Fairies & Elves

[Caelin]

I was just wondering what everyone's view on fairies/elves was.

Firstly, are fairies (sith/sidhe/seelie/fay/fae/whatever) one and the same as elves?

And secondly, how do you view the daoine sith? As good or bad or neither? The reason I ask is that folklore, at least the folklore I grew up with (many/most people here may well have different traditions) always taught that the sith were dangerous, and to be avoided. Basically, if you encountered them, you might be lucky, like the Rymour, and wind up with gifts of prophecy and poetry, or you might be unlucky as Tam Lin almost was, and wind up being a human sacrifice. Many of the traditions of the daoine sith are rather unpleasant, such as the kunal-trow variant of fairy from the Shetlands, who was a male fairy who had to marry a human female to reproduce - which always killed the mother in the process. Or the leaving of a changeling (sibhreach) who was always sickly (and often a bit unpleasant too) in place of a human child. Then again there are the "good" stories, of things like brownies, hogboon (who guarded the tombs of the dead from intruders), and of things like the story of Alison Gross, where the man she changed into a worm (serpent?) was changed back by the queen of the fairies.

So, how do you view them? As beings best left alone and respected should you happen to meet one, or as things to be encouraged to visit you?

Just wondering...

Caelin

[flar7]

Fairies and Elves are different. From what I have read.
both have their good and bad. Fairies and sprites are mostly
seen as mischievious instead of bad, while elves are credited with
abducting mothers or stealing babies and swapping for changelings...
also lots of good elf stories. And they seem to have differences
in size.

[Gwion]

"The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries" by Evans-Wentz. This is the same scholar who translated the Tibetan Book of the Dead into English. It is the closest I've seen to a serious study of Faerie.

[Caelin]

There's a good book I've been reading called Scottish Fairy Belief by Lizanne Henderson and Edward J Cowan (Tuckwell Press, 2001).

Scottish folklore seems to confuse elves and fairy - at least the names seem to be confused - for example you can talk about the "elves" riding, with the "queen of the fairies" at their head - perhaps its just here that that happens.

[kblackthorne]

I always understood there to be an entire range of beings, which were later lumped together with sometimes confusing results. (Like the elves riding behind the Queen of Fairies.)

Not saying I'm right -- just that that's what I understood.

Frankly, it's not a subject I'm willing to talk about much here, as I'm infested with fairies, and I'd rather like to keep them kindly disposed. Things have been quiet of late, and I don't need anymore pranks.

And I'm watching the bag of Milan Lace, so don't bother stealing it again.

Maybe on Monday I can post from work...

[Willow_Raindancer]

My best advice is to take caution when meeting anyone new for the first time, human or fae;)

You would not invite a complete stranger, you've met on-line to your home would you?
At least you should not right away.
AND there's a reason some people thought sith were dangerous. Don't completely discount their experiences!

If anyone chooses to connect with the Fae, they should know why their doing it. I don't just go knock on a complete strangers door just to say Hello.
Most people are put off a bit by that, I'd think the Fae would be as well.
It takes time to establish relationships and trust.:elf:

[Pan]

My opinion on Fae.. hm..

To me, Faery is just a broad and general term for the whole of the race (dwarf, brownie, sprite, elf, etc). They're all Faery to me.. I also believe that the Otherworld Fae are split up into courts.. not just 2 (Seelie, Unseelie) but quite a few (around 20 or so from what I've gathered on visits). There are different types of Fae in each Court.. Elves, sidhe (usually royalty), brownies, sprites, sylphs, etc.

I'm no stranger to the Otherworld.. I've a window open to it all the time so I can poke in and out at my leisure. Of course, that leaves things to poke in and out of this world at their leisure, but that's why I've asked friends to guard it from their side. ;) And old friend (whom I thought had died) helps out with that.

I'm no expert on Fae, but I like to think I know a little something. But what I know might not be what someone else knows nor agrees with. It's just what I believe. :) Take it or leave it! :D

[Tiana_Ecarias]

Fairies and Elves are different races, as are dwarves, gnomes, Sith and gnolls.

As for the Sith, I don't see them as any more dangerous then humans. Or any of the Fae being more dangerous then humans, infact, I think they can be better allies then other humans, but that's only because I trust a human as far as I can through him/her.

Tiana_Ecarias