Fairies A History (Book Review #100)

Fairies – A History
Francsi Young
Polity Books

Tell people you believe in God, and they won’t bat an eylid, although maybe perhaps if you say your ‘God’ is old Norse or some ‘obscure’ God/Goddess they’ll give you a pitiful eye. Tell people you believe in Fairies and, then you are truely cast into the Venn Diagram section of madness. Both the scenarios, each with no real ‘proof’ except what is read, or heard. One accepted, one disregarded
For my two pence worth, Fairies, the Fey, emerge from the consciousness of nature, though in my path I call them/it the Devas, it is perhaps questionable to use such a term that originally describes, “The Shinning ones, ” In Hinduism spirits of nature/ Natural forces, Gods of thunder, the winds, the tides et al. But I’ve always called that soul aspect Devas, theQueen of the Flora, the maiden of the glade.

Fairy Stories/ Folklore stem from Oral tradition and that also is the root of the Craft, Witch/Wise/Winding path, it is appropriate to the local enviroment, the ancestry of the people therein as opposed to the written word of religion. Religion, is written, as old Moses will condemn you to believe in stone. In my path, the sword is removed from that stone, it wanders free, is gifted by the hand of nature, it neither fullfills nor underscores any belief as sacrosanct. All things evolve, the aspect of Jeovah in whose name it is said is “I Am that I am” is replaced by the more accurate, “I will be That I will be.” The motto of the wayfarer similarly is known as “That (sic) witch is, that which shall be”
Fairy stories, are compiled, not created by HAns Christian Anderson, The Brothers Grimm or Mr Laing, they are collected, adapted from old stories, old tales and myths and legends. We could call them little more than tales around the bonfire, but they portray something else. The familiar themes will be shapeshifting, riddles, quests and continuing failure at the hands of the malevolent and tricksters but eventually through perserverance overcome by the same methods of trickery. And before reading the book, another digression…,

I remember collecting The Unexplained magazine in the late 1970s and being fascinated by articles describing lie detectors attached to plants. The reactions recorded in response to verbal questions and even thoughts about the plant, seemed to suggest that plants were conscious and aware of the questioners motives either by subtle inference or telepathically… but we’re really veering off the track wearing our tinfoil hats, perhaps…..
A few years later, I went through a profound dissolution in which my body and soul seemed to merge momentarily, but actually and with time to coinsider and reason, into what I would call the Devas. By then, I had also repeated the experiments described in The Unexplained, and it was no longer simply a matter of belief for me, but of knowledge born from understanding, experimentation and thus repeated vindication.

Francis Young’s book begins, as indeed I have, with an admission that the ‘lore’ of Fairy is rebuffed and mocked, that people who believe in fairies are surely the flat Earthers and deluded who in embarrassment try to prop up their beliefs susbstitue words such as ‘fae’ and ‘elphame’ in the hope that it is more accepted, to hide behind the illusion.

As Young begins it is clear the whole subject is much larger than just a portion of the animistic world of the unseen, a liminal space between this world, and that. There are all the various enamours of different cultures, elves, pixies,…i’ve made a list below but many are not served in this book, but it gives an idea as to the multitude of beings malevolent and benign in the liminal world. Different cultures have differences in how they view and name the ‘creatures’ of the veil, is it that in harsh climate the creatures are more demonic, and in more temperant and contented enviroments they are more tricksterish, idle hands, and playful, I wonder stroking my quizzical chin.
We begin the quest detailing, yawn, the Abrahamic religion, the three root religions of the desert God, one side doesnt drink, the other positively encorugaes it, one priest cannot marry, the other can marry up to four women if they can be kept in equal confort, one side stones you to death for eating shellfish and the other says forgive. One side beileves in Genies Jinn, the other in unclean spirits and hosts…. Of course we deal in many of the books removed from the apocrypha by the declining Roman empire eager to get a grip on the new fad , but some of those books were problematic, dealing with pagan issues and Enoch’s book of angels had to go, as did any mention of Adam’s first wife Lilth and her illusions of grandeuer to be equal or even dominant.

