Fairies

Is This The Road to Fairyland? Rene Cloke postcard

INTRODUCTION: WHERE IS FAIRYLAND?

We live in a land of motorways, sculpted landscapes and shopping malls. Our city centres are becoming increasingly indistinguishable from one another, becoming more and more characterless because of the relentless homogenization of our planet. Supermarkets mean that we can have access to food from anywhere in the world no matter what the time of year. Many children have never seen an apple on a tree, or seen a real live cow and made the association with the milk that they pour on their mass-produced breakfast cereal. Carefully-designed new roads mean that we can speed from one end of the country to the other in a relatively short time, the priceless heritage of ancient tracks and forests smashed down and covered in concrete to make our lives more convenient. If we try to walk through any of the remaining ancient woods, then chances are we are herded along by signposts and fences designed to keep us safe, corralled at the convenience of some health and safety executive. Our homes are hermetically-sealed, kept at a constant temperature no matter what’s happening outside. We have no need to brave the elements. We are gradually detaching ourselves from the elements . . . and consequently, from the Elementals.

Road sign at the Gnome Reserve, Devon, UK.

Urban Fairy

And yet . . . and yet, we still have a powerful belief in creatures that may or may not exist. Ghosts, extraterrestrials, all manner of supernatural beings. It’s almost as though we need them. And in this book I’ll hope to show you just how meaningful that belief still is, despite our fast-paced contemporary lives that would seem, on the surface, to have no space for such fantasies.

The Supernatural World

If evidence were ever needed about the profound belief in fairies that used to be commonplace in the British Isles, then the prevalence of fairy names in the landscape would form a very strong case for such evidence. Stick a pin in a map, draw a circle of approximately a twenty centimetre radius – particularly in Scotland, Cornwall or Ireland – and chances are that one of these ancient words will be enclosed within that circle. It’s recognising the less obvious words that’s the tricky part since, like all things Fey, these words are frequently disguised, or have been altered over the course of the centuries until we really have to dig hard to understand the original meaning. Or the names might have been replaced altogether. It’s a good idea to look at older maps to understand just how powerful the legacy from this Otherworld once was. But it’s not just about names. It’s about a feeling.

Fairies, Kings and Books

This point – about ‘feeling’ – is appropriate in view of a particularly powerful fairy place that influenced the writing of this book, a place that’s fairly close to somewhere I am very fond of, the town of Hay and Wye which straddles the border of England and Wales. As well as being the secondhand book capital of the World, Hay is particularly charged with magic; is this a result of all the billions of ideas that fizz and crackle from the pages of these books, or does the town lend itself so happily to all these weird and wonderful ideas purely because it is so magical?

There is one man in particular who has, by default, ensured the magical legacy of Hay on Wye. The story of this man and what he did reads very like a fairy tale itself. The man is Richard Booth, who, back in the 1970s, declared that Hay was a kingdom separate from the rest of the British Isles and that he himself was the King, a title that is acknowledged to the present day. Even those who foolishly tried to depose him recently only succeeded in confirmed Richard’s kingly status by their traitorous actions. After all, you can’t dethrone a man who isn’t a King! It was Richard’s idea to ‘invent’ the idea of the book town in the first place. The town itself occupies not only a physical borderline, but a metaphysical one; the dividing line between the logical and the illogical, the real and the fantastical, the visible and invisible worlds. The no-man’s-land between madness and sanity, even. Our ancestors, who were in general more closely aligned to the magical world than we are, believed that liminal places – and liminal times, such as dawn and dusk – were where the dividing line between the worlds was at its thinnest, and therefore in such places fairy activity was more likely to impinge on human sensibilities.

If you stick a pin in the centre of a map of Hay and draw a circle as described above, you’ll see a place called Cusop Dingle. This is a very good example of one of those fairy place names in the landscape, but it’s not immediately apparent and so we need to do a bit of linguistic archaeology to see exactly why. And the perfect man to tell me all about this mysterious place is the King of Hay himself, Richard Booth, who lives there.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

As recently as 1894 a woman was burned alive after her husband and family accused her of being a Changeling.

Hay Castle

The Hollow Hill

It seems that the word ‘Cusop’ is listed in the Domesday Book as ‘Cheweshope’, adapted from the Roman word, ‘Kyneshope’, which means ‘Hollow Hill’. Now, legendarily, a Hollow Hill is the place where our lost Gods and Goddesses, supernatural heroes and heroines, lay in wait until the day they will rise again; the most famous example of such a person is King Arthur, buried in a hollow hill whose location could be any one of a couple of at least a dozen sites scattered around the UK which are all keen to be associated with such a powerful and pivotal legend. And the fairies retreated to the Hollow Hills when various invaders and interlopers squeezed them out of their ancient homes.

Is it any coincidence that the local name for the conical-shape hill that rises up beside the Dulas Brook that defines Cusop Dingle has a name which, in local parlance, still means Hollow Hill? Or that Cusop itself was the last place in Britain where fairies are said to have been sighted, round about the turn of the twentieth century?

