They were also a significant share of religious ascetics, monks, hermits, and mystics, known for things like "speaks strangely and screams randomly" "lives in a cave alone eating only a few specific types of food" "very complex and precise daily rituals" "makes erratic body movements and odd behaviors" "engages in incredibly time consuming and detailed artistic endeavors"
Adding to this the European changeling myth - "my child was fine and normal until age 5 or so, when they suddenly started acting somehow different. I think a fairy took my child and replaced them." Hell, compare that to the modern Autism Speaks "autism stole my child from me" line