As histories go, the imagery set by Young covers many areas, differing legends of the ‘Fey’, there’s not much justification, psychology, Jungian archetypal constructs, it’s all pretty much this was here, that was there, this was then, this is now. It’s a history outline, of course.

An aspect Young brings to the table is that in certain quarters fairies were regarded as angels that did not fight in that ancient war of St Michael and Satan. They were neutral. It’s a notion I have not heard before, and being lininal, and in between, sitting on the fence, it appeals to me. Just watching. Like A crow at the shining things, a toad with its head above the waterline. The inbetweeners. Indeed Ronald Hutton gives a list of common themes regarding the Fae, and one is the colour Green, often seen worn by American tourists traipsing around Dublin. Green of course, the emerald crown and the balance of the rainbow, the medial and the bridge. The Inbetween, neither this nor that.

The book doesnt plod along, in fact it is quite engaging going through the obvious kerfuffle with King James et al, the reformation and onwards to contemporary issues. We come to see how ‘folk’ instead of abandoning those old beliefs, through repression and censorship actually reinforced ideas, perhaps in the main through fear of being burnt, branded or at the very least becoming a social pariah.

Fairies and the mounds in which their kingdoms are built, the Rising Earth. As the toad is the liminal creature, so too from Underground , the Fey, not over the rainbow, more under the bridge.
Young’s book doesnt read like prose or dreamlike, as I would endevour to write were I tasked to etch my witterings on the Fey, which would probably be inelligible, (It is Dave!~ with your appalling grammar and digressions), Young’s book is a well written laid out and carefully researched work with lots of notes to check and bibliographies to empty the wallet and purse on AbeBooks and WorldofBooks etc.
The Victorian era, when things I suspected would really blossom, with books and media, theatre and what not being availible to us proles, well, I expected a lot more indepth study, but here the books seems to tail off. Its not that anything’s neglected or brushed over, just annotated somewhat.

At the end, has my view point changed ? Not really, I give more respect to other cultures whose ‘seeing’ is diffrent to ours, but then so is our humour, so are our customs, is it any wonder that our local and cultural archetypes and indeed our folklore as the observer creates the observed in the manner in which they materialise or evolved?
The trees were high, the animal struggled to reach the fruit, “I wish for my children to reach them”, the observing concluding animal spoke, and their children’s necks grew long as surely as thought gave rise to evolvlution.

Appendix. Bits and Bobs.

Facsimilie of Book as alluded to;-
The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies ~Robert Kirk

—

List of Various names of Liminal Nature Beings~

Aos Sí are supernatural beings from Irish tradition, often understood as the fairy folk or the people of the mounds who dwell in an Otherworld alongside humans.
Apsaras are celestial female spirits in Hindu and Buddhist mythology associated with beauty, dance, seduction, and the courts of the gods.
Alfar are Norse elves, a broad class of luminous or mysterious beings connected with fertility, magic, ancestors, and hidden realms.
Ankou is a Breton figure associated with death, often described as the servant or personification of death who gathers souls.
Angel is a broad term for a divine or heavenly messenger spirit found in Abrahamic traditions, typically serving as an agent of God.
Afrit is a powerful class of fiery spirit in Islamic folklore, often treated as a formidable type of djinn.
Aziza are fairy-like beings in West African folklore said to dwell in forests and grant magic, knowledge, or hunting skill to humans.
Aswang is a shapeshifting monster from Philippine folklore, often described as a night-stalking being that feeds on flesh, blood, or unborn children.

Baba Yaga is a powerful witch-like supernatural being from Slavic folklore who may help, test, or devour those who encounter her.
Banshee is an Irish female spirit whose wailing foretells death in a family.
Bean Nighe is a Scottish washerwoman spirit seen cleaning the clothes of those about to die.
Brownie is a small household spirit in British folklore that secretly performs chores and domestic work when treated well.
Boggart is a troublesome household or local spirit in English folklore known for causing fear, disorder, or minor harm.
Bukavac is a horned monster from South Slavic folklore associated with darkness, lakes, and terrifying nocturnal attacks.
Basilisk is a legendary reptilian creature whose gaze or breath is said to kill.
Baobhan Sith is a dangerous female fairy of Scottish folklore who appears beautiful but preys vampirically on humans.
Bean Sidhe is another Gaelic form of banshee, referring to a fairy woman whose cry announces death.

