Fairies appear in most of my novels. I'm intrigued by their history and the many ways in which they manifest in our culture. Manifestations that have transformed over time. Research this race and you'll discover varied identities that often conflict with one another. As part of my research for my latest novel, the second in my British Bureau for the Arcane series, I've pulled these disparate threads together. Let me show you the truth about a race of beings we've always assumed have magical powers - and whose actions have been both good and bad where humans are concerned. All without a fairy wand in sight!
Fairy History
The term 'fairy' can be traced back to numerous ancient cultures. The 'pari' was a supernatural creature from pre-Islamic Persia, a beautiful creature with wings and frequently linked to Nature. In this period of history, (500 BCE) this empire stretched across the area we now call the Middle East, as far as parts of Greece. It's not surprising the concept of a being with supernatural powers continued across Europe. The name changed but the identity remained similar for people in Brythonic cultures (Brittany, Cornwall & Wales), Celtic cultures (Ireland, Scottish & Manx) and Germanic cultures.
The appearance of the fairy travelled across the globe. In Sanskrit there was the gandharva (semidivine celestial musicians), nymphs in Greek mythology and referenced by Homer, along with the jinni in Arabic mythology, and similar folk characters of the Samoans, of the Arctic peoples, and of other indigenous Americans. All these cultures believed in a race of beings with abilities which we'd describe as super human - in that they went beyond what any human being could do.
By the Middle Ages, the word 'fairy' comes from Early Modern English, 'faerie' which meant 'realm of the fays'. This word was derived from the Old French word, 'faierie' - a variation from the Latin word 'fata'. The Italians call their fairies 'Fate' - it's where we get our word (meaning destiny) because they believed fairies granted wishes that could change your life if you wished correctly. That said, in the Brythonic cultures, fairy folklore refers to fairies as wee folk, good folk, people of peace, fair folk. The first mention in England, using the word 'fairy' comes from the historian Gervase of Tilbury in the 13th century.
By the late Middle Ages, as we entered Elizabethan times especially, the word 'faerie' could also mean a form of enchantment. It became a verb to define what this race might do to humans. Stories existed of faerie knights and the faerie queen - people whose enchanted behaviour was the basis of the plot. You only have to look at what Shakespeare does with his faeries in A Midsummer Night's Dream, where Puck enchants Bottom and the four lovers. It was normal for this enchantment to be cruel.
At this point in history, the identity of the fairy changes too, it expands to include goblins (hobgoblins too), gnomes and elves. Puck is described by Shakespeare as a hobgoblin, which was a demonic creature, capable of mild forms of evil. This is in-keeping with stories of fairies abducting human babies - replacing them with Changelings to avoid immediate discovery. If you've ever made a daisy chain and hung it around your neck, this tradition dates back to this time. The belief was fairies could be repelled by daisies, parents hung a daisy chain around the baby's neck to stop it from being abducted!
James I even went to the length of writing Daemonologie to warn people of a race that he perceived as being connected to witchcraft and Satanic worship. All this changed once we entered Victorian times when Nature became a cultural focus, to challenge the Industrial Revolution and humanity's fascination with all things mechanical and scientific. Fairies turned into tiny creatures, similar to flowers. By 1922, Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes) described them as like butterflies and serving a specific purpose - "That growth of a plant which we regard as the customary and inevitable result of associating the three factors of sun, seed, and soil would never take place if the fairy builders were absent." This description flies in the face of another writer of the time. Rudyard Kipling, in his 1906 novel, Puck of Pooks Hill, gives our Elizabethan hobgoblin a makeover. Two children meet him on a Sussex hill where he complains about the way people believe his kind to be "painty-winged" and have an aversion to salt, iron and running water.
This brief history shows the extent of the transformation of this race - from their Persian origins as creatures that may have been angelic in appearance, into a variety of European cultures where they turn evil, only to become harmless Nature spirits. By the late nineteenth century they are essential ingredients of children's stories and a major earner for the Disney corporation.
