A
fairy (also
fay,
fae; from
faery,
faerie, "realm of the
fays") is a type of
mythical being or
legendary creature in
European folklore, a form of
spirit, often described as
metaphysical,
supernatural or
preternatural. Fairies resemble various
beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term
fairy offers many definitions. Sometimes the term describes any
magical creature, including
goblins or
gnomes: at other times, the term only describes a specific type of more
ethereal creature or
sprite. Various folkloristic traditions refer to them
euphemistically, by names such as
wee folk,
good folk,
people of peace,
fair folk (Welsh
tylwyth teg), etc.
Much of the folklore about fairies revolves around protection from their malice. Although in modern culture they are often depicted as young, sometimes winged,
humanoids of small stature, they originally were depicted quite differently: tall, radiant, angelic beings or short, wizened
trollsbeing two of the commonly mentioned forms. One common theme found among the
Celtic nations describes a race of diminutive people who had been driven into hiding by invading humans. When considered as beings that a person might actually encounter, fairies were noted for their mischief and malice.
Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Their origins are less clear in the folklore, being variously dead, or some form of
demon, or a species completely independent of humans or angels.
The concept of "fairy" in the narrow sense is unique to
English folklore, conflating Germanic
elves with influences from Celtic and Romance (French) folklores, and later made "diminutive" according to the tastes of
Victorian era "
fairy tales" for children. The English term "fairy" can be applied to comparable beings in any of these cultures, more generally to similar beliefs in other European folklores ("
Slavic fairies"), or in comparative studies even worldwide. Fairies have their historical origin in the conflation of Celtic (Breton, Welsh) traditions in the
Middle French medieval romances, e.g. as one of the beings that a
knight errant might encounter.
Fairie was in origin used adjectivally, meaning "enchanted" (as in
fairie knight,
fairie queene), but was used as a name for "enchanted" creatures from as early as the
Late Middle English period. Fairies as the term is now understood were shaped in the literature of
Romanticism during the
Victorian era. Writers such as
Sir Walter Scott and
James Hogg were inspired by folklore which featured fairies, such as the
Border ballads.
Folklorists have suggested that their origin may lie partially in a conquered race living in hiding, or in religious beliefs that lost currency with the advent of Christianity.
