Your Basic Fairy Friends
Now, as it may or may not come up there are plenty of misconceptions (or truths if you ask me) about fairies. So let’s start with the basic question yes?
What is a basic child of Fae?
Why do I phrase it as such? Well, there are way to many different species and “races” that are associated with fairies. They aren’t pixies and they aren’t fauna nor are they the demon’s your superstitious Scottish grandmother tells you about. Although crazy Scottish grandma’s tend to mention many, many true tales about the matter. Fae is just another way for calling a fairy and as such there come many different spellings of Fairy.
Origins:
They originate in many regions but officially in good old England. The home of Big Ben, stale tea time snacks, and stuffed sheep stomach? Getting off track; most folklore in England revolve around how to keep them away and to counteract whatever mischief they may or may not bring with them. See, contrary to the modern belief that the Fae are kind, beautiful creatures here to do certain natural tasks, and thank you Disney for making that oh so much worse, fairies were known for stealing infants and surprisingly old people. . . What they want the senile your guess is as good as mine. Their descriptions range from demon to being outside the realm of human or angel, not to mention aliens considering most of their origins are on this planet (I see you sci-fi community don't start with me). And for all you religious folk reading in on this little lesson of mine; it was a Christian belief that they were a ‘demoted’ angel of sorts, making them the unfortunate turn out of the gates of heaven being closed off to the fallen angels. A fellow theory is that they were worshipped spirits of nature to the pagan that dwindled to little more than angry, forgotten creatures (this is true for some of them).
Common Form:
They take on human figures, small and with great effort normal sized (trust me I laugh at them for trying), and often times exhibit strange, magical ability. Though their sizes could be a lie few have shown ability enough to maintain a normal human size. So saying, they use their transformations to their advantage, hence the modern lie that they are all fair, beautiful creatures. Many documented encounters describe the Fae as human sized beings that walk next to you and I, looking just like your friendly neighbor. Another thing that has been contradicting is the concept of wings, that concept came up in the Victorian era artwork and in all honest truth is a rare occurrence among their ranks.
Was there a Benefit:
Now, some concepts have been kept in place for modern childish lessons such as honesty and wit. These things are well indented into their being considering none of them can lie and many of them have found ways to fool simple human minds with their words, dragging you in circle over circle of confusing concepts. Keeping that in mind it isn’t much of a surprise humans have come to read more into literature though mostly futile it is (Hint: please read more and write more papers). Thank them for riddles, without them you would not have thought of literary critical thinking and would have stuck to math.
Avoidance and Protection:
There have been a few more lessons on the Fae that come in and out of knowledge in times today. The allergy to iron, a simple metal in your everyday life no matter your career or employment, is fairly dangerous to them and has some serious consequences if come into contact with. There are less common things that are kept from your eyes and ears such as charms of rowan and herbs. Ever get told not to enter a certain area that seems harmless enough? That is your family, or friend’s, way of keeping you from being spirited away from your world into theirs.
I hope you have found this simple generalization of the Fae (or Fairies, whatever - there are too many political debates over what to call them) helpful for whatever you’re doing. I doubt it.
Yours truly,
~Djabuti Jerald~