Advice on Writing Fae Characters
So someone recently asked me where I got the information for my Fae AUs, and if I had a list of Rules for the Fair Folk. I tried to construct said list, realized I had a lot to say on the subject, and decided to write this mini essay for anyone who’s interested.
Before I start: I am (unfortunately) American. While I read a lot of fairytales as a child and have since become fascinated with the Folk in particular, I was not raised in the culture of origin. I don’t claim to be an expert on the mythology; a lot of what I do is vibes-based. (Many of the things I know, I read/heard so long ago I don’t remember where I read them.) Fortunately, I’m not here to tell you the mythology - I’m here to help you write your own.
So, without further ado, welcome to Seras’s Guide to Writing the Fair Folk!
Common Threads
To start, let's talk about some commonalities. The Fae are an incredibly diverse group, but there are some common themes.
Glamour and illusions - the Folk are well-known for their illusion magic, and especially for using it to hide ugliness or horror. This applies to their surroundings, their food, and their own selves.
Trickery and wordplay - they are infamous for it. Mind your words around them. They will twist and hide their meaning behind convoluted language. They are clever, and they will trick you if they can - not necessarily for personal gain, but for their amusement.
Capriciousness - the Folk can be flighty. They are creatures of emotion, and those emotions can change very quickly. Don’t depend on their goodwill, for it may not be there tomorrow.
Lying - in most stories, they cannot lie, except by omission. That doesn’t mean they can’t deceive; the Folk are experts in misleading phrasing, strategic omission, and otherwise twisting the meaning of their words.
Mischief - fairly self-explanatory, it’s just the scale that varies. They play tricks, some annoying, some harmful. Some cause minor inconveniences to humans or steal food and trinkets. Some steal livestock. Some steal children. All have a propensity for causing problems on purpose, either for fun or revenge.
Bargains - you can make deals with them, if you’re desperate enough. Be very cautious if you do, and choose your words with care. As the song goes, a woman once asked the Fairy Queen for a babe, and was given a child that would never grow older.
Weaknesses & Limitations
Here’s where things start to get muddy. Like I said, this is a very diverse group of beings, ranging from pixies and leprechauns to banshees and selkies, and even the more animalistic Fae like kelpies, pooka, and cait sith. Unsurprisingly, not all of them share the same weaknesses. For a writer, this gives you some leeway - if something is more of a hindrance than an interesting challenge in your setting, don’t be afraid to discard it. That said, here are some of the most common weaknesses.
Iron - this one is probably the most well-known, but it’s not as cut and dry as it first appears. It could mean that touching iron, any iron, burns them. It could mean a wound from an iron blade is slow to heal. It could mean putting an iron horseshoe above your door or wearing iron on your person wards off mischief or the evil eye. Some stories write it as ‘cold iron’ - this could mean unworked metal that has never felt the heat of a forge. Some stories interpret it as magnetized iron or iron found in meteors. There are also some Fae who aren’t deterred by iron at all. This particular weakness likely started as a symbolic thing - iron was the new metal, representative of humanity’s progress, while the Fair Folk were of the old world. Ultimately, they were beaten back by the weapons and machines of industry.
Salt - this one might have more to do with Christian beliefs overtaking the native culture than something based in the original myths. The rationale is the same as for other entities with this weakness - salt is a purifying agent, and was used to preserve food in places that didn't have access to cold storage. If we assume the Folk are unclean creatures (like demons or the unquiet dead), then salt will repel them.
Woods & Herbs - some plants, such as rowan or St. John’s Wort, are said to be poison to them This one’s a bit iffy to me, as I’ve also seen reference to rowan trees being protection to the Folk. This one might be another effect of the switch to Christianity, aka purifying or protective plants being a bane to unclean creatures. It might also be a matter of one Fae’s weakness being inconsequential to another.
Ability to Lie - as previously covered, they’re very adept at verbal sparring, but they can’t tell an outright falsehood. If you can back them into a corner, they’ll have to tell you the truth.
Names
Name lore is a core part of many fairy stories. This one has two main aspects: True Names, and forms of address.
True Names - this refers to your full, given name, which represents your true self and can give others power over you. In some places, middle names were given and kept secret (known only to the parent and child) to prevent malevolent magical forces from using them against the person in question. One of the most important rules of dealing with the Fae is to never tell them your name. Especially if they ask for it - in this case, ‘can I have your name’ is a literal statement. Fall for this, and your name is no longer your own. That said, this is also true in the other direction - if you have a Fae’s name, you have power over them. If they gave it to you in trust, be very sure you never break that trust.
Forms of Address - to say their name is to invite their attention. Rather than calling them ‘Fae,’ call them the Green Folk, the Lords and Ladies, the Fair Folk, the Good Neighbors. A polite euphemism will help avoid their notice, and ensure you don’t offend them if they do hear.
Final Thoughts
…This is getting pretty long, so I’ll end here for now and maybe add some supplementary info later. If anyone has corrections or something to add, please feel free to do so - like I said, I’m no expert and there’s a lot of contradictory folklore to sift through.
If you want to do your own research, I’d recommend reading fairytales, specifically the older, less sanitized ones. The Langs’ Fairy Books have collected works from multiple countries, including the well-known Grimms’ Fairy Tales. You won’t come out of it with a list of set rules that apply to all Fair Folk, but you will get an understanding of the vibe of these stories. As a writer, that’s far more important than checking traits off a list.
Folklore is an ever-changing thing. It’s not set in stone, and you don’t have to follow every precedent to make a good story. Look at vampires, for example - they’re a staple of modern horror, and yet practically everything about them has changed and drifted over time. Stoker’s Dracula could walk in sunlight, then the mythology shifted to sunlight being a fatal weakness, and now we’ve come back around to daywalking vampires who inexplicably sparkle. Don’t be afraid to add your own twist or reinterpretation to the established lore.
At the end of the day, the Folk were born from sitting around the hearth to tell stories - it’s right there in the word Fairytale.