Fairies and Folklore
Collins dictionary defines folklore as "the traditional stories, customs, and habits of a particular community or nation." Where do these 'traditional stories' come from? The fact is, the motifs underpinning these stories are frequently found in many different cultures. They may differ slightly but the common features remain the same. The provocation for the stories, according to some experts, is that they contain "lessons" that are passed from one generation to another before the advent of education. They were ways to teach children of the dangers in their world, along with ethical and moral guidance - to define what the culture perceived as good and bad. Entertainment was another factor. Without television and games consoles, storytellers would gather their audiences and enthral them with tales that would generate reaction. Storytellers needed to ensure audiences would want more and so stories with magic proved the ideal commodity to this end. Magic would reflect the community's environment, belief systems and even their fears. All features that could provoke reaction. An example of the environmental factor can be found in stories where marsh gas caused flickering flames to hover over marshy ground . The resulting folklore created stories about Jack-o-Lantern or Will-o-the-Wisp, a highly dangerous fairy that haunted marshy ground, luring unwary travellers to their death in the bogs!
Fairies and Celtic Folklore
For a culture with a proud and strong history of storytelling, it's not surprising Ireland has a powerful connection to fairies. The ancient Celts believe in a race known as the Tuatha Dé Danann, worshippers of the goddess Danu. They likely arrived in Ireland from the Middle East, having inhabited parts of Europe as they spread across the continent. This race were deemed to be highly civilised, influencing Celtic beliefs in the process. Evidence of this race can be found in the Lebor Gabála Érenn - The Book of Invasions - which can be found in the library at Trinity College in Dublin.
As Christianity became dominant and Ireland was invaded by other races, the Tuatha Dé Danann went underground, literally. Large mounds showed where they lived, entrances often hidden by trees and large rocks. These underground locations provided another name for this race and the 'otherworld' where they lived. The Sidhe (pronounced 'shee') are named after the mounds 'sí' - which referred to both the mound and the creatures living under it. So 'aos sí' meant inhabitants of the mounds, the fairies themselves. 'An slua sí' was the fairy host, the 'ceol sí' was enchanting fairy music and a 'bean sí' was a fairy woman - you might recognise this word in its English form - banshee! (A fairy woman whose scream foretold of a death).
The story from the mythological cycle that most clearly connects the Tuatha Dé Danann to the Sidhe, is called De Gabail in tSida, translated as ‘The Taking of the Sí’, in which the Sons of Mil (Milesians, or the Gaels) make an alliance with the Dagda, King of the Tuatha Dé Danann, who demands offerings of grain and milk in return for not ruining the harvests of humanity.
From these early beginnings we get stories that define specific members of the Sidhe community:
The Leprechaun is known for his shoemaking and mending prowess, the classic pot of gold or magically refilling purse, and his ability to make things disappear, while the Clurichaun is known for his magic skills and his ability to turn himself invisible. Both are considered mischievous, and generally solitary beings.
Merrow (from Irish murúch) is a mermaid or merman who requires a ‘little magical cap’, the cochaillín draíochta, so they may travel between deep water and dry land. They could fall in love with humans, and even marry, though a husband would have to be careful to hide the cap in order not to lose his sea-wife.
The Púca (still the word used in modern Irish for spirit or ghost), whose name can be anglicised as pooka or phouka is considered to be the bringer of either good or bad fortune. They can have dark green/black or white fur or hair. These creatures appear as shapeshifters, to take the form of horses, goats, cats or dogs. They could also appear in human form, but with various animal features, such a tail or long ears.
Supernatural beings in Japanese folklore
Like I've shown in Ireland, Japanese beings with supernatural qualities also lived underground and in secret places in dense forests. Yosei are fascinating supernatural beings found in Japanese folklore. Influenced by Shinto and Buddhism, these mystical creatures possess magical abilities and are often associated with nature.
Popular examples include Kitsune, the shape-shifting fox spirits, and Tengu, powerful beings connected to Japanese religion and culture. Other intriguing Yosei include Jorogumo, spider yokai known for their seductive transformations, and Tsukumogami, everyday objects brought to life.
Kitsune are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. They can bewitch people, and shapeshift into human or other forms to trick human beings. While some folktales speak of kitsune employing this ability to trick others, some stories portray them as faithful guardians, and friends. Folktales from China tell of fox spirits called húli jīng - the nine-tailed fox. These fox spirits were adopted into Japanese culture through merchants as 'kyūbi no kitsune'.
The earliest references to tengu can be traced back to the 6th century, where they were depicted as malevolent spirits dwelling in deep mountain forests. Over the centuries, the tengu myth evolved and diversified, influenced by various religious and cultural currents, including Shintoism, Buddhism, and folk tales. Physically, tengu are typically portrayed as humanoid beings with exaggerated features, such as long noses that resemble a bird's beak and sharp claws. Their skin can vary in colour from red to black, and they often wear traditional Japanese clothing, such as robes or loincloths. Tengu are known for their supernatural abilities, including the power of flight, telekinesis, and shapeshifting. They can control the elements, create illusions, and possess humans or animals.
