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Fairy’s Origins The most important in this study of origin is to understand that Faery can be considered like transformation of old divinity by non-instructed people of the country which make those divinity closer to them, more human but with surnaturals powers. Ethnological origins Spelling
There are also some ancient term which have survives up to now
The most of the time " faerie " refer to the world of Faerie in general and " fairy " is more particular. One thing is sure : those word comes from the French " fées " and the old term in English was Elf. We can notice that this term is now entered in French vocabulary. Many seeker have try to find the origin of the term " Faery " :
We can notice that Laurence Harf-Lancner more than giving an etymological origin give an historical and mythological origin in the Latin divinity. Faery in Celtics legends Under the appellation of Celts we include the inhabitants of Ireland, the Highlands of Scotland, Wales, and Brittany. Description of Celtic Faeries One of the richest mythology considering faery is with no doubt the Celtic one. Their was faeries of water, wood, fire and air. But the things are not so easy. " Daoine Shi’ " (Gael call also faeries Daoine Shi ) are very handsome in their persons, and usually attired in green. Englishs Elves were divided in two classes :
Celts believed in a Realm of Faeries also called Faerieland. Faerieland is a complex idea. It’s sometimes just over the Horizon and sometimes under the ground. In one hand Gaelic for faerie is sihe (shee) meaning People of the Hill (referring to Rurals Faeries). It’s said that in the night of the 7 August (Lammas Tide) you can see light of faerie moving in procession toward another hill. Beside some person had suffer disagreement digging a hole in those hill ( there is many story in Irish about some of those hill ). In the other one, at a certain period, Celts believed that Faerielang was a geographical area. Wells thought it was to the north of their mountainous land, later it moved to an island in the Irish chanel of the Pembrokeshire coast. Faerieland was often associated to an Island ( the more known is Avolon of Arthurian legends ). Briton thought it was the Isle Of Man, The Irish Hy Breasail. Finally a Celtic idea was that " faerie can reveal itself, bright and glittering without warning, anywhere and just as suddenly diseappear. "( Faeries from Brian Froud and Allan Lee ). Celts thought that Faerieland could be in another world, today we may say another dimension of the space. Celtic tradition and many others give to faery talent for music. There is also a kind of grass called " Faerie Ring " in witch one faerie often dance in circle. Like for the music it could be dangerous for a man to join this circle because when he think having danced for five minutes or less, seven years or more have passed in reality. Another story tell that the stones of Carnac ( Morbihon, France ) were in reality put here by Crion or Goric (Corigans ) that they describe as little green men " stronger than giants ". The inhabitant said that in the night Crions and Goric danced in circle around the big stones and it could be fatal for human to dance with them. Moreover Corigans lives under the ground in gallery. But faeries are also good poets and can help rhymers in their creations. Referring to the faeries of house some legends say that the " little peoples " which lived under the ground came up by the cellar of the house. They helped humans in housekeeping and when the inhabitant dead they become the new owner. Poetry and first written about Faeries The most of material we have about those faeries were given by poets and storytellers. It came from oral tradition and have been transmitted to us by roman writers. In 1188 Giraldus Cambrensis which travel trough Wales refer to Faeries The earlier account we have of the English faeries are due to The Imperial Chancellors Gervase of Tilbury who gives in the thirteenth century some text respecting the faery Mythology of England in the thirteenth century (annex 1). He describe faeries helping human, giving them help and food. Then many olds ballads have been transcripted. One of the more populous of those is " Thomas the Rhymer " (anexe 2). This text tell the story of " Thomas the