Centaur is a Greek mythological being with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a horse, often representing wildness or untamed nature.
Chimera is a hybrid monster of Greek mythology composed of multiple animals, traditionally lion, goat, and serpent.
Chupacabra is a modern folkloric creature from the Americas reputed to attack livestock and drink their blood.
Changeling is a fairy substitute left in place of a stolen human child in European folklore.
Cockatrice is a mythical creature, often part rooster and part serpent, believed to possess a deadly stare or venom.
Cù Sìth is a supernatural hound from Scottish Highland folklore associated with the fairy world and ominous encounters.
Cuélebre is a giant serpentine dragon of Asturian folklore that guards treasures, caves, or enchanted beings.

Demon is a broad term for a malevolent or dangerous supernatural being found in many religious and folkloric systems.
Djinn are supernatural beings in Islamic tradition made from smokeless fire, capable of choice, power, and interaction with the human world.
Domovoi is a Slavic household spirit that protects the home if respected but becomes troublesome when offended.
Dryad is a tree spirit from Greek mythology, especially associated with oaks and other living trees.
Draugr is a Norse undead being, usually a reanimated corpse that guards graves, treasures, or haunts the living.
Dullahan is an Irish headless rider who appears as a deathly omen and calls the names of the doomed.
Dwarf is a small, often subterranean humanoid being in Germanic and Norse tradition associated with craftsmanship, treasure, and hidden knowledge.

Elf is a supernatural humanoid being from Germanic and later European tradition, varying from luminous and noble to eerie and dangerous.
Elemental is a spirit or being associated with one of the natural elements such as earth, air, fire, or water.
Empusa is a shape-changing female being from Greek folklore associated with seduction, haunting, and feeding upon humans.
Ettin is a giant-like being from British and Scottish folklore, often described as ugly, brutish, and two-headed.
Erinyes are the Furies of Greek mythology, relentless female spirits of vengeance who punish grave moral crimes.

Fairy is a broad English term for magical otherworldly beings associated with nature, enchantment, beauty, trickery, or peril.
Faun is a Roman nature being with human and goat features, associated with woodland fertility, music, and rustic wildness.
Fetch is a supernatural double or apparition of a living person, often seen as an omen of death.
Fir Darrig is a mischievous and often grotesque male fairy from Irish folklore associated with practical jokes and unsettling encounters.
Fomorian is a monstrous or chaotic race from Irish myth often linked with darkness, wild nature, and primordial opposition.
Fury is one of the avenging spirits of Greek mythology, punishing oath-breakers, murderers, and the impious.

Ghost is the spirit or apparition of a dead person believed to linger among the living.
Ghoul is a corpse-eating or grave-haunting being from Arabic folklore that later became a general term for flesh-eating undead monsters.
Gnome is a small earth-associated being of later European folklore and occult tradition, often linked with underground treasure.
Goblin is a broad term for a small, ugly, mischievous, or malicious folkloric creature in European tradition.
Gorgon is a monstrous female being from Greek mythology, most famously exemplified by Medusa, whose gaze could petrify.
Griffin is a composite mythical beast with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle, symbolizing guardianship and majesty.
Grindylow is a water-dwelling creature from English folklore said to lurk in ponds and drag people underwater.
Guardian spirit is a protective supernatural being attached to a person, family, place, or people.

Hag (Haeg ) Night riding Supernatural figures, the astral body of a witch live or dead.
Harpy is a winged female being from Greek mythology associated with storms, punishment, and the snatching away of persons or things.
Hobgoblin is a household or domestic goblin-like being that may be helpful, mischievous, or frightening depending on how it is treated.
Huldra is a seductive forest being from Scandinavian folklore, beautiful in front but marked by an animal tail or hollow back.
Hungry ghost is a tormented spirit in Buddhist and East Asian traditions driven by insatiable craving and dissatisfaction.

Ifrit is a mighty and often fearsome class of djinn associated with fire, power, and rebellion.

Imp is a small mischievous supernatural creature, often treated as a minor demon or trickster spirit.
Incubus is a male demon in medieval lore believed to visit sleeping women in order to oppress or violate them.

