• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Fairies, Pixies, Elves, Sprites & Other Little Folk

bagins_X

Devoted Cultist
Joined
Aug 6, 2001
Messages
169
Fairys

Hi I have two questions
1 what do you persive a fairy to be?
2 do you acknolage their posible existance?

Wm
 
1stly to me a fairy is a small being (with or without wings) that have the power to communicate with all living things and have mystical powers.

2ndly yes I believe in fairys. I used to tell my parents I had one as a friend (when I was about 3 or 4). Used to call it by the name of fairy nuff (pardon the pun) actually I think it was more the name my dad give it.

I honestly can't say if I did have a little fairy as my friend as a kid. I remember saying it was around at certain times but not actually seeing it. But maybe you don't have to see it to know it's there!

lucydru
 
1. Traditionally? A small race of winged humanoids that exist in the wild countryside... or possibly a kind of race memory of a time when we used to share the planet with smaller humanoid creatures maybe?

2. As Forteans, we have to acknowledge the possibility of everything (and at the same time doubt it!). My tendency is not to attribute fairy phenomena to the new age image of faeries and the like, but also not presume that all the stuff filed under "fairy phenomena" is neccessarily untrue.
 
1) A small entity with an evil sense of humour and a relaxed attitude to time.

2) Everything is possible but remember Occam's Razor.

Cujo
( is that how you spell Occam's Razor?):rolleyes:
 
A bit 19th Century

The fairy as tiny person with butterfly wings seems to be a slightly twee Victorian interpretation of the fair folk as described in almost all european mythologies. From my understanding Trolls, goblins, brownies, Banshees and the like are all technically fairies.

The theory that I like to explain this kind of thing is one I believe Colin Wilson talks about in one of his books on the paranormal, which basically suggests that people, especially if they are sensitive or in a very energy-rich place, will sometimes see something. The idea is that what they see is in some way related to their expectations. So people in the 17th century might see goblins, people in the 19th century might see fairies and people in the 21st century might see grays. What is actually being seen is something I have less idea about.

In that sense, the existence of fairies is not nonsensical, but it is also not an "existence" in the traditional sense. By which I mean that I am not certain what it would mean for fairies to exist.
 
1) A Fairy, is an Ethereal being with, like has already been said, the ability to communicate with all aspects of nature and their surroundings. Using animals and insects to transport them like we use horses, and ostriches in Africa, and such like.

2) Yes, their existence is yet to be confirmed by science and never will be, but they DO exist. A childhood story has a basis in reality, Dragons, Unicorns, Goblins, Ogres and Trolls. All have once existed, but adults can't believe in something that they have been told is fantasy by their parents before them, once a child has absorbed all the fantasy, his or her parents wait until the child is 5 or 6 years of age and then, they say " sorry, they never existed". From that point the child's "Fantasy" slips away and blends in to the fact...The child loses their ability to connect with their world, the world of Fantasy, magic, Dragons, knights and Ogres. Their are things in heaven and earth that are stranger than our own imaginations. Imagination, the ruin of our once incredible childhood world...Imaginary Friends?
 
The term fairies is, I believe, a very broad term for astral beings. Also known as pixies or piskies (by which names I generally refer to them) they live in the astral world which is sometimes accessable by human beings, not in a physical sense, but in a spiritual one. Likewise, piskies can cross the physical barrier and sometimes appear to us, in much the same form as we appear to them, that is, as airy spirits. They can appear to us in any form they choose, the same as we can when visiting them, although some types are prone to adopt similar forms, hence our perceptions of fairies, bean-sidhes, elves and the like. They can have a physical effect on our world, through strength of will and practise and they often play tricks (sometimes harmless, sometimes less so) on the gullible humans ;) I do not believe that they have the same concept of right and wrong as we do, and it is for this reason that one should always be very cautious when travelling in the astral world.

A-L.

PS What is Occam's razor?:confused:
 
Yeah as I say, they're Ethereal, another word for Astral, and so they will never be proven by science as science can only determine the probability of the blatantly obvious in most cases...

Ethereal Realms are outside of our time and space, another dimension in other words!

Although, I will give you a brief run-down and catalogue of all Ethereal beings that frequent our Dimension:

Faeries/Fairies: Astral beings capable of showing themselves vai an Astral projection that can penetrate our realms barriers.

Banshees: Mischeivous and often evil entities that seduce men, lure children and entice women, to enter their abode or come to them and kill them, devouring the soul.

Sirens: Creatures that appear to be incredibly attractive women. Luring lonelysailors and men into their clutches and, like the Banshee, kill them or make them her slaves to whom she appears as a cackling hag!

Picksies/Elves/Brownies/Land Wreights: A form of Fairy that live in woodland and rural areas. Some have actually moved into our homes and serve as guardians and helps to the occupants of the home.