Tengu are closely associated with the mountains and forests of Japan. They are believed to be the protectors of these natural environments and to punish those who disrespect or harm them. Tengu are also said to possess the power to control the weather and to summon storms and lightning. Tengu have a complex relationship with humans. On the one hand, they are feared as powerful and potentially dangerous creatures. On the other hand, they are also respected as wise and knowledgeable beings. Tengu are often depicted as tricksters, playing pranks on humans and leading them astray. (Notice the similarity to characters like Puck?)
Norse Folklore and the Älvor
The beings called “älvor” in Swedish are often translated as “fairies” or “elves” but they’re not quite what you would conceive the fairies and elves of the Anglo-Saxon world to be. They’re also not the same thing as the Light and Dark Elves of Norse mythology. Älvor are essentially nature spirits of the Norse folklore.
Älvorna are invisible, but can be glimpsed dancing in the fog over wetlands at dawn and dusk. They’re said to look like small and delicate. Sometimes, they appear as small animals, like insects, frogs, or mice. They live in mounds or hills. When älvor have danced in a meadow, an älv-ring may appear. It consists of mushrooms (or dense grass) growing in a bow or circle formation. Both älvmounds and älvrings are thought to be a portal to älvornas home on “the Other Side”. (You can't help but notice the similarities to Celtic lore here!)
This folklore remains powerful today in Scandinavian nations. Enormous respect is paid to these beings, showing scorn and acts of disrespect can provoke enormous anger from local people. Visit Iceland and you will even find road signs warning you that you're entering the territory of these people. Roads have even been redirected to avoid offending the älvor.
Thanks to Marvel comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is a common misconception about the link between fairies and characters like Thor and Loki. Even to the extent of Light and Dark Elves. These peoples are entirely separate. The deities from Asgard were a mixture of the Aesir and Vanir. Elves are distant relations. They should not be lumped together with the älvor.
Fairies and Popular Culture
Any exploration of folklore has to include the present day and examine the way these stories manifest for a new audience. I said earlier that folklore is all about storytelling and keeping the audience engaged. The basic premise hasn't changed, the medium has. Small children now will be familiar with fairies, unaware of the race's history. They will likely imagine a fairy in the same way as their Victorian ancestors, tiny, winged and magical. We have the likes of Disney to thank for this. That said, the stories still serve the same purpose, to teach lessons linked to morality and growing up as a responsible adult.
The difference now is that stories about fairies have entered the adult world of entertainment. Even some children's stories are darker than you might expect - I'm thinking of books like The Spiderwick Chronicles and those by Holly Black. There is also Eoin Culfer's Artemis Fowl stories too.
As for adults, my personal recommendation would be Jim Butcher's brilliant Dresden Files series. These are fairies you definitely don't want to meet! There is also the wonderful Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist which takes the folklore and places it firmly into the modern world! (Highly recommended!) There is The Infinite Concerto by Greg Bear which uses much of the folklore mentioned here in frightening ways. Don't overlook Rosemary and Rue by Seanan Maguire too.
The Fantasy Author's Takeaway
Fairies (however you want to spell the word) have been a staple ingredient for storytellers for millennia. They offer the magical qualities that require us to suspend belief so we can be entertained - perhaps even frightened. A race often linked to Nature too - thereby ensuring we value the world in which we live. This race have been used to teach us lessons. Humans suffer when we show disrespect or display ignorance of other cultures - a phenomenon which has particular relevance in today's world. All these elements have a relevance to fantasy authors now.
Fairies may have magical capabilities in folklore - but this isn't essential. They are merely different to us. I like to remember Arthur C Clarke's comment about magic being any form of technology we don't understand. This may be true for fairies - a large part of the plot of the novels listed above is just that - a lack of understanding that may lead to punishment.
For me, I continue to be fascinated by fairies in folklore because I wonder exactly what events triggered these stories in the first place. While on my research trip to Glastonbury for The Bastard from Fairyland, local people offered numerous tales about encounters with the fae. One example is when Saint Collen, the Abbot of Glastonbury met two fae on the Tor, to be escorted to the fae king, Gwynn ap Nudd where he would have dinner. The legends of fairy doorways on the Tor and in the Abbey are plentiful. Why do these stories persist and what started them?
Perhaps we should just be glad they exist and they stimulate our imaginations so we can write more stories!
Phil Parker writes fantasy stories, click on the image below to find out more.