Jiangshi is a Chinese hopping corpse animated by dark forces and associated with draining life energy from the living.
Jinn is another common transliteration of djinn, referring to powerful unseen beings in Islamic cosmology.
Jötunn is a giant or primordial being from Norse mythology, often opposing or interacting with the gods.

Kappa is a water creature from Japanese folklore, usually depicted as a turtle-like humanoid known for danger, pranks, and strange etiquette.
Kelpie is a Scottish water spirit that often appears as a horse and lures riders to a watery death.
Kitsune is a fox spirit from Japanese folklore known for intelligence, illusion, shapeshifting, and magical power.
Kobold is a German household, mine, or underground spirit that may help with labor or become dangerous and malicious.
Kraken is a gigantic sea monster from Scandinavian legend said to dwell in the deep and drag ships under.

Laume. Nature Godlings of Lithuania, monstrous therianthropic creatures.
Leprechaun is an Irish fairy shoemaker and trickster often associated with hidden gold and evasive cleverness.
Leshy is a Slavic forest spirit who rules wild places and may mislead, test, or protect those who enter the woods.
Lich is an undead sorcerer in later fantasy and occult-inspired tradition who preserves consciousness beyond death through magic.
Lilim are female night spirits in Jewish and later occult traditions, sometimes associated with Lilith and harmful seduction.
Lamia is a female monster from Greek tradition associated with child-devouring, seduction, and serpentine imagery.
Landvættir are land spirits in Norse belief who inhabit and protect specific regions of the natural world.

Marid is a powerful kind of djinn in Arabic and Islamic folklore often associated with the sea and immense pride.
Mermaid is a being with the upper body of a human and the tail of a fish, appearing in many traditions as alluring, prophetic, or dangerous.
Merrow is an Irish mer-being associated with the sea, often more magical and folklorically specific than the general mermaid.
Mare is a supernatural being in Germanic folklore believed to sit on sleepers and cause nightmares.
Manticore is a monstrous creature of Persian and later medieval lore, usually portrayed as part lion, part human, and often scorpion-tailed.
Manananggal is a Philippine monster, usually female, that separates its upper torso from its lower body and flies at night to feed.
Menehune are small hidden people in Hawaiian folklore credited with building structures and working in secret.

Naga is a serpent or serpent-like semi-divine being in Hindu and Buddhist traditions associated with water, protection, and the underworld.
Nixie is a Germanic water spirit that may appear human and lure people into rivers, lakes, or enchanted waters.
Nymph is a nature spirit from Greek mythology associated with specific features of the landscape such as trees, rivers, mountains, or seas.
Nogitsune is a wild, often malevolent fox spirit in Japanese tradition associated with possession, cunning, and chaos.

Ogre is a large man-eating humanoid monster found in European folklore and fairy tales.
Oni is a Japanese demon or ogre-like being associated with punishment, violence, and monstrous strength.
Oread is a mountain nymph from Greek mythology connected specifically with peaks, cliffs, and rocky places.

Peri is a beautiful supernatural being from Persian lore, often portrayed as intermediate between angels and fairies.
Phantom is a ghostly apparition, often emphasizing eerie appearance rather than the identity of the dead.
Phoenix is a legendary bird associated with fire, death, and rebirth from its own ashes.
Pixie is a small fairy-like being from southwestern English folklore known for mischief, dancing, and leading travelers astray.
Poltergeist is a noisy, disruptive spirit associated with moving objects, knocks, disturbances, and household chaos.
Púca is a Celtic shapeshifting spirit that may help, frighten, or deceive humans depending on its mood.

Qalupalik is an Inuit folkloric being said to dwell near icy waters and carry away children who wander too close.

Rakshasa is a powerful being from Hindu tradition, often portrayed as a demonic or man-eating shapeshifter opposed to cosmic order.
Redcap is a murderous goblin-like creature from Border folklore that dyes its cap in the blood of its victims.
Revenant is a dead person who returns physically from the grave to haunt, harm, or seek vengeance among the living.
Rusalka is a Slavic female water spirit, often linked with death, seduction, mourning, and dangerous beauty.

