Faery folk, or the fae, are an ancient race of people who lived in the British Isle prior to the arrival of the Celtics and Anglo-Saxons. They are believed to be descended from the ancient tribe of the Tuatha De Danann, a race who flew into Ireland on Beltane, which also happens to be the time most people believe humans can see faeries. It is said that they came from the four great Faery cities, which are Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias, and from each city they brought with them four great treasures: the Lia Fail, also known as the Stone of Destiny, the sword of Lugh, a magic spear, and the cauldron of Dagda. From these cities came all the great knowledge of the time, and it was said that the Faeries were unmatched by any other creature in their intelligence.
Like humans, Faeries have a wide diversity in the types of personalities they have, ranging from welcoming and benevolent to dark and vicious. Due to these differing personas, some people believe faeries to be fallen angles, while others believe they are the heathen dead who were not good enough to be accepted in heaven, but not evil enough to be placed in hell either. Some faeries also have a reputation for being quite mischievous. In Ireland, a common saying is to be “Pixy-led”, meaning a subtle changing in the landscape around you that causes you to be confused and head off in the wrong direction. For example, where you might have been in a field and seen the house you walking towards up ahead, being pixy-led would cause the house to disappear on the horizon, and no amount of searching will bring it back. This can cause one to wander around for hours or walk in circles before they find what they’re looking for. This is believed to be caused by stepping on faery grass, and may be a result of stepping to the enchanted land of the Faery for a time.
Faerie temperament is complex, and every type of faerie has their own powers with the ability to bestow good or ill will. Their varying moral codes, just as in humans, will determine the course of action they take, but careful handling and respect is needed when dealing with any type of faery, as they are easily offended and hard to pacify once angered.
Many faeries reside in trees, and humans who pass these trees at night may find themselves pinched or bruised by mischievous faeries, and their favorite trees include oak, elder and alder, so beware when passing these trees. It is believed that certain combinations of these trees should require more caution when passing than others. For example, if two thorn trees and an elder tree are twisted around each other, it is bad luck to pass through them, and if you do so, you will most likely find yourself bruised by the time you make it through, as faeries are very defensive of their trees. Oak, ash and thorn are also considered to be a dangerous combination, but if a twig from each of the three is tied with a red thread, it is supposed to take the protective qualities of the faeries and protect you from evil spirits. The Alder tree is protected by water faeries, a special class of faeries devoted to this most important part of faerie-lore. Its ambivalent nature as a provider of food and crops makes the faeries drawn to this tree more than some of the others. A ring of mushrooms in a forest is said to mark the spots of some of the faeries favorite dancing spots, so be careful when passing through these at nights, as faeries do not take kindly to having their enjoyment interrupted.
It is said that the Faery folk no longer live in the same dimension as us, as humans slowly lost their touch with what they have to look closely for, until the vision of Faery escaped them completely, as our human ancestors became trapped in the physical world, rather than that of enchantments and magic. Before this, it is believed that the land of Faery and our human world lived side by side for over one thousand years. The land of Faery is said to be a land of dark enchantments, captivating beauty, humor, mischief, joy; a vibrant world much like our own, simply in another dimension.
There are three distinct categories of faeries, each of which reside in separate environments and perform different actions. The first of these groups of faeries are the faeries and elves. These are what most people consider and see when they think of faeries. They are graceful and elegant, and highly valued in society as a symbol of peace and beauty. They are well known for bestowing gifts on those who deserve them. This type of creature tends to live in the forests, faery hills, fields, and flower gardens. They are very playful, and love to dance, often doing so well into the night. They are very knowledgeable in the secrets of herbs, stones and animals, getting along with most creatures, and they have the gift of foresight.
The second group of faeries is not what most people would expect when they hear the term faery: it consists of gnomes, trolls and dwarves. They live in caves, mines and hollow hills, and are excellent at finding precious stones, gems and metal for mining, as well as being well skilled in the art of forging metal.
The last group of faeries is the least well known, which consists of the brownies and kobolds, which reside in homes and cottages and help with chores by nice. It is unclear whether this group of faeries still exist in the dimension of Faery, as it is unknown if homes and cottages exist in this other reality. It is possible, of course that these groups adapted to ways without human life and are now more similar to the first group.
There are also four elemental faeries that represent earth, fire, air and water. The gnome, as discussed above, is considered to be the elemental faery for Earth, and has sway over the northern direction. They often give material gain and stability to those they bless, and protect outdoor circles and groves, while also having a tremendous respect and impact on the forest. Sylphs is the name of the elemental faery of air and the east. These faeries are said to be adept at granting wishes, and communicating through dreams. They are very knowledgeable and are believed to be protectors of magical applications to the enchanted dimensions. They are the picture most people see in their head of the delicate being with transparent wings, and are often seen as white light as well. Salamanders, the third elemental faery, are responsible for the south and fire. These faeries are incredibly passionate and very creative, and are often viewed as blue flame. They protect homes and business and rule over fields and fire in the Faery dimension. The final elemental faery is the undines, responsible for the west and water; they are known for their intense friendships and have control over water. They are seen as bright pink lights, and believed to have once been sirens, able to entrance sailors into the ocean, where they’d drown. They are also known to protect the gates of death and karma, and therefore can be quite fearful when aroused or angered.
Many people attempt to attract faeries out of the enchanted dimension back into our own, but the faeries do not have a love of humans. They are shy after years of mistreatment by humans, and they are jealous of our world with all of the living things they used to care for, which they’ve recreated in their own dimension after painstaking years; many believe they are disgusted by the way we treat nature, and that’s where their dislike of humans originates. Some people, however, believe that with a bit of work, you can coax the faery people out of their dimension and into ours. They do this by planting faery gardens as a refuge for them in this world. By leaving an area of it uncultivated and wild, it gives the faeries a place to care for the things they left so long ago, and untouched by human activity. Faeries are supposed to love ginger, barley, sweets, cream, and anything that glitters, so leaving these items out are a good way to draw their attention. However, many sources agree that they do not food being thrown out at them like animals, and many advise that you put your gifts for them in a basket that they can then come and take from. Some stones to include in your faery garden would be peridot, jade, lava, fluorite, and emerald, as these are some of their favorites. Other sources suggest that planting plants that attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds will encourages the fae to come out of their hiding spots, and small ponds and waterfalls are beneficial as well.
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Sources:
http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/limerick/102/faerie.htmhttp://www.thefaerycrossing.com/Class:
Fairies
Subject: The Faery Folk 
