Stories of Fairies have been with us for thousands of years. They have been prevalent in nearly every culture, on nearly every continent. Like Dragons, Vampires and other legendary creatures, they seem to have the ability to cross boundaries and be present in the folklore of most countries. They range from stories of cute little pixie like creatures that fly around magically and cause mischief to mysterious and powerful ethereally beautiful High Elves. Even before Tolkien came into the picture, there were stories of Fairies and the Daoine Sidhe or other versions of tall humanoids with pointy ears. They all seem to have a tendency to kidnap hapless victims who crossed their paths and have magic that was both powerful and frightening. They had the ability to beguile and bemuse, to hinder or help on a whim.
Fairies have not always been strictly about the cute and delicate looking pixies and the proud Elves that we associate them with today. They have a dark and varied past. From Evil Djinn to Celtic Water Horses, Red-Caps, pookas, Bane-sidhe, trolls, ogres and giants. Each creature has it’s dangers and cautionary tales. The Djinn (or Genies) would grant wishes that would go horribly wrong. Water Horses would entice you to hop on for a ride and carry their helpless victims into deep water and drown them. Red-Caps would devour badly behaved children and dip their caps in their blood. Pookas were shape changing dry land versions of Water Horses would could appear in many forms from a Raven to a black horse. Then there was the Wild Hunt, which would slay anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path as they rode across the country side.
There are also the more innocent versions of Fairies. The little mischievous pixies who play tricks upon the mean and unwary. The brownies who keep house and help the thrifty and kind. Gnomes who tend gardens and help things grow. From simple bedtime fairy tales to cautionary tales of bloodshed and misery Fairies have been a favorite topic of conversation for those who love both the fanciful and the dangerous. Fascination with the magical world of Fairies, Elves, Gnomes and other magical creatures has always been a prevalent theme in our imaginations and hearts.
The Brothers Grimm made Fairies more commonly known. Magic and mysterious creatures that could hinder or help the Questing hero became a common feature in our fiction. Tolkien took all of this and created a work of fiction that has fired the imagination of millions of people all over the world. Now we have not only books and movies of Fairies and magic, but also Role Playing Games. From table top Dungeons and Dragons, Tale of the Five Rings, White Wolf Changeling on to World of Warcraft and Lord of the Rings Online. Our fascination has become a cultural obsession that seems to have no end in sight. I for one am glad to know that Fairies will continue to be a part of our every day world as we stretch our imaginations and create more stories and games to entertain and enjoy.
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