rhymer " who was a poet and a prophet well know in Scotland ( his real name was Thomas of Erceldoune but he is also known as True Thomas ). The legend says that powers of prediction was a gift of the faeries after staying seven years in Faerieland. Thomas Erceldoune could have really exist, he have theoretically lived in the thirteen century and many document of this period report his name. Others well known ballad are " Lady Isabel and the Elfin Knight " or " Tam Lin " for example. All those ballads are constructed on the same themes of the journey on faerieland (Thomas the Rymher ) or the salvation of a mortal, victim of faeries enchantment ( Tam Lin ). Those two example show the ambiguity status of faeries (are the faeries good or bad with humans ?). Faeries in German and Northern legends Northern faeries are perhaps the older ones. Indeed Finnish mythology is probably the first that appeared in Europe. If Celts and Irish in particular are strong believer in Pilliwigins ( it’s to say little winged faeries living in gardens ), German ignore that kind of faeries. Like German and Scandinavians, they believe in Dwarfs, Kobolds, Sprite, trolls, gnomes and many sort of little people. They also believe in giants. Norse mythology relate how when the giant Ymir dead Light Elves and Dark Elves emerged from his corpse. Light Elves, living in the air and Dark Elves digging in the ground, living in underground region. Once more we can see the opposition good faeries-bad faeries. But northern faeries keep this characteristic to be close to the heart, living underground with miners, there is very little flying faeries in those legends. Swam-woman and Walkieries can be considered also like faeries. Swam-man and Swam-woman are people transformed into swam by a charm. You shouldn’t confuse them with Walkirie. Indeed if Walkiries can transform themselves into swam they are excellent warrior. Away from the picture opera have made of them, they are slim and very beautiful. When there is a battle they designate the warrior who must dead. Sometime Walkiries left their swam adornment and can be seen in their nudity. The dishonest who stole this adornment can be obeyed by them. But they will use all their power and charm to get back it and avenge themselves. Faeries in others mythologies The antic Greece In the antic Greece their was many divinity we can compare to faeries. Moreover as faeries in Celtic mythology nymph are associated to the nature and the four (five ?) elements. There was nymph of woods, rivers, mountain .... They are semi-deity but can have relations with humans like faeries. We have said that Celtics faeries were good musicians and can help poets to find rhyme and this is a well-kown characteristics of Greek Muses which perhaps are faeries. Contrary to a preconception, Greek sirens aren’t fish-woman but were originally bird-woman which lived near the island of Amalfi they have a melodious-fatal song (as Homer say us). This description is very close to faeries which could be as good as bad but every time beautiful. Moreover their location on Amalfi is very close to the idea of a Faerieland on an island which was important on Celtic tradition. Faeries and the christianism After the coming of the christianity in Europe, the originals pagans traditions based of the nature-deity were deformed to be in accord with the bible or disappear. Faeries manage to survive and many strange theory about the origin of faeries appeared. The islanders, like all the Irish, believe that the fairies are fallen angels who were cast down by God out of heaven for their pride. Some fell into the sea, some on the land, and some fell deep down into hell, and the devil gives to these knowledge and power, and sends them on earth where they do the bad. But the fairies of the earth and the sea are mostly gentle and beautiful creatures. Others sayd that in the genesis Eve had have child of Adam but she didn’t want god know it because she was hold to have children. And when she was washing them god begin to ask her if she had a new child, ashamed she hide him and answer she hasn’t one. So god reply that " all you hide to me will be hide to you " and the child became invisible those are faeries. Elsewhere faeries are believed to be heathen dead, not good enough for Heaven but not evil enough to find a place