Wednesday, June 18, 2008, 12:16 PM EST [
General]
This is the entry in my "Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures".
Fairies
Almost every country in the world has its own fairies. Fairies are a race of beings between humans and spirits. They live as our neighbors, but because human beings have often failed to look after their part of the Earth's guardianship, we seldom encounter fairies, for they regard us as boastful breakers of promises. If, however, you can establish a good relationship with them, if you leave offerings for them - usually the first fruits of whatever produce you possess, as long as it is not meat - they will be good neighbours to you. Because of the human propensity to act in a superior way - and also because fairies seldom breed - they often take thriving human children and leave a changeling in their place.
The word 'fairy' derives from the Latin fatum ('fate'). The theory that the fairies are the ones who bestow individual destiny or specific gifts is found in the widespread European figure of the Fairy Godmother who endows a baby with the gifts it will need for life. This idea is found in the Welsh Bendith y Mamau and the French Bonnes Meres, as well in the Spanish Fada and Italian Fata. The origin of fairies is told in a Christian folktale from the Western Highlands of Scotland.
At the creation of the world, God made many beings before mankind. Some of them, like the angels who followed Lucifer, wanted to make their own abode and burst out of heaven leaving the gates ajar. The rush of their going caused many other beings to be sucked out of heaven. God became aware of what was happening and pronounced, 'Let those who are out stay out, and those who are in stay in,' and sealed the gates once more. All the rebellious angels made their home in hell, but the beings who had been involuntarily locked out had to remain on Earth and became the fairies.
Different races of fairy peoples are found all over Britain and Ireland. They are sometimes involved in territorial disputes such as those of the Cornish Piskies who fought the English fairies for possession of all land west of the River Parrett and banished their enemies forever. Some territorial disputes seem more historical, like the long exile to the hollow hills of the Irish Tuatha de Danaan who gave way to the human race of the Milesians. Many otherworldly tribes of beings like dwarves, elves and goblins are generically called 'fairy folk', although they have distinctly different natures.
Throughout the world, people are warned to be respectful of fairy beings, especially of their queens. Fairies, like bees, are ruled over by queens. Remnants of these powerful figures are found in the Italian Befana, the Gaelic Cailleach Beare and the German Percht, all of whom have become attached to midwinter festivities.\
Also like bees, fairies can swarm in beneficent or malign ways, which we see in the Scandinavian Alfar and Svartalfar, as well as the Scottish Seelie Court and Unseelie Court (the Blessed Court and the Unholy Court); the Malaysian Bediadari are forms of trooping or swarming fairies. Some fairy folk have distinct tasks. We can see elements of fairy folk in beings like the Scandinavian Valkyrie who gather the slain from the battlefield, while the Irish banshee keens her deathly screech over the impending departure of a soul under her care.
Wherever we look, we find that a common task of fairy folk is to protect the natural world in all its forms and in this they are nearer to elemental spirits like gnomes. In India, it is the Vidyeshvaras who look after the woods and wild places, while in Greece, we find fauns, centaurs, dryads and nymphs. These beings have leaders who are usually half animal, half humanoid like Puck, or Cheiron or dwarfish like the Indian Kubera.
The gossamer-winged, butterfly fairy of folktales is derived more from the Persian Peri. Our present notions of fairies show a diminishment both of human respect and fairy size, for they are invariably portrayed as tiny, colorful, be-winged creatures full of twinkle and no power. Such depictions are at odds with the vigor of real indigenous fairies who can appear in different sizes and whose actions are robust and even lusty. Fairies hold a trust for the sake of the whole Earth. Their wisdom and guardianship is a reminder to humans of the respect we must give to our environment: vigilant, faithful and loving.
