FAIRIES

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DEFINITION AND MEANING

The Spanish word hada comes from the Latin fata which, in turn, derived from fatum, meaning fate or destiny. In the Middle Ages, it was defined by the gentiles as a divinity or unknown force which had a fascinatig effect on the other divinities and on men and events. The French word fée has a similar origin and resulted in the English words fey and fairie which, as time went by, suffered spelling variations from fayerye, fayre, faerie, faery, and fairy. According to its ethimology, it is a fantastic being pictured as a woman known to have magical powers. For the Saxons, the word ferie refers to the world of fairies as an entity, being a geographical location. In Spanish it turned out to be féerico, depicting something wonderful or fantastic, as applied for example to música féerica (fairy music).

INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD OF FAIRIES

At the outset of the third millennium, in a globalized world concerned more about geopolitics and amassing large fortunes, and supported in an imposing technological development, inhabited by a man immersed himself in city stress and an endless whirl of activities, you might as well ask why speak about something so far away from the real world, making up the universe of illusion and fantasy? May be the answer is that those magical beings encourage the hope that the innocent imagination of childhood is still present in our hearts just drowsy awaiting for a fresh breeze of a pure heart, deprived of all evil to find the ideal conditions to see, talk and believe again in fairies like when he was a child.

Could anyone ever introduce us to a fairy? Or are they who freely decide whether they accept a human being or not?

The world of Fairies is a mixture of a mysterious enchantment, a charming beauty, but also of a huge ugliness, of insensitive shallowness, humour, malice, joy and inspiration, fear, laughter, love, and tragedy. It is richer than what we are usually induced to think by literature. In addition, extreme caution should be exercised to penetrate into this world, as nothing is more irritating to fairies than several human beings curiously moving around their extraordinary dominions, like spoiled tourists. Love, but also abandonment and death, may follow under their spell. Like human beings, they live in a universe of contradictions

As stated by the brilliant English playwright William Shakespeare in his Hamlet, there are on earth more things than those that can be perceived by imagination. It could also be added that, by a high percentage, the fantastic is invisible to the naked eye. The belief in the existence of fairies is common to the most diverse cultures. It origin dates back to myths and legends of each culture.

One of those legends assures that fairies are fallen angels or dead pagans not good enough to be admitted in the Eden, or not wicked enough to go to hell. That is why they were compelled to live eternally halfway.

Another legend read that once Eve was on the bank of a river bathing her children when she heard God who spoke to her. Fearful, Eve hid her children who had not been bathed so that God could not see them. God, who sees everything, asked her whether all her children were there. Eve lied and bowed. God warned her that those children that had been hidden from Him would be ever after hidden from the eyes of men. Those where the children who turned out to be fairies or elfs.

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LOCATION OF THE WORLD OF FAIRIES

Location of these elementary beings has varied throughout time and cultures. For the Irish, sometimes it was found in the horizon; other under their own feet; on other occasions, on hills, or in a magical island in the high seas or under the ocean.

Other cultures state that the world of fairies may be found in nature, a plant, a tree, the earth, a lake, the breeze, the sun, the perfum of flowers and all that is natural around us. Summing up, air, water, earth, and fire are the four elements where Elementary Spirits are contained.

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GENERIC CLASSIFICATION

They are grouped in generic families based on big differences among them, and the elements they inhabit or preferrably domain. They could be classified as follows:

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Air Spirits: Silfides

The air element, featured by intelligence, represented by Spring and Dawn is inhabited by Sylphs in the form of butterflies. They control winds, help birds in their migrations and flowers in their pollination. Their light yellow- toned translucent appearance is present in the scent of wet herb threatening to rain. Sylphs

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Water Spirits: Nymphs, Mermaids, Nereids, Naiads, Undines,and Water Goblins.

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The water element featured by love and cures, represented by Autumn and Sunset, is inhabited by nymphs, mermaids, nereids, and undines. They appear as mythological creatures in all liquids, such as seas, rivers, fresh water brooks, falls, and clouds. Their aspect vary depending on their habitat. Nereids rule the seas; undines called Naiads by the Greek, are found in lakes. They are mostly blue and a receptive energy. Like mermaids, they attract any sailor with their songs until they wreck. They are the ones channeling natural river beds.