Fairyland Found

It’s interesting to observe that we always seem to have spoken about fairies and fairyland as though they were a thing of the past. A good example is in a Fourteenth Century play, by Chaucer. In The Wife of Bath he bemoans the fact that the fairies have been driven away by the religious piety of monks and friars. And two hundred years after this, Reginald Scot, the English writer, claimed that the fairies had disappeared after the Reformation. The last fairies in Oxfordshire apparently vanished under a hole near the Rollright Stones, and a century later two Scottish children witnessed the last procession (or ‘Rade’) of Scottish fairies. And yet, the fairy stories keep on coming. And, as we’ll see in the third section of this book, there are more modern versions of the fairy than at perhaps any other time.

It’s probable that our fairies have never really gone away; we just need to learn to look for them in different places, and with different eyes, to realise that they are more present than we might have realised. And that the concrete and the malls and the homogeneity that we talked about earlier have not impinged on fairyland in any way at all. It remains as elusive and mystical and as beautiful and as formidable as it ever was. We’ve always sought such a place, looked for its boundaries within the strictures of our material world. But that’s not where it is. We need to use our imaginations to truly gain an understanding of what constitutes fairyland, and also to realise the nature of what a fairy truly is. There are no limitations. I hope that this book will help you to realise just that.

Goblins in Toyland collectable figure

Adele Nozedar

Torpantau

31st October, 2010

SECTION ONE

A ROUGH GUIDE TO FAIRIES AND THEIR TERRITORY

Or; All you ever wanted to know about Fairies,

But Didn’t Know you Didn’t Know

WHAT EXACTLY IS A FAIRY?

Good question. We have to have a pretty good idea of what it is that we’re dealing with, after all. And we might also ask, while we’re thinking about it, what’s the difference between a fairy and an elf, or a fairy and a pixie, or a sprite, or a boggart or a . . . You get the idea. There is a vast range of fairy-like creatures, who cavort around in their own world for the most part, but stray into human territory – and consciousness – from time to time.

The term ‘fairy’, then, is used as a catch-all that encompasses all manner of ‘little people’ – all of them different aspects of nature spirits that are, for the most part, invisible to human beings, unseen, unheard, unnoticed. It’s impossible to know just how long the fairy archetype has been cemented into the human psyche, but we can assume that it’s been a long time. Fairy traditions were once only oral, never written down; it’s only by investigating the history of fairies in art and literature that we can start to understand the profound effect they have had on mankind over the centuries.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

It’s an old superstition that anyone born in the hours of darkness is more likely to be able to see fairies than someone born during the hours of daylight.

‘Fairy Queen Ragella’ by Saoirse Fitzpatrick

What is real, and what is fantastical?

If we think about the fairy purely as a symbol, it’s been said that they represent ‘the paranormal powers of the spirit or the extraordinary capacity of the imagination’. So, does this mean that fairies are an extension of the wilder realms of our imaginings? Does it mean that anything we can imagine can become manifest in the ‘real’ world? Or are both these notions wrong, and do fairies really exist in a time and place beyond the reach of our empirical world?

Whatever the case, it’s certainly true that fairy-folk and human beings have managed to exist together, rubbing along side by side, sharing the same universe, visible and invisible, for millennia. The fairy represents, amongst other aspects, the state of mind between human consciousness and unconsciousness, the state between childhood and adulthood. The no-man’s land between sleeping and waking, the space that the Aborigines refer to as ‘dreamtime’.

The natural world, too, is crammed with plants, minerals, places and suchlike that can either protect us against fairies or which are their own special domain or property . . . and consequently we should approach these ‘special places’ with extreme caution. One plant that springs to mind in particular is the hawthorn, the fairy tree which should be cut down only after permission has been asked of the fairies, and even then with great caution.

That human beings have had a belief in fairies for a VERY long time is evident from both written and oral evidence. And it’s not localised to any one place on the planet, but is a universal idea. For example, there are the ‘Gandharva’, a Sanskrit word describing a class of semi-divine musicians, from the Indian tradition. Then there are the nymphs and sylphs of the Greco-Roman myths, and the Djinn of the Arabic tales. And the older fairy tradition of the British Isles sees a very different race, a dark, dangerous people that are worlds apart from the pink, glittery and fluffy fairies that little girls of the twenty first century prefer to believe in. That’s not to say that these fairies are not equally valid – they’re just different.

Because the belief in fairies is universal, they are generally known by the names that belong to them in all the different cultures and traditions. These include the Elf (Germany), the Brownie (England and Scotland), the Gnome (Europe), the Pooka (Ireland), the Troll (Scandinavia) and the Sidhe (Ireland). We are fortunate, here in the British Isles, to be able to share our territory with a particularly diverse range of fairy species.

‘Inspire’. Fairy Art Doll by Sue Young, Sujati Designs

The Little People?

And in fact, it’s true that it’s very hard to make definitions between all these magical little folk. But for now, let’s stick to what we know about fairies per se, and see how our perceptions of them have altered over the centuries, and how they continue to alter.

