2007

The Derbyshire Mummified Fairy

In late March 2007, Dan Baines posted on his website images of an 8-inch, winged creature, explaining that it had been found in Derbyshire by a man walking his dog, and that it had eventually been brought to him for analysis, since he was known in the area as a paranormal expert. So what was this thing? Baines speculated it might be a mummified fairy. Because the Internet loves a mystery, the images quickly went viral, with the result that by April 1 his site was receiving tens of thousands of visitors a day. Some wrote to him claiming they had found similar creatures. Others were mad that he had revealed its location. But at the close of April 1, Baines admitted it was all a hoax. He had made the fairy himself. But the public's fascination with the creature refused to die. Many rejected his confession, dismissing it as a cover-up to hide the real truth. Seven years later, because of continuing interest in the fairy, Baines successfully funded a 'make your own mummified fairy kit' on Kickstarter.