their mischievous nature, are recognised (and maybe even beloved) by the West Country townspeople. There’s a feast called Pixie Day, for example, which they’ve been celebrating every June in the town of Ottery St. Mary in Devon for hundreds of years.

More recently, Cornish piskies made their live-action debut in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Professor Gilderoy Lockhart unleashed some “freshly caught” pixies upon his students at Hogwarts — and lost control of them right away. That’s probably why their name sounds eerily familiar to non-UK Potterheads!

The Mystery Unravels

Mr. Cornan’s photo of a pixie skeleton in North Carolina was very convincing. A fascinating discovery if he took it himself. But apparently, he grabbed it from a website of a certain Dan Baines — an artist who works with themes of myth and folklore — and Cornan simply gave it his own Rocky Mountains twist. So, where can we see the latest “discovery” of pixie bones with our own eyes? Here is Baines’ most recent update in 2018:

“The Pixie bones now reside in a secure facility in Germany where biological specimens that defy conventional science are stored. The mystery of the Pixie bones has never been solved and remains one of this century’s greatest mysteries.”

Who is Baines, exactly? If you recall, the artist was the mastermind behind the Mummified Fairy Hoax of April 1st, 2007, in which he managed to sell a “preserved” fairy corpse on an auction for almost £300. 

On the topic of fairies, Baines had this to say back then:

“Even if you believe in fairies, as I personally do, there will always be an element of doubt in your mind that would suggest the remains are a hoax. However, the magic created by the possibility of the fairy being real is something you will remember for the rest of your life.”

Pixie Skeleton: Hoax or Real?

Your words are still too vague, Mr. Baines. Once and for all, from an expert prop designer’s point of view… Is the fairy skeleton real or a hoax?

“Alas the fairy is fake but my interest and belief has allowed me to create a work of art that is convincing and magical. 

“I was also interested to see if fairy folklore is still a valid belief in modern society and I am pleased to say that yes it is! I have had more response[s] from believers than I ever thought possible.”

Wait, did we mention that Dan Baines is also one of the co-hosts of the Mystic Menagerie podcast? The same one that covered the viral Rocky Mountains pixie? That’s quite a trippy cowinky-dink…

Does Magic Still Exist?

Some of you may be crushed upon knowing that the viral pixie skeleton photos were all a hoax. A terribly convincing, elaborate one, that’s for sure. But still a hoax to the bone…

Don’t let it sway your childhood belief in magic, though, for it is very much alive and kicking in the burgeoning New Wave of psychedelics! Magic mushrooms and magic truffles, for instance, contain a psychoactive compound known as psilocybin. 

You know and love psilocybin for its trippy qualities, but boy has it got so much more to offer! This past year alone, researchers have shown psilocybin to be a powerful treatment for a host of serious conditions, such as substance abuse, addiction, PTSD, chronic depression, and end-of-life anxiety.

The magic of psilocybin is the best kind because it’s scientifically proven. It’s basically real magic… No pixie dust required! 

Do you love psychedelics? Check out our latest TikTok video right here!