Fairies E-Book

Dominic Connolly

• Herausgeber: Amber Books Ltd
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 76

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

For centuries we have been fascinated with fairies, mythical beings often possessing intriguing magical powers to curse, trick or heal humans. The label of 'fairy' has at times applied only to specific magical creatures with human appearance, magical powers, and a penchant for trickery. At other times it has been used to describe any magical creature, such as goblins and gnomes. In Fairies, discover the charming story behind our best loved magical characters, including the Fairy Godmother, Shakespeare’s Titania and the beloved Tinker Bell. Myths and stories about fairies do not have a single origin, but are rather a collection of folk beliefs from disparate sources. Various folk theories about the origins of fairies include casting them as either demoted angels or demons in a Christian tradition, as deities in Pagan belief systems, as spirits of the dead, as prehistoric precursors to humans, or as spirits of nature. Fairies is a pocketful of delight, packed with beautiful images and full of fascinating tales.

Leseprobe

Fairies

Fairies

A CELEBRATION OF PIXIES, SPIRITS, NYMPHS AND BROWNIES

Dominic Connolly

This digital edition first published in 2024

Copyright © 2024 Amber Books Ltd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Published by

Amber Books Ltd

United House

London N7 9DP

United Kingdom

www.amberbooks.co.uk

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ISBN: 978-1-83886-540-5

Project Editor: Anna Brownbridge

Designer: Keren Harragan

Picture Research: Terry Forshaw

Contents

Introduction

Fairies from Literature

It

The Gentleman with Thistledown Hair

The Iris Fairy

The Lavender Fairy

The Orchid Fairy

The Poppy Fairy

The Primrose Fairy

The Violet Fairy

The Wild Cherry Blossom Fairy

The Fern Fairy

The Ivy Fairy

The Jasmine Fairy

Moon Princess

The Lilac Fairy

Titania

Tinker Bell

Princess Ozma

Ariel

The Cottingley Fairies

The Blue Fairy

Queen Mab

The Bluebell Fairy

Fairies from Folklore

Fairy Godmother

Fairy Queen

Puck

Nuala

Morgan Le Fay

Oberon

Knockers

Nyx

Will-o’-the-Wisp

Joan the Wad

Banshee

Naiad

Vila

Lanvaettir

Dryads

Plant Devas

Billy Blind

Persian Peris

Leprechaun

Finvarra

Cliodhna

Aibell

Aine

Coblynau

Ellyllon

Bwbachod

Gwyllion

Gwragedd Annwn

Hobgoblin

Sluagh

Baobhan sith

Chaneques

Kappa

Lutin

Koro-pokkuru

Yumboes

Weaver Girl

Boggart

Bogle

Lauma

Bereginya

Yaksha

Mogwai

Pillywiggins

Kitsune

Zana

Jogah

Menehune

Tokoloshe

Mimi

Patupaiarehe

Acalia

Picture Credits

Introduction

Ever since humans began telling stories, they have been telling them about fairies. Cultures across the planet have felt the need to explain the unexplainable – and to understand the world around them – and the ‘little people’ have helped them do this.

Although there are physical as well as behavioural differences between fairies from different parts of the world, there exist common themes among them. Many are protectors of nature, as human existence depends on bountiful environments; while others help dreams and aspirations come true. There are also those who help people with their chores and work.

Then there are those associated with fertility, and those linked to death. In fact, the common popular image of fairies these days – winged, female and benevolent – belies how fairies have represented the whole range of human nature. Many fairies are mischievous, others flit between good and bad, while a few are pure evil. And they often come in the male form and have no ability to fly.

Whatever their nature, they are a colourful addition to human culture. And, from folk tales, they have woven their way into all forms of written, visual and aural art forms.

Our world would be so much lesser without fairies.

Fairies from Literature

Shakespeare did much to popularize fairies by writing A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which relies heavily on them. Later, other writers and artists, particularly in and after the Victorian era, latched on to the romance of some fairy stories. These arguably sanitized takes on fairies were compounded in the 20th century with the likes J.M. Barrie’s Tinker Bell from Peter Pan, particularly in her Disney incarnation. However, more recent works, such as the Harry Potter series, have returned to more complex fairies.

Illustration of the Fern Fairy in Keepsake for the Young – A Book of Amusement by Aunt Friendly from 1880

It

In E. Nesbit’s 1902 novel Five Children and It, a group of youngsters discover a sand-fairy in a gravel pit. The sand-fairy – the ‘It’ of the title – is what Nesbit calls a Psammead, which is similar in name to the dryad, naiad and oread nymphs of Greek mythology, but looks grotesque not beautiful. The story was turned into a 2004 film starring Freddie Highmore, Kenneth Branagh and Tara Fitzgerald, with Eddie Izzard as the voice of ‘It’.