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Earth Spirits:

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The Earth element is the most dense. It is represented by Winter and the night. It is inhabited by Ladies, goblins, gnomes, and trolls. They are mostly green, and have a receptive energy. Fairies or ladies are characterized by their kindness and for being the oldest inhabitants of the plant. They may either be imposing or tiny; their powers, however, are incredible and dominate nature.

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Fire Spirits: Salamanders

The Fire element features both creation and destruction. It is represented by Summer, and daylight. It is inhabited by Salamanders, Farralis and Ra-Arus, appearing as reddish salamanders and dragons. They give the idea that with courage and imagination everything can be done. They send forth projective energy, and dominate the element. No fire would be ignited without their intervention.

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GOBLINS, ELFS, AND GNOMES

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Trying to explain or talking about beings not considered spirits, angels, or human beings is rather difficult. They, however, share something in common, and more. We could give them the generic name of elemental creatures, nature spirits. They all inhabit the Magic World of Fairies.

¿Is is true that we can communicate with those tiny beings?

In spite of the fact that nature has been devastated by man, and that they were compelled to hide in the jungle or in the woods, many of them live with human beings and are willing to serve them. To communicate with them, we should love everything that surrounds us. They may appear under certain circumstances and on special occasions without us ever realizing of that, for they have the ability to choose the form they shall appear under – which may be similar to the very nature either as a stone, a tree, an animal, a plant or even a human being. These beings talk, laugh, are cautious, poor, rich, wise and crazy, just like all of us. They are the rough image of man, virtuous or vicious, pure or impure, better or worse.

TYPES OF GOBLINS

DOMESTIC GOBLINS

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They live inside houses or in the surroundings. For centuries they inhabited wild, woody, and mountainous areas, living inside caves or caverns until one of them approached the places where human beings lived, firstly for the sake of curiosity, then with the single objective of having fun. They appear preferably at night. They are about 50 cm- high and resemble man. They go out at night and love to have fun by dint of those sleeping. Even though most of them like to bother or frighten human beings, some of them, however, love to help men in domestic households. According to some experts, their names come from the Arabig word duar, meaning the one who inhabites or the inhabitant.

FAMILIAR IMPS

These are some little devil looking- goblins, not linked to a house, but to a person to whom they assist and make him their owner. They are linked to witchcraft.

BEDROOM GOBLINS

They belong to a strange family of aggresive and individualist goblins. They cause nightmares and choose women and children as their victims.

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GENERAL FEATURES OF ELFS

All these beings are very ancient, small and ugly. When they are standing, they have arms so long that they past beyond their ankles. They have abundant and entangled hair, and a special talent for evil, though there are also benevolent Elfs. They love larch roots, do not like rain, but are fond of tempests. They have pointing ears and legs like wire.

TYPES OF ELFS

Elfs are huge magical beings divided into two big categories:

The Ljsalfar, or Light Elfs;
The Dopkalfar, or Darkness Elfs.

LIGHT ELFS

They dominate the change in appearance, have an etereous beauty, are one of the best disposition elfs. They are translucent and blue coloured.

There are other light elfs with the ability to move over fire or inside wood and stone. They are called Ellefolk; can foretell the future, sing and compose a fascinating and enraptured music.

DARKNESS ELFS

Like lobsters, they build their homes beneath the earth. They are frequently found in houses where they prefer dark corners, only visible at night. They may be of grey, brown, red or black colours. If a house has locks with no keys or small cracks in the wood, Elfs shall come in through those tiny spaces. They have many names, such as Cauchemar, Qaalruter, Nachtmannle.

GLOOM ELFS

They are the most numerous. They may be found in trees, plants, brooks or ponds. They are quite cautious and protected from the interference of strangers.

GNOMES

Since these elementary beings are earth spirits, they preferably work the soil and tree roots, to which they grant power. They look like funny little old men, as they belong to a race coming from the beginning of times. It is said that they inhabited the lost Atlantis. These tiny creatures build their homes under aging trees. They only go out at night and their home is lively after sunset. They are friends of animals, they speak their same language and protect them from danger. The best feasts are when the freezing winds blow over the woods dancing and playing, they start to run and some prefer rain for their dances.

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