RubyRose
September 28th, 2005, 11:57 PM
Lesson One ~
What are Faeries – The origins of fae
Faeries tend to be regarded as either good or bad. Angelic or demonic, but in fact that are different entirely. No one knows for sure when the belief in faeries began but indigenous legends have survived for thousands of years be it in song or story.
According to Native American belief, humans are but one race populating the earth. There are also the Standing People (trees), the Stone People (rocks), the Four Legged People (the animals) and so forth. All however are equally as sacred and interdependent in the wheel of existence.
Faeries it seems may have indeed pre-dated human or even animal life. Humans have created forms for such creations that emulate our own but on a smaller scale so that we may try to control what power they may hold in a world which human beings believe they rule.
The Christian View
One theory is that faeries were originally human, but punished for the sins of Eve. Early Christendom saw faeries as part of the Pagan world which they sought to eradicate. A story in the Bible tells of how Eve hid her unwashed children from the eyes of God, who was then angered at this knowledge and said to her ‘As you have hidden your children from my sight so shall they be forever hidden from yours.’ This is said to explain why faeries never grow up and the desire of humans to see and interact with faeries.
Fallen Angels
Another theory is that faeries are fallen angels, driven out of heaven with Lucifer, but not so evil that they had to reside in Hell. It is occasionally hypothesized that when the war broke out they did not fight against God, choosing instead to remain neutral.
It is said that a faeries station on earth was determined by where they fell on earth. This coincides with the theory naturalists have as to why faeries reflect the nature of the area that they inhabit.
The Old Gods
Yet another theory is that faeries are former gods and spirits of wise druids whose powers declined when coming up against the new faiths, such as Christianity. This runs in accordance with the old belief that a God or Goddess is only powerful while he/she is still being actively worshipped.
This is the most common origin cited for Underground Faery Court of Ireland.
The gods and goddesses of the old world that were not demonized were transformed through folk legends into faeries thus becoming less of a threat in the new religions.
Who are the Fae?
The word fairy or faerie comes from the ancient French faes, derived from the Latin fata. It was first used in the 13th and 14th Centuries to describe beings that had been the central part of oral folk lore.
Fairy can also refer to a state of enchantment or glamour – an illusion usually cast by a spell but at the same time is thought by others to be real.
The simple fact of it is this, faeries are not simply nice, light, and playful creatures, some of them can be downright malicious and michevious, I suppose it just depends of which faeries you attract and how you treat them. Because depending on how you treat them will depend on how they treat you. Of course I still have my theories that by inadvertantly ignoring them they caused some mischeif around my house, but I can't really be sure. My advice, if you want to keep in their favour once you have attracted them, keep up the offerings. But more on that later on.
Bendithion,
RubyRose
Further Reading:
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/f/fairies.html (http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/f/fairies.html)
http://mothmacleod.tripod.com/faeries_info.html (http://mothmacleod.tripod.com/faeries_info.html)
Reference Materials:
A Complete Guide to Fairies and Magical Beings
Cassandra Eason © 2001
Enchantment of the Faerie Realm
Ted Andrews © 1993
Working with Angels, Fairies and Nature Spirits
William Bloom © 1998
What are Faeries – The origins of fae
Faeries tend to be regarded as either good or bad. Angelic or demonic, but in fact that are different entirely. No one knows for sure when the belief in faeries began but indigenous legends have survived for thousands of years be it in song or story.
According to Native American belief, humans are but one race populating the earth. There are also the Standing People (trees), the Stone People (rocks), the Four Legged People (the animals) and so forth. All however are equally as sacred and interdependent in the wheel of existence.
Faeries it seems may have indeed pre-dated human or even animal life. Humans have created forms for such creations that emulate our own but on a smaller scale so that we may try to control what power they may hold in a world which human beings believe they rule.
The Christian View
One theory is that faeries were originally human, but punished for the sins of Eve. Early Christendom saw faeries as part of the Pagan world which they sought to eradicate. A story in the Bible tells of how Eve hid her unwashed children from the eyes of God, who was then angered at this knowledge and said to her ‘As you have hidden your children from my sight so shall they be forever hidden from yours.’ This is said to explain why faeries never grow up and the desire of humans to see and interact with faeries.
Fallen Angels
Another theory is that faeries are fallen angels, driven out of heaven with Lucifer, but not so evil that they had to reside in Hell. It is occasionally hypothesized that when the war broke out they did not fight against God, choosing instead to remain neutral.
It is said that a faeries station on earth was determined by where they fell on earth. This coincides with the theory naturalists have as to why faeries reflect the nature of the area that they inhabit.
The Old Gods
Yet another theory is that faeries are former gods and spirits of wise druids whose powers declined when coming up against the new faiths, such as Christianity. This runs in accordance with the old belief that a God or Goddess is only powerful while he/she is still being actively worshipped.
This is the most common origin cited for Underground Faery Court of Ireland.
The gods and goddesses of the old world that were not demonized were transformed through folk legends into faeries thus becoming less of a threat in the new religions.
Who are the Fae?
The word fairy or faerie comes from the ancient French faes, derived from the Latin fata. It was first used in the 13th and 14th Centuries to describe beings that had been the central part of oral folk lore.
Fairy can also refer to a state of enchantment or glamour – an illusion usually cast by a spell but at the same time is thought by others to be real.
The simple fact of it is this, faeries are not simply nice, light, and playful creatures, some of them can be downright malicious and michevious, I suppose it just depends of which faeries you attract and how you treat them. Because depending on how you treat them will depend on how they treat you. Of course I still have my theories that by inadvertantly ignoring them they caused some mischeif around my house, but I can't really be sure. My advice, if you want to keep in their favour once you have attracted them, keep up the offerings. But more on that later on.
Bendithion,
RubyRose
Further Reading:
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/f/fairies.html (http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/f/fairies.html)
http://mothmacleod.tripod.com/faeries_info.html (http://mothmacleod.tripod.com/faeries_info.html)
Reference Materials:
A Complete Guide to Fairies and Magical Beings
Cassandra Eason © 2001
Enchantment of the Faerie Realm
Ted Andrews © 1993
Working with Angels, Fairies and Nature Spirits
William Bloom © 1998