Goblins: Mischeivous little people who live in the sub-urban and rural areas and sometimes cities. They play tricks on the occupants of the house, often hiding things like clothes, jewelry and money.

Gnomes/Elven: These are the little people that guard our realm from the evil of the next. These too like money, gems and jewelry...

Trolls/Ogres: An ogre is a large Troll, which dont allways live under bridges, usually in Bellfries, Caves and Beach Caves...Ogres and Trolls are both territorial and quite grouchy!

Warlocks: Male Witches, usually evil.
Witches/Sourceress: Sourceress', uses magic and incantations for healing or harming, can be good or evil.(Good witches=White witch or Sourceress. Evil witch=Black witch)
Sourcerer: Good warlock.

Dragons/Unicorn: Creatures that became extinct in our realm many centuries ago. The Unicorn proved impossible to capture so magic was used and this killed them instantly and returned their souls to the Ethereal worlds.

Changlings: In the form of a child, horridly deformed and if descoverd to be a changling, they would return the real child and disappear to the Ethereal realm.

And thats about it!
 
A-L said:
PS What is Occam's razor?:confused:

Its kind of like a rule of science and says, if I remember correctly, 'Do not needlessly multiply entities'. Which I think means something along the lines of the look for the explanation in the realms of the familiar before postulating the existance of unknown causes.

Or something like that.

Cujo
 
Occam's razor is literally "one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything" and is one of the most important tools at the disposal of anyone interested in fortean phenomenae. The modern equivelant is pretty much the whole KISS ("Keep It Simple Stupid") methodology.

If you have an event, D, that can be explained in terms of everyday occurrences A, B and C then there is no need to invent extraordinary causes E and F to explain it.

For a current example, from what I can tell the whole Chemtrail thing that a lot of americans seem to get worked up about at the moment can be pretty much shaved away by Occam's Razor.
 
Faeries! Aha! these are, as poeple say, "my thing". As a hobby I do a little research from the historical folklore point of view.

This seems like a good opportunity for my standard faerie rant, which anyone who has visited http://www.fayerie.cjb.net/
will recognise.

Basically the image of the "little person with butterfly wings" really annoys me. This fictional being did not exist prior to Shakespears time. Before this the word faerie meant just about any spirit or magical creature. Note: the word faerie is the French word, the english one being "elf". The two merged with the Norman invasion. There are indeed many faeries from the British isles (these days often confused with the Greek elementals), but the archetypal human-like beautifull people were the Doaine Sidhe (Irish Gaelic, translated as "Faerie People"). They were the remenants of the Tuatha De Danaan (Children of the Goddess Danaan). At this point things get a little hazy. The leaders of the Tuatha De Danaan were the Pagan Gods. some stories say that faries are their ghosts, otheres that they are immortal and were driven to magical places underground or underwater by the invading Sons of Mil (the Celts). In any case they are associated with the land of the dead.

In short, Faerie myths are a form of ancestor worship. They were revered in the hope that they would help every day folk, bringing luck and blessings, the same way ancestors are worshipped the World Over, from Africa to the Native Americans.

Hope that helps fill in a few gaps, and if you see a little being with colourful wings then.... watch out for caterpillers on the veg!
 
Warlocks: Male Witches, usually evil.

Just thought I would add a correction to Oracles post. aPart from the fact that the many of the creatures described come from the mythology of several different countries and would never be found together outside a game of Dungeons And Dragons, the word Worlock is an old Scottish term meaning something like "traitor". Why is it now so often used to mean male witch? Well, there was a Scottish coven a few hundred years ago. Mostly women, they were betrayed to the Church by the male members. Hence Worlock/traitor. Another little mythological innacuracy!
 
Actually, I can tell you that all of the creature fore mensioned DO appear outside of D&D, and Warlock is derived from the pre-Medieval word appertaining to a Witches male cohort, thankyou very much...all of the creatures above are found in common folklore in and around Europe. Read any good mythology book and get the facts right...
 
Sorry to cause offense. You're right, all the beings you listed do appear in European Myth, but not in the same mythologies. Sirens, for instance, are from Greek legend, whereas Trolls are scandinavian. I doubt that they appeared on the same page together prior to 1900 or so.
 
Nah, s'okay. I get it all the time, and your right, they don't appear together, and never will...hopfully, infact the only time they will is when we are living in post-Apocalyptic world and striving to regain knowledge lost!
 
There are fairies at the bottom of my garden.

I'm getting Environmental Health in to deal with them though.
 
Careful now.

Fairies? Small men in tights who hide behind trees. Avoid them at all costs.
 
This is getting silly, if you dont stop I will arange for a special tooth fairy to come and leave your teeth under your pillow.:D

Wm.
 
wintermute said:
There are fairies at the bottom of my garden.

I'm getting Environmental Health in to deal with them though.

Have you tried Fairy Liquid?