in Hell condemned to live in the " middle kingdom ". In Devon pixies are considered to be the soul of unbaptised children. Conclusion To conclude we must notice that faeries are issue of the old divinity who were transformed little by little and became semi-deity of the nature. The divinity became profoundly human. That’s why perhaps there was good faeries and bad faeries to symbolise the duality and the imperfection of humans. The evolution and the survival of faeries To resist to the inquisitions of the christianism we have just spoken, faeries where condemned to transform herself. They became more human and their surnaturals origins became just a symbol to represent the virginity and courteous love. Faeries in Arthurian legends The legend of Arthur wasn’t written by one writers but many ones in the beginning of the ninth century. Arthurian legends tell us about the quest of the Holly Graale. Arthur was the child of Uther Pendragon and Ygerne of Cornouaille and became the lord of " Big and little Britain " after tear away the sword of the roc. Merlin is an wizard adviser of Arthur and he is very important in the legend. But when, using all her art of women she managed to learn all what she could from Merlin she shut him in a magic circle in Broceliande (some says that he let him shut in). She is also called the Lady of the Lake The other faerie is Morganne la Fey, queen of Avalon. She is the child of Gorloës lord of Tintagel and his wife Ygerne. She was the pupil of Merlin who teach her a lot of his art. She cames to the island of Avalon and then became Morganne la Fey. She is the step sister of Arthur of Camelot and she was very jaleous of Guenievre which was very courted. She would have a relation with Arthur. One day she falled in love of a beautiful knight but he betray her so she cast a spell over the Val of Broceliande. If an impure knight come into this Val he will be imprisoned in for the rest of his life.the rest of his life.. Still today we can see many signs of the importance of those legend. For example the castle of Comper (Ille-Et-Vilaine) is said to have been the home of Viviane and where Lancelot du Lac was brought up. Today this castle contain a museum of Arthurian imaginary. In Broceliande forest we can found many place full of legend like the hill were the last round-table-knight died or the glade of Merlin and Viviane. There is also the no-return-Val of Morganne. In this cycle we can see many influence of first writers and poets we have already spoken. Those legend were created in the beginning of the middle age and the faeries described here are far from those of the old legend but we can remark some similitude on the theme (for example the legend of the Lady of The Lake). They seems like mortals but with " perfect body and spirit " and magic powers. This evolution is important because she will influe all the literature of the middle age. In those legend faeries symbolise the way of which the pretender consider his well-loved. The evolution of faeries is from deity to humans.
The symbolism of faeries became more important in the sixteenth century with the poet Edmund Spencer who use Faerieland for the material of moral allegory. He used the universe of Arthurian legend and the scene of "The faerie queene" takes place in Arthurian Britain. This monumental work should contain twelve book, each considering of twelve cantos to illustrate the Twelve Virtues of Man. Six only were completed. In each of these books there was a hero with his lady, who was engaged on a quest witch will help him to perfect one virtues. Here the well-loved unapproachable and virtuous is symbolised by the faerie. In each episode Prince Arthur bring help to the heroes. He is himself destined to be the hero of the last episode and in the end he will gain the hand of Gloriana, the faerie queene. But Faerieland symbolised also contemporary Britain. Indeed Gloriana is a mirror image of Queen Elizabeth. Many of the attribute of the pagan goddess Diana or Protestant version of the Virgin Mary were assigned to Elizabeth as well as Gloriana. She was chaste, pure and virginal which symbolised Elizabeth failed marriages. "This image was archetypal of a leader whose strong, independent iconography allowed her to rule without the aid of a male consort as Elizabeth did." Rene Burdette.