Once upon a time…

The Psammead found in the gravel pit has the ability to grant wishes, which all go comically wrong.

Origins:

In the months before the Five Children and It novel was released, segments that would go on to make it up appeared in Strand magazine, under the title The Psammead, or the Gifts.

In popular culture:

There have been a number of stage and television adaptations of Five Children and It, including a Japanese anime version that ran for 78 episodes.

A wooden sculpture of The Psammead, a sand fairy from Five Children and It in southeast London

“Fairy-tales and magic, are, so say the grown-ups, not true at all. Yet they are so easy to believe, especially when you see them happening.”

– E. Nesbit

The Gentleman with Thistledown Hair

In Susanna Clarke’s 2004 novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair is the ruler of several fairy kingdoms. He has long, silvery hair, ‘pale, perfect’ skin, bright blue eyes and dark, perfectly formed eyebrows that end in an upward flourish. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell – about magic in the time of the Napoleonic Wars – was Clarke’s debut novel and took 10 years to write.

Once upon a time…

Susanna Clarke’s inspiration for Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell came, she says, “in a kind of waking dream”.

Origins:

The specific characteristics of the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair were brought to life in the book by illustrator Portia Rosenberg.

In popular culture:

Marc Warren played the Gentleman with the Thistledown Hair in the 2015 BBC TV adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, starring alongside Bertie Carvel, Eddie Marsan, Samuel West, Charlotte Riley and Paul Kaye.

“Fairies do not make a strong distinction between the animate and the inanimate. They believe that stones, doors, trees, fire, clouds and so forth all have souls and desires, and are either masculine or feminine.”

– Susanna Clarke

An impression of The Gentleman with the Thistle-down Hair from Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

The Iris Fairy

The iris takes its name from the Greek word for ‘rainbow’. Iris is also the Greek goddess of the rainbow, so for thousands of years there has been a personification of it in human – or super-human – form. Many artists and writers have paired irises with fairies and, in the early 20th century, British illustrator and poet Cicely Mary Barker chose it as one of the plants for her Flower Fairies books, influencing many other creative people.

Once upon a time…

Cicely Mary Barker suffered from epilepsy and did not go to school, so spent much of her childhood painting and drawing.

Origins:

The Victorian artist and write Kate Greenaway – known for her illustrations in children’s books – heavily influenced Cicely Mary Barker

In popular culture:

In 2014 – Transport for London’s ‘Year of the Bus’ – a sculpture of a London double-decker was adorned with Flower Fairies artwork and stationed at the Whitgift Shopping Centre in Croydon, the area where Cicely Mary Barker was born.

A fairy with iris flowers, painted by Czech art nouveau artist Alfons Marie Mucha

“No need for journeying, Seeking afar: Where there are flowers, There fairies are!”

– Cicely Mary Barker

The Lavender Fairy

The popularity of lavender as a plant, with its many uses, has led it to be adopted by those who want to stylize fairies in stories and artwork. Cicely Mary Barker painted a Lavender Fairy and USA-produced dolls of lavender fairies have been made, standing more than 11 inches tall. Lavender fairies also appear on ceramic plates and there are blogs written about them.

Once upon a time…

The poem next to Cicely Mary Barker’s illustration of the Lavender Fairy quotes the 17th century folk song Lavender’s Blue, but opting for an older ‘diddle, diddle’ refrain rather than the more common ‘dilly, dilly’.

Origins:

Lavender’s Blue, which has come to be used as a nursery rhyme, started out as a bawdy song with verses celebrating sex and drinking.

In popular culture:

Cicely Mary Barker’s Lavender Fairy appears on YouTube, with a picture book, Lavender Finds a Friend, being read out loud and the pages being turned for viewers to see.

“I was Fairy Lavender. I loved it. It was good training for theatre.”

– Actress Sarah Snook, on being a children’s entertainer in her youth

A fairy with lavender flowers surrounded by butterflies and on the back of a bird

The Orchid Fairy

Types of orchids flower in all parts of the world, except in very icy climes, so they have been embraced by many cultures, often becoming the national flower of countries. Cicely Mary Barker chose two types of orchids to be represented in her fairy books – the straightforward ‘orchis’ and the ‘bee orchis’ – helping to popularize the association of orchids and fairies.

Once upon a time…

Cicely Mary Barker modelled the fairies on the children that attended her sister Dorothy’s kindergarten.

Origins:

Cicely Mary Barker’s Flower Fairies are pictured in costumes based on their respective flower. Her illustrations of plants are known for their botanical accuracy.

In popular culture:

An orchid fairy has her own book in Rainbow Magic’s Petal Fairies