(Do you get the feeling this thread has degenerated as far as it will go?)
 
differences?

I'm going to revive this topic because I have a couple of questions:
1) What difference is there between fairy, faerie, and sidhe? (I don't think my spelling is right on that one, I apologise if I offend).
2) What plausibility is there to so-called faerie-mounds, the kind which supposedly have doors to another world? Can any disappearances be attributed here? (hmm...not sure if this is a valid question, but anyhow!)
 
Fairies and Faeries are just the same, modern spelling>old spelling...

Sidhs are a little people, like fairies, only more sinister.

During the 14-1700s, and even today, fairy mounds are seen as entrances to their realm from ours. They serve as guard positions more than anything else...
 
ok....now you got me fascinated...What about the sidhe is more sinster? (always more questions!!) What is the validity of the existence of elves? I'm speaking about the tall folk with fair features and pointy ears, because I'm almost CERTAIN I saw one in a forest here a couple of years ago... The problem was that I was alone at the time, so I don't have a reliable witness to back me up on this story.
 
Basically there is not difference between the fairy/fairy/fey/sidhe - they seem to be different names for the same thing.

There is a theory that suggests that the mound-dwelling idea relates to a sort of race-memory of a time when the older inhabitants of britain lived in hiding after the Celts invaded. I have no idea how much credence this has, but its a nice idea.

When someone passed from the realms of humans into the realm of the sidhe time travelled at a different speed ( Thomas the Rhymer, some of Finn Mac Cuimhall's fianna, various other popular mythical figures) and they would often return to find a hundred or more years had passed.

As for Fayyaad's encounter, I don't have any clue what that was, but it sounds a little bit like something from a Robert Holdstock book. Anyone interested in british mythology is almost bound to love his fiction- I recommend it completely.
 
I don't know if Breakfast intended lumping Thomas the Rhymer in with 'various other popular mythical figures', because Tam existed, and lived about 30 miles from where I am now. Chambers Biographical Dictionary gives his dates as c. 1220 - c. 1297, and describes him as a seer and poet. According to legend, the fairy queen carried him off, but let him return to earth after 3 years. He eventually returned to her (at the age of 77? must be something in the water in Elfland!)

Nigel Tranter, the author who popularised Scottish history with his historically-based novels, had a more mundane answer for his disappearance - Thomas ran off with his girlfriend, and laid low until her father calmed down!

If you ever pass through Earlston, Berwickshire (on the A68), look out for the old tower which reputedly was his home.
 
Jaques Vallee's 'Passport to Magonia' is an excellent read on the similarities between the fairies and the occupants of UFO's.

Both abduct humans with missing time a feature............

Read it if you can find it!
 
As I said earlier on in this topic, Faerie are one of my favourite bits of folklore. to answer your question, Sidhe is the irish gaelic word for faerie, and is pronounced Shee (the word Banshee, or Bean Sidhe, means Faerie Woman).

To append to the other answers to your second question, the Faerie Mounds and Faerie Land have also been considered as metaphores. Faerieland is the Celtic Otherworld, and the otherworld is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma inside a myth inside a religion which few people believe any more. But anyway, the metaphore: is for shamanic travel, the otherworld being an altered state of conciousness rather than a place. Or at least thats one very plausable theory. When people "visited faerieland" it is likely they had some kind of religious experience rather than entering the hill physically. Fox Gloves are poisonous and in very small doses could produce this kind of trance, a fact evident in the flower's name which derives from "Little Folks Glove".

WARNING! DO NOT CONSUME FOX GLOVE, EVEN TO SEE THE FAERIES, IT IS DEADLY!

Ahem, that was just so that I don't get sued.

Also, as I have already said in this topic, the Sidhe, faerie or whatever were mostly human sized and all wingless up untill shakespearean times. They were also a lot more scary. then they got turned into childrens stories and all the good stuff got left out.
 
My daughter clearly remembers seeing what she called fairies all through her childhood. She describes them as small, maybe knee-high to her now, and with a wood and leaf-like texture to their bodies! They spoke to her and moved about playfully, often hiding and jumping out on her. She and her younger sister also saw different beings which they called goblins. These were very much smaller, human-shaped figures which appeared indoors only, unlike the 'fairies' which were always outside. The goblins ignored the girls and seemed a little sinister.
 
I'm just curious to know why Oracle believes in fairies, and how she knows so much about different astral beings.
 
She?

What do you mean "She" ?

Check my profile...

I know so much because, all of my family, my grandmother, MSRIP, my mom, my dad, my uncles and aunts, they all have psychic links with the rest of the family and we can sense things. In ancient times and even upto Victorian times, fairies, demons, and all astral beings are documented. I have a small library in my room of all manner of fortean topics. Old books, hundreds of years old, others as early as 1901. I aren't exactly your bog standard kid...BELEIVE ME!
 
Back
Top