About Fae

The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania - Sir Joseph Noel Paton 1849

What comes to mind when you hear the word "fairy?"

For most, it is the image of beautiful young ladies with wings upon their backs.

I've done some research into Earthly folklore (as Idelvan magic is different from your world). Funnily enough, this doesn't appear to be completely accurate. The fairy folk are a large and diverse population of creatures, from the Greek Nymphs and Satyrs to the English Will-o'-the-wisp, to the Irish Banshee. Even creatures such as gnomes and goblins are considered fairies. The legends exist all over the world.

Not all fairies are sweet, either. Many children look around their gardens to find fairies who may be lurking, but this could be potentially dangerous if the fairy is malevolent, or if they take the child's curiosity as a threat. I wonder why that is?

Many seek to blame fictional fairies like Tinkerbell for this misunderstanding. Personally, I don't understand this accusation, as Tinkerbell was far from innocent and sweet. Got jealous of Wendy and tried to have her killed by the Lost Boys, if one is to remember the tale correctly.

We can't blame Shakespeare, either, if A Midsummer Night's Dream is anything to go on.

Personally, I'm curious to see what your opinions on the matter are, if you have any. If you have anything to add to this discussion, feel free to comment.

If you have any interesting tidbits of folklore, or tales of Fairies, feel free to share them with us at the Glowing Horizon. If we have any favorites, we'll share them with the audience (and, of course, give you a thank you in the same post).