Satyr is a lustful woodland being from Greek mythology with human and goat features, associated with revelry and wild nature.
Selkie is a seal-being from Celtic and northern folklore that can shed its skin to take human form on land.
Shade is a dim spirit of the dead, often used to describe a shadowy underworld ghost.
Shapeshifter is a being able to change form, appearing in myth and folklore across cultures in many distinct species and stories.
Sídhe is a Gaelic term for fairy beings or the otherworldly people associated with mounds, ancient places, and hidden realms.
Siren is a dangerous female being from Greek myth whose voice or song lures sailors to destruction.
Specter is a frightening ghostly apparition, often associated with dread, haunting, or ill omen.
Sprite is a small, airy, or nature-linked spirit in European folklore, often similar to a fairy but lighter and more elusive in character.
Succubus is a female demon in medieval lore believed to seduce men in dreams or at night.
Sylph is an air spirit in later European occult tradition associated with the element of air and ethereal movement.

Tengu is a Japanese supernatural being associated with mountains, martial power, pride, and trickery, sometimes bird-like in appearance.
Thunderbird is a powerful storm-associated being in various Indigenous North American traditions, often connected with thunder, protection, and sacred power.
Tokoloshe is a malicious or troublesome spirit-being from southern African folklore that may attack, haunt, or torment people.
Troll is a being from Norse and Scandinavian folklore that may be giant, monstrous, dim-witted, magical, or tied to mountains and wilderness.

Undine is a water elemental or water spirit from later European lore and occult tradition.

Valkyrie is a female supernatural chooser of the slain in Norse mythology who carries worthy warriors to the afterlife.
Vampire is an undead being that survives by feeding on the blood or life force of the living.
Vetala is a corpse-inhabiting spirit from Indian tradition that animates dead bodies and speaks with eerie intelligence.
Vila is a beautiful, often dangerous female nature spirit in South Slavic folklore associated with wind, waters, and wild landscapes.

Werewolf is a human who transforms into a wolf or wolf-like creature, usually under curse, magic, or contagion.
Wight is an old term for a being or creature, later often used for undead or supernatural entities in fantasy and folklore-inspired writing. viz: The Seely Wights invoked by Scottish witches to gain power.
Will-o’-the-wisp is a mysterious ghostly light seen over marshes or lonely places, often believed to mislead travelers.
Wraith is a spectral apparition, frequently associated with death omens or the restless dead.
Wyvern is a dragon-like creature with two legs and wings, common in heraldry and medieval legend.

Xana is an enchanting female water or nature spirit from Asturian folklore associated with beauty, treasure, and sorrow.
Yaksha is a nature-linked spirit or guardian being in Indian religions, sometimes benevolent and sometimes fearsome.
Yeti is an ape-like legendary being said to inhabit the Himalayas, part cryptid lore and part mountain folklore.
Yōkai is a broad Japanese category for strange supernatural beings, including monsters, spirits, shapeshifters, and uncanny presences.

Zombie is a reanimated corpse or magically controlled body, especially associated with Haitian religion in its original context and later transformed by popular horror fiction.

THE FAIRY TEMPLE ; OR, OBERON’S CHAPEL
by Robert Herrick

RARE temples thou hast seen, I know,
And rich for in and outward show :
Survey this chapel, built alone,
Without or lime, or wood, or stone :
Then say if one thou’st seen more fine
Than this, the fairies’ once, now thine.
THE TEMPLE
A WAY enchased with glass and beads
There is, that to the chapel leads :
Whose structure, for his holy rest,
Is here the halcyon’s curious nest :
Into the which who looks shall see
His temple of idolatry,
Where he of godheads has such store,
As Rome’s pantheon had not more.
His house of Rimmon this he calls,
Girt with small bones instead of walls.
First, in a niche, more black than jet,
His idol cricket there is set :
Then in a polished oval by
There stands his idol-beetle-fly :
Next in an arch, akin to this,
His idol-canker seated is :
Then in a round is placed by these
His golden god, Cantharides.
So that, where’er ye look, ye see,
No capital, no cornice free,
Or frieze, from this fine frippery.
Now this the fairies would have known,
Theirs is a mixed religion :
And some have heard the elves it call
Part pagan, part papistical.
If unto me all tongues were granted,
I could not speak the saints here painted.
Saint Tit, Saint Nit, Saint Is, Saint Itis,
Who ‘gainst Mab’s-state placed here right is ;
Saint Will o’ th’ Wisp, of no great bigness,
But alias called here Fatuus ignis ;
Saint Frip, Saint Trip, Saint Fill, Saint Fillie,
Neither those other saintships will I
Here go about for to recite
Their number, almost infinite,
Which one by one here set down are
In this most curious calendar :
First, at the entrance of the gate
A little puppet-priest doth wait,
Who squeaks to all the comers there :
” Favour your tongues who enter here ;
Pure hands bring hither without stain.”
A second pules : ” Hence, hence, profane ! “
Hard by, i’ th’ shell of half a nut,
The holy-water there is put :
A little brush of squirrel’s hairs
(Composed of odd, not even pairs)
Stands in the platter or close by
To purge the fairy family.
Near to the altar stands the priest,
There off’ring up the holy grist,
Ducking in mood and perfect tense,
With (much-good-do-‘t him) reverence.
The altar is not here four-square,
Nor in a form triangular,
Nor made of glass, or wood, or stone,
But of a little transverse bone ;
Which boys and bruckel’d children call
(Playing for points and pins) cockal.
Whose linen drapery is a thin
Subtile and ductile codlin’s skin :
Which o’er the board is smoothly spread
With little seal-work damasked.
The fringe that circumbinds it too
Is spangle-work of trembling dew,
Which, gently gleaming, makes a show
Like frost-work glitt’ring on the snow.
Upon this fetuous board doth stand
Something for show-bread, and at hand,
Just in the middle of the altar,
Upon an end, the fairy-psalter,
Grac’d with the trout-flies’ curious wings,
Which serve for watchet ribbonings.
Now, we must know, the elves are led
Right by the rubric which they read.
And, if report of them be true,
They have their text for what they do ;
Aye, and their book of canons too.
And, as Sir Thomas Parson tells,
They have their book of articles ;
And if that fairy-knight not lies,
They have their book of homilies ;
And other scriptures that design
A short but righteous discipline.
The basin stands the board upon
To take the free oblation :
A little pin-dust, which they hold
More precious than we prize our gold :
Which charity they give to many
Poor of the parish, if there’s any.
Upon the ends of these neat rails,
Hatch’d with the silver-light of snails,
The elves in formal manner fix
Two pure and holy candlesticks :
In either which a small tall bent
Burns for the altar’s ornament.
For sanctity they have to these
Their curious copes and surplices
Of cleanest cobweb hanging by
In their religious vestery.
They have their ash-pans and their brooms
To purge the chapel and the rooms ;
Their many mumbling Mass-priests here,
And many a dapper chorister.
Their ush’ring vergers here, likewise
Their canons and their chanteries.
Of cloister-monks they have enow,
Aye, and their abbey-lubbers too ;
And, if their legend do not lie,
They much affect the papacy.
And since the last is dead, there’s hope
Elf Boniface shall next be pope.
They have their cups and chalices ;
Their pardons and indulgences ;
Their beads of nits, bells, books, and wax
Candles, forsooth, and other knacks ;
Their holy oil, their fasting spittle ;
Their sacred salt here, not a little.
Dry chips, old shoes, rags, grease, and bones ;
Beside their fumigations
Many a trifle, too, and trinket,
And for what use, scarce man would think it.
Next, then, upon the chanters’ side
An apple’s core is hung up dri’d,
With rattling kernels, which is rung
To call to morn and even-song.
The saint to which the most he prays
And offers incense nights and days,
The lady of the lobster is,
Whose foot-pace he doth stroke and kiss ;
And humbly chives of saffron brings
For his most cheerful offerings.
When, after these, he’s paid his vows
He lowly to the altar bows ;
And then he dons the silk-worm’s shed,
Like a Turk’s turban on his head,
And reverently departeth thence,
Hid in a cloud of frankincense,
And by the glow-worm’s light well guided,
Goes to the feast that’s now provided