Shakespeare’s vision stood by itself, and was accepted as the ideal presentment of Fairydom. To this day many works derives from this description. Lysandre and Hermia are two lovers who must run away Athènes because of Hermia’s father anger who want to marry his daughter with Démétrius. In the night they go to the forest pursued by Démétrius et Héléna, who love Lysandre. The four came in Faerieland which Obéron, is the king and Titania, the queen of faeries. There they will encounter Puck, the sprite. Shakespeare faeries form a community under a king and queen. They are exceedingly small and they move with extreme swiftness. They are elemental spirits of air ; they make the wind , make the fog, and cause tempests ; they take a share in the life of nature ; live on fruit ; war with insects and reptiles. They dance upon the grass. They are invisible and immortal. They fall in love with mortals. They steal babies and leave. The fairy community is a fantastic parody of human circumstance. We can notice that Shakespeare mix elements from old legends to elements issue from medieval romances. Close to humans loves-story with a lot of grace and noble we see faeries and elves like Puck, Oberon et Titania underhand and sly. Faeries are capricious and they make the weather change. This a vision a little depreciative of faeries, far from the representation of medieval romance like Arthurian legends where faeries were beautiful magic and secret. The influence of medieval romance is in the humans relation more than in the faeries descriptions. This vision of faeries will be predominant and will influence the future writers. Then faeries were depicted as small, malevolent creature but Kirk in "The Secret Commonwealth of Elves"(1692) didn’t believe it, he saw faeries as "physical expression of a middle nature, between humans and angel". He was unsuccessful in his attempt to eradicate the fear. Fairy tale In parallel of this literary evolution we can observe an oral evolution of legends about faeries. The orals story transmitted generation by generation, ameliorated themselves little by little but keeping their immemorial background. Here the faeries are away from their original aspect of strange creature, they are quasi human, but they can’t be considered like noble woman of Arthurian legend. Their status is above all symbolical they became old woman who are present for the birth of a child and who should help him in his future life. They are like good witch, very close to the people. Then appear Aunt Arie, lady Holle, Babouchka and others, going over the country. In many cultures and civilisation faeries-tales exist. In India for example many legends treat of a rich prince meeting a faerie who become his wife but some problems comes and they are separated. After many events they manage to meet again (Naang-Pha and Phi, Purûravas and Urvacy...) For the seventeenth century to the nineteenth one many writers try to take the census of them. One of the first is Charles Perault, who lived in France in the seventeenth century. He is very famous for his transcription of "The Sleeping Beauty" which is an old theme inherit from old legend. But the Perault’s Faeries are too precious to be natural. Entering in those book, faeries tales loose something like their origins close to the people and the nature. Others famous writers are Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen ( the little siren )in the nineteenth century.
In the eighteenth and nineteenth century, century of the light and of technology, we could have thought that faeries had totally disappeared but they managed to survive on the form of Sylph (male ones) or sylphide (female). They are literally invention from romantic poets, they are said to be divinity of the air. Many poets use them in their creation (annexes ...). They are well inscribed in the romantic world because they are very close to the nature. They also have an erotic connotation in many poems and are all the time associated to love. Many romantics poets were inspirited by faeries as John Keat and his famous "La belle Dame Sans Mercy". Modern faeries From Sir James Matthew Barrie to Disney Scottish journalist, playwright and children’s book writer, Barrie became famous with his play and story about Peter Pan, the boy who live in Never Land, have a war with Captain Hook and his pirate and never grow up. He was the ninth of a family of ten child and had not an happy youth. He wrote the fist story of Peter Pan in 1904 for the sons of Sylvia Llwelyn Davis. Peter Pan’s Tinker Bell faerie is a very little and beautiful winged creature. But he’s also mischievous and jealous, profoundly human. This vision of faeries will influence and influence again a lot of artists. Many cinematographic adaptation of Peter Pan exist. The first one is from 1924. The more famous are the Walt Disney one in 1954 with a representation of faeries which became a symbol and the Steven Spielberg’s "Hook" in 1991 with Julia Roberts in a fantastic Tinker Bell. There is also a good comic strip from Regis Loisel illustrating the story of Peter Pan. Probably inspired by Peter Pan, Cicely Mary Barker drew faeries . She painted child-likes beautiful faeries. Her more famous book is Flower Faeries, first édited in 1924. The faeries of cottingley The story take place in Cottingley, a little village of the Yorkshire. Frances Griffiths ten years old and her cousin Elsie Wright sixteen years old strayed out late one afternoon near the river. Their parent punish them and they defend themselves saying they had encounter faeries near the river.As nobody trust then they decide to make a photography showing them with faeries. They cut in cardboard picture of faeries extract from the book "princess Mary Gift Book" ,fixed them on fine metallic thread and they took the photography. It was not until the latter part of this century (70th) that the two girls (now old women) revealed publicly the truth. But they kept on saying they had really encounter faeries.... The faeries of the two little girl were little winged creature (probably inspirited by Victorians faeries and James Barry’s works). In this century few others "Faeries photography" were taken, we can associate them with the movement of "spirit photography" and ghost photography which was popular in the beginning of the century. The return of fantastic
In the middle of the twentieth century John Reuel Ronald Tolkien (J.R.R Tolkien), wrote, just for his son in the beginning a story telling about a little man seeking a treasure keep by a Dragon. The little man was an Hobbit and the book was "The Hobbit". This was the point of departure of the more fantastic story never imagined. After the success of "The Hobbit" Tolkien begin to write The mythic "Lord of The Ring". This is a long adventure across the middle hearth peopled by elves, dwarfs, trolls, giants ,hobbits and others mythical creatures. Then he wrote many books about the Middle Hearth the pore important is "The Silmarion" where he gives a theory of the origin of the Middle Hearth. He influenced a lot of future writer and create the movement of "Heroic Fantasy". Heroic Fantasy became a really way of thinking which consisted in trying to find in fantastic and imaginary worlds an alternative to reality. The news form of this movement are the Medieval Heroic Fantasy based on Tolkien’s works and the Cyber Futurist which is a transposition of Heroic Fantasy in the future (then appear Cyber Faeries...). Many reviews like "Heavy Metal" developed around those universe. "In the movement of contest of the 70th we can see the influence of those universes " say ....... ..... This movement contributed to the return of originals faeries .... The cinema, the literature, the art are witness of this big come back. New artists of faeries One of the first artist managing to create the magical universe of the old legends is Jim Henson the genius creator of the Muppet Show. In "Dark Crystal" (1982) he created and animated many puppets of faeries creatures ( gelfwoin). Using puppets instead of costumes he manage to make a surrealistically ambience unable to remake even with modern special effect. The puppets personages could have quasi humans expression that no special effect creature could have (instead perhaps in the new Starwars). Using puppets instead of costumes he manage to make a surrealistically ambience unable to remake even with modern special effect. The puppets personages could have quasi humans expression that no special effect creature could have (instead perhaps in the new Starwars). In this film Henson make appeal to Frank Os who worked for Starwars (Master Yoda was a puppets animated by Frank Os ). He also work with one of the best faerie painter : Brian Froud. Brian Froud is a fantastic painter specialised on faeries, troll, farfadet, gnomes.... He have worked with Jim Henson drawing all the creature of "Dark Crystal" and "Labyrinth". He also work with ex Monty Python’s Terry Jones on two best-seller : The mythic "Lady Cottington Pressed Faerie Book" and the new "Strange Stains and Mysterious Smells" . He also illustrate many books like "Good Faeries/Bad faeries" or "Faeries" with Allan Lee, another famous heroic Fantasy painter which illustrated admirably "The Lord of The Ring" with fantastic watercolours. George Lucas , the creator of "Starwars "was also influenced by faeries when he created the personage of Master Yoda. Indeed Master Yoda have the physical appearance of a gnome and sometimes the young spirit of faeries. In "Willows" he also develop the theme of heroic fantasy. In Hook Steven Spielberg (1991) treat the theme of Peter Pan. The first one "Photographing Faeries" from Nick Willing with Toby Stephen is an interesting story, Faerieland is presented as the link between the world of the death and the world of the livings. The second "Faerie Tale a true Story" one is more interesting for special effect and aesthetic aspect.
This is a personal and empirical theory. The principle is this : "If you made your mind totally free of materials problems and if you take a pen and begin to draw, totally free with no direction and no target , you will unconsciously and inevitably draw a faerie". This theory is based on the surrealistic theory of Andrée Breton.. Another way to understand this theory is to remark the ability faerie have to appear in human spirit. I think human need surnaturals in his life, it comes probably from the time when human needed to create magical explanations to understand the world and fight his fair. Faeries represent this surnaturals close to him. In my mind it’s reassuring to feel strange presence near us, saying we haven’t all discovered, the world isn’t just our world... . |
