Faerie FAQ

1. What are Faeries?

Dictionary . Com gives two definitions for the word faerie:

fa-er-ie also fa-er-y
n. pl. fa-er-ies

1. A tiny, mischievous, imaginary being; a fairy.
2. The land or realm of the fairies.

[Middle English faierie, fairie. See fairy.]

adj. fa-er-ie or fa-ery

The Free Dictionary . Com has this to say about faeries in their encyclopedia article:

A fairy, or faery, is a creature from stories and mythology, often portrayed in art and literature as a miniscule humanoid with wings. This word is derived from the name of a place where they were said to life: Faerie, and fairies are sometimes called fairy-folk. The myth appears commonplace across many diverse cultures and traditions. They have many names and forms.

There is much more comprehensive information on The Free Dictionary . Com Site. The information on that site includes cultural references to Faeries, Faeries in literature, Faeries in visual arts and many more references.

2. What does "Fey" mean?

The Free Dictionary . Com describes the fey of The British Isles as commonly divided into a number of types. The two basic classifications were the trooping faeries, such as the Irish Daoine Sidhe and the Welsh Tylwth Teg, and the solitary faeries, such as pixies. The second basic classification was between the Seelie and the Unseelie courts. The Seelie, or Blessed, Court was made up of fey who were neutral, or benevolently inclined towards humans, and who represented the powers of regeneration and growth. The Unseelie were the 'bad' fey, those which were malevolently inclined towards humans and represented the powers of death and entropy.

Both courts included both the trooping faeries, also often called elves, and the solitary faeries. The Unseelie are commonly described as being evil, the Seelie as being good. However, although the Seelie were the 'good' fey, they were believed to be just as capricious and often as amoral as the Unseelie.

In common usage, 'Seelie' often refers to the trooping faeries of the Seelie court, the benevolently inclined humanoid fey which should more properly be called Sidhe. Many Sidhe, both Seelie and Unseelie were believed to be old deities which had lost most of their power.

3. Where did Faeries originate?

The origins of the word faerie and its synonyms are murky. Some say that it was early Christianity's attempts to explain away nature elementals and pagan creatures. There is even one theory that faeries are actually fallen angels.

Every pantheon seems to have an explanation for faeries. In Icelandic mythology the story is that Eve was washing her children in a river and God spoke to her. Fearful of God, Eve hid all her unwashed children. When God asked if all of Eve's children were there Eve replied that they were. God then said that all of the children which she hid would remain hidden from man and would become faeries.

Norse mythology speculates that maggots emerging from the corpse of the giant Ymir transformed themselvs into Light Elves and Dark Elves. The Light Elves lived in the air and were happy and beneficial. The Dark Elves, however, lived underground and were evil and malignant.

4. Are Faeries real?

Can you believe in something you've never seen? Can you accept anecdotal evidence regarding beings who have appeared in myths and legends and songs and stories for many, many years? If every belief system has a name for something that transcends time and location, wouldn't that indicate that there is, in fact, something there?

Do you want to believe?

I have no factual evidence, nothing but a gut feeling and a willingness to believe. I want to believe. So I will believe.

You need to make up your own mind now. Are faeries real? You tell me.

Click on the above graphic to send me an email. If you have information about Faeries, interesting facts, myths, or even legends, I'd love to hear from you.

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This page last updated September 23, 2004.

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