Fairie Folklore

Gwenhyfar

When thinking about fairies, most go towards what they have seen or heard the most of; Tinker Bell, the Fairy God Mother, and more Disney characters. But what many don’t know, is that fairies (one of many names) have been around for much, much, longer. Throughout history, fairies have been making appearances in all types of medias- movies, novels, plays. They can be seen in all different types of ways as well; many wouldn't think that those small creatures in Harry Potter could easily be considered apart of the Fairie community. To understand more about them, you must start at their beginning. 

The word so many are familiar with, ‘fairy’ actually comes from the Early Modern English word ‘faerie’. Broken down, ‘fae’ itself could be used to describe these beings, with it turning to ‘faerie’ to be able to represent a place, or ‘realm of the fays’ (4). Ultimately, it can be traced to Old French, with ‘fai’ or ‘fee’ coming from the Latin word ‘fata’- one of the fates or guardian spirits (2). But because the ideas of these creatures have gone on for so many years, it isn’t surprising when seeing it spelled in many different ways. 

Fairie Folklore

Fairie folklore is said to have begun in the 1300’s, starting with Chaucer & Gower (1). But, many can trace fairies back to elves; and most believe they are all still one in the same. With over 500 stories just in the middle ages alone, the Fairie Folk have earned there place in the stories that are told (5). Throughout the Medieval Period stories have been riddled with creatures who either bring happiness, or destruction to the lives of those being told. One of the biggest things to point out about these creatures is that they rely heavily on truth. As seen in Lanval by Marie de France, all that was needed of Lanval was that he hold his love with the Faerie Queen close to his heart, not telling a soul. Promises are something that fairies hold closest; breaking a promise with a fairie often meant that you would soon see the side of them you didn't want to (or in some cases, not see them at all). 

Prince Arthur and the Fairy Queen

It’s not easy to give Fairie folk just one look. Described in so many different ways, the Fairie folk are often described as beautiful creatures that would often differ between having human like features, or more spirit-like (2). Stories such as Lanval show Fairies as humans, typically females of exceptional beauty and grace. Or stories can show them in different lights; small dwarf-like creatures, or tiny little elf-like spirits (3). But commonly enough, most stories from the Medieval Period have Fairies as beautiful, ageless women. Shown as extremely attractive, many times they would have wings, long flowing hair, and pale skin (2). It was also common to have them dressed in light colors, such as white. 

Many stories also have the different types of Fair Folk combined, with the more humanoid fairies being of higher status. In these cases, you would see the smaller types such as the more elf or dwarf fairies at their service. Comparable to Lanval, many stories tell of a Fairie Queen. In these cases, you see it similar to the medieval courts, with the Fairie Queen having her own court, her own ladies in waiting, and so on. Many of these positions did the Queens bidding as well; all very similar to the human courts. 

The Quarrel of Titania and Oberon

The Fairie Folklore we love and know has all been thanks to the stories told throughout the ages. While they have grown and changed, the ideas that surround them will always continue to inspire. The middle ages showed a change in the way many Fairies were looked at, and gave them much more of a world to live in as well. 

Work Cited

(1) Harte, Jeremy, and Jeremy Harte. “Medieval Fairies: Now You See Them, Now You Don't.” FairyRoom, 17 May 2012, fairyroom.com/2012/05/medieval-fairies-now-you-see-them-now-you-dont/. 

(2) “Folklore.” Eric Edwards Collected Works, Eric Edwards, 2015, ericwedwards.wordpress.com/category/folklore/. 

(3) The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Fairy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Sept. 1999, www.britannica.com/art/fairy. 

(4) “Fairy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Oct. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy. 

(5) “Chronicling British and Irish Faerie Folklore From The Middle Ages To Modern Day.” Ancient Origins Members Site, members.ancient-origins.net/articles/faerie-folklore-0.