Fairy dust...Fairy dust...Fairy dust...plim!

The word fay came to English around 1400 (as fai, fay) from Old French faie or fee (Modern French fée), earlier from the Vulgar Latin feminine fata, referring to one of the Fates, personifications of destiny (the Greek Moirae); cf. the Italian Fata Morgana used as a translation of Morgan le Fay.

English fairy (Middle English faierie) was borrowed ca. 1300 from Old French faerie "land of the faie, enchantment", a noun denoting the general class, activity or habitation of the faie (faierie being related to fai as e.g. yeomanry to yeoman, foolery to fool, or nunnery to nun). From adjectival use ("fairy gold", "fairy queen" etc.) from the 15th century applied to the class of supernatural beings inhabiting faerie, re-interpreted as derived from fair, singular fairy with a new plural fairies. The term fairy tale is a translation of the Conte de feés of Madame d'Aulnoy (1698). The spelling faerie first appears 1590 in Spenser's Faerie Queene. From Spenser's use, the spelling with -ae- came to be used in a dignified or poetic sense as opposed to "vulgar" tales. J. R. R. Tolkien makes use of the distinction, in On Fairy-Stories defining Faërie as "the realm or state in which fairies have their being", depicted (under the name of Faery) as a mystical or visionary state in his Smith of Wootton Major. Fairy Land is used by Shakespeare as an apposition, in the 19th century contracted to fairyland.

A fairy (also fey or fae or faerie; collectively, wee folk, good folk, people of peace, and other euphemisms) is the name given to an alleged metaphysical spirit or supernatural being.

The fairy is based on the fae of medieval Western European (Old French) folklore and romance. Fairies are often identified with related beings of other mythologies (see list of beings referred to as fairies). Even in folklore that uses the term "fairy," there are many definitions of what constitutes a fairy. Sometimes the term is used to describe any magical creature, including goblins or gnomes: at other times, the term only describes a specific type of more ethereal creature.

Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and as having magical powers. Their origins are less clear in the folklore, being variously the dead, or some form of angel, or a species completely independent of humans or angels. Folklorists have suggested that their actual origin lies in a conquered race living in hiding, or in religious beliefs that lost currency with the advent of Christianity. These explanations are not always mutually incompatible, and they may be traceable to multiple sources.

I am very much connected with the Fairies. Upon occasion I do, whenever I have a chance, a ritual to the Fairys...What I don't understand is all this thing about the Fairies being 'glitterised' and 'pinkerised'...Fairies are very serious beings and I really don't personally think of them as pinky and glitter. In fact, did you realised that almost all Fairies that appear on drawings and pictures (well..I'm really not talking here about the glitter ones) are females? Are the Fairies all girls? Well I really don't think so...

Karagan

Tags: definition, fairy, pagan

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Terri C on November 20, 2007 at 5:20pm: I tried replying to this article earlier...not sure what happened to the post. Anywhoo...you provide some excellent information here. Thank you for sharing it.

...and no, not all Fae are glittery and pink. I feel that that is glammed up Hollywood or should I say Disney stereotype. ...and no, not all Faeries are female.

Fae energy is very unique however and they can provide excellent insight and possess healing talent as well.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Karagan on November 21, 2007 at 1:40pm: Oh Sabrina...how I would love to see that...You are an amazing artist and I know that you see more than it seems to be...I really love to see those painted by you...

BB

K; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by d'Arqstar on November 21, 2007 at 11:37pm: I have a very old book, published in 1978 actually, called "Faeries" and its "Described and Illustrated by Brian Froud and Alan Lee". There are MANY faeries discussed and pictured in this book and MANY are male! Though SOME are female and adorned by flowers, NONE are glittery and MANY are actually rather blood-thirsty.
Apparently there are MANY different types and they all have their own unique proclivities.
BB
d'Arqstar; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Liadan on November 22, 2007 at 6:13am: Hello everyone,

This is a topic I don't resist: Fairies...

There are very tipes of Fairies.
Most of the time we can't see them cause our human eye (and our mind) isn't able to do that.
Do you see the sound? Do you see the brise of the wind?
I do have Fairies who are my friends. I know they are always with me, but most of the times I only can see them when I'm in the Circle. They live in «another time» that is faster than ours. The Fairies are very dificult to focus (their image), cause they move so fast they look ethereal. The most curious is that I see them better with the eyes closed.

Blessings

Liadan; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by peace lily on July 15, 2009 at 11:16am: I graduated from high school in 1979.... WHO are you calling old?? LOLOL

Great article Karagan. Fairies are to be respected and not messed with! I always teach the children that the biggest thing to remember when dealing with fairies is RESPECT! :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by thymekeeper-aka-Debbi on July 15, 2009 at 1:40am: I think the fae are misunderstood on so many levels. Not all are good, but they aren't quite evil either. More like tantrum bound and jealous. I was told as a young girl that the fey had an important job and that was to bring our messages to the gods in haromonious voice, which is why my grandmother and mother always made sure our spells were simple and melodic, because the faeries would be happier to deliver a request if it sounded like music and the gods would be happier to recieve. The fey walk amongst us and make themselves known only for their own gain. But since they want little in our world they don't appear too often.

I know that this isn't the general idea behind faeries or spell rhyming, but it is a memory I treasure from my youth.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Senara on July 15, 2009 at 7:43am: It is my understanding that fairies were "glitterized" and made benevolent and "fluffy" (please excuse the term...it's early and I haven't finished my coffee yet) during the Victorian era. The belief in them was still so prevalent, so they evolved into creatures of sweetness and light due to the repression of the times.
This is just something I read, can't remember where, but it makes sense to me.
Anyone who understands the nature of the Fey, knows this is not really case. I'm sure they hate their "new" image! :P; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by AlanHeartsong on July 15, 2009 at 9:11am: I wonder if that "glitterization" was in an effort to make them appear so very harmless that the church couldn't be bothered about them?

And after reading this thread, the thought occurs to me that, thanks to Disney, we're teaching children that they can see faeries and adults can't. That theme is repeated over and over again in the entertainment media.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by AlanHeartsong on July 16, 2009 at 10:00am: I look forward to seeing it, just to see your illustrations :)

*I* know Faeries aren't what Disney portrays, but you have to admit that the Disney version and mythos they propagate encourages children to see faeries, making them more acceptable by rendering them harmless.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sagemoon on July 15, 2009 at 9:06am: I haven't seen a fairy but I've experienced their pranks. I would like to get to know more about them. I helped set up a ritual in honor of the fae for midsummer and have thought a lot about them since. For example, how do desert fae and forest fae compare? Are there less of them, different attitudes, etc?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Azraelwitch on July 15, 2009 at 11:46am: I love informative articles... I think you deserve cool points if there is such a thing!! I get faerie pranked, too. glad I'm not the only one.Be blessed.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Hrafnbjorn on July 16, 2009 at 10:52am: I think that spelling can get in the way here. Before we had the idea of right and wrong spelling, there may have been fey, and fae. If you arent concerned with spelling, or your language doesnt have that sort of restraint, you dont always know which a person is talking about. Fey can mean 'doomed to die.' My point is that, specificaly with the word faerie, is that before we started having right and wrong spelling, there may have been fae (likely one of the land-vaettr) and fey, one doomed to die, or perhaps even already dead (not 'ghost' though). ANyway, just my thoughts..

Frith; ▶ Reply to This