Baloo Baleerie is a Scottish song (Baloo is the Scots word for lullaby), possibly originating from the Shetland island of Bressay and dating back as far as the 11th or 12th Century. The fairies of Scottish folklore are malevolent creatures; they would steal an untended human baby and replace it with one of their own children. Mothers would thus be ever fearful of the harm fairies could inflict upon their children. in the first verse the fairies are told to leave, while the second verse invites the guardian angels to come down and protect the baby. In the third verse, the mother gently encourages her child to sleep softly. Like many songs of the time, the lullaby mixes the Christian (protection provided by the angels) with the pagan (the fairies).