Faeries
Fairies are a species of
supernatural beings or nature spirits, one of the most beautiful and important
of mythological concepts. Belief in fairies is ancient and widespread, and
similar ideas concerning them are found in primitive as well as civilized
societies. Fairies have been celebrated in folklore, stories, songs, and poems.
Fairies were often said
to be invisible, usually of smaller stature than humans. It was believed they
could be helpful to humans, but might be dangerous and evil if offended. They
were often considered just mischievous and whimsical in a childlike manner, but
were believed to have magical powers.
There are scores of
characteristic fairies in the European tradition, but the main types include
the trooping fairies, who are the aristocrats of the fairy world, living in
palaces or dancing and feasting underground; the hobgoblin fairies of a
rougher, workman type; nature spirits of rivers, gardens, and woods; and
deformed monsters, like hags and giants.
Fairyland was usually
underground or in some magical other dimension. Here time became mystically
changed—one night in
fairyland might equal a lifetime in the human world. Some of the most romantic
and poignant folktales concern mortals who fall in love with a fairy queen and
are transported to the magical world of fairyland where all wishes come true,
but through breaking some taboo or indulging in homesickness for earthly
existence, the mortal is suddenly returned to his world, in which scores of
years have passed.
There are many folklore
stories of fairies assisting humans, mainly in a bucolic setting. Household
fairies were said to assist in everyday tasks like washing dishes, laying the
fire, sweeping the floor, making bread bake properly, and so on but asked to be
treated respectfully and given a cup of milk for their trouble.
Other fairies played
mischievous pranks of a poltergeist nature,
pelting mortals with stones, preventing bread from rising, blowing out candles,
knocking pans off shelves, sending gusts of smoke, or annoying horses and
cattle. Often this was deemed a punishment for lack of respectful treatment. In
rural areas, fairies were often referred to in flattering terms as "the
good people" to avoid offending them.
According to
superstition, the fairies would sometimes steal a human baby and put a
changeling fairy child in its place, often ugly and bad-tempered. The
changeling might be tricked into a sudden admission of its fairy origin, but
there was also a folk superstition that it should be set on fire for this
purpose. Undoubtedly some temperamental babies were fatally burned because of
this belief, which persisted until some two centuries ago in isolated peasant
districts.
"Fairy rings"
are small dark green circles in the grass of meadows, fields, or lawns caused
by a certain fungus. These rings were once said to be the dancing places of the
fairies. In Ireland, mound burials were believed to be the haunts of fairies.
Good place to visit
There is a beautiful and magical place called Fairy Pools of Skye.
I have been here more than once and it was a great inspiration for part of my Erin the Fire Goddess series. On one of these visits I camped out overnight with my family. From where we were we had the perfect view of the entire Fairy Pools that twinkled in the darkness.
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I love faerie lore.
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