Fairy
Fairies are mythical supernatural beings or spirits derived from various cultural folklore, predominantly from the British Isles. Typically depicted as human-like, they are often associated with magical powers and can embody a wide range of characteristics, from benevolent helpers to mischievous or malevolent entities. The term “fairy” originates from the Old French word “faerie,” linked to the Latin “fata,” which refers to the Fates in Roman mythology. The concept of fairies includes a spectrum of legends, such as helpful household sprites like brownies, tricky creatures like pixies, and foreboding figures like banshees. Over time, belief in fairies waned as scientific advancements reshaped cultural perceptions, transforming these beings into icons of fairy tales rather than tangible entities. However, interest in fairies persisted, leading to notable hoaxes, such as the famous photographs taken by two English girls in the early 20th century that purportedly showed fairies, which fascinated many until they were debunked decades later. Despite their decline in belief, fairies remain a vivid part of folklore and popular culture.
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Fairy
A fairy is a mythical supernatural being or spirit of nature found in the folklore of many cultures. Fairies are usually human-like in appearance and are often depicted as having magical powers. The modern concept of fairies as tiny, benevolent, winged females evolved from the legends of the British Isles, but its roots go back at least before the Roman Empire. There are thousands of different types of fairy legends, ranging from helpful house creatures to mischievous spirits and malicious harbingers of death. The cultural belief in fairies was once commonplace but waned over the centuries. Still, as late as the twentieth century, the lingering belief in their existence was so strong it led to one of history's most famous hoaxes.
History
The word fairy was derived from the Old French faerie in the Middle Ages, and originated from the Latin fata, referring to one of the Fates of Roman mythology. The Fates were three goddesses said to shape human destiny. Similar beings are found in other mythologies. In Greek myth, nymphs were female spirits of nature that inhabited forests, streams, or lakes. The Etruscans—inhabitants of Italy before the Romans—depicted winged female deities called Lasa that acted as servants to the gods. Ancient Persian legends tell of the Peri, angels that refused to take sides in the war between good and evil and were banished from both heaven and hell.
The most extensive legends concerning fairies come from Northern Europe and the British Isles. In early Norse mythology found in Scandinavia, they were called elves, shape-shifting, magical creatures that lived in forests, meadows, or hollow tree trunks. One of the oldest accounts of fairies in Celtic legend is the tale of the Tuatha de Danann, the "people of the gods," who arrived out of the mists and fought with the inhabitants of Ireland. After their defeat, the Tuatha de Danann disappeared into the hills and forests where they are said to dwell in secret. The earliest written account of fairies in England comes from the thirteenth-century historian Gervase of Tilbury, who described a portune—a wrinkled, elderly being that worked on human farms.
In time, much of the folklore from various cultures merged and magical beings with different origins often became interchangeable. Some fairies were seen as elemental beings—protectors of the earth, water, fire, and air. In Arthurian legend, the Lady of the Lake, who presents King Arthur with the sword Excalibur, is an example of a fairy as a force of nature. Many fairies were cooperative and friendly to humans, often helping with work around the house. Others were more mischievous or even dangerous. These included changelings, a fairy child left in place of a stolen human child, and banshees, Irish fairies whose wailings foretold imminent death.
The following list is a small sample of the many thousands of fairy legends found in British folklore:
- Bogey: Also called bugaboos, these are evil creatures that are particularly nasty to children and are usually associated with the devil. These fairies are the origin of the child-snatching bogeyman legend.
- Brownies: Brownies are small, usually elderly creatures that wear brown clothing and are said to inhabit houses. They are helpful to people but could turn mischievous if neglected.
- Leprechauns: Leprechauns are small, green-clad, bearded fairies from Irish legend that will reveal the location of hidden gold to humans who catch them.
- Pixies: Pixies inhabit out-of-the-way locations and will often trick travelers into getting lost.
- Spriggans: Spriggans are malicious, hideous beings that guard buried treasure and lead travelers into danger.
- Will o' the Wisp: These glowing, fiery beings are also called fairy lights. They reside in treacherous, swampy areas and draw travelers away from safe paths to lure them to their deaths. Another name for these fairies is jack-o'-lantern, which is the origin of the popular Halloween icon.
Fairies in Modern Times
As the centuries passed, and technology and science made significant advancements, people began to see fairies less as real beings and more as the fanciful subjects of folktales and old legends. Stories based on these elements of folklore became known as fairy tales and popularized many of the modern images of these beings, such as shoemaking elves or devious trolls that reside under bridges. The portrayal of fairies as tiny, magical women with wings was partly inspired by William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream in the sixteenth century.
Despite a declining widespread belief in the supernatural, the idea of fairies still captured enough imaginations to spawn a worldwide phenomenon in the early twentieth century. Shortly after World War I, two young English girls took a series of photographs supposedly showing them playing with fairies in their garden. When the images were published in 1920, photographic experts declared them real, and even literary figure Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—the creator of Sherlock Holmes—championed their authenticity. The pictures made news around the globe and spawned a renewed belief in the existence of fairies.
Skeptics at the time argued that the pictures looked like obvious paper cutouts, but many people still accepted them as real. It was not until the 1970s when it was pointed out the fairies looked exactly like images from a 1915 children's book that the hoax was definitively debunked. In 1981, one of the girls admitted the fairies were nothing more than paper cutouts.
Bibliography
"The Cottingley Fairies." Museum of Hoaxes. Alex Boese. Web. 30 Jan. 2016. http://hoaxes.org/photo‗database/image/the‗cottingley‗fairies/
"English Fairies Quick Guide." Mysterious Britain & Ireland. Mysterious Britain & Ireland. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/folklore/english-fairies-quick-guide.html
Radford, Benjamin. "A History of Elves." LiveScience. Purch. 16 Sept. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2016. http://www.livescience.com/39689-history-of-elves.html
Russon, Mary-Ann. "International Fairy Day: Where Did the Fairies Come From?" International Business Times. IBTimes Co., Ltd. 24 June 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/international-fairy-day-where-did-fairies-come-1453880
Sangster, Angela. "Faeries—Truth and Legends of the Fairy Folk." True Ghost Tales. TrueGhostTales.com. Web. 29 Jan. 2016. http://www.trueghosttales.com/elves-fairies/faeries-truths-legends.php
"Sprites, Faeries & Pixies." The Pagan's Path. Spring Wolf's Spiritual Education Network. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. http://www.paganspath.com/meta/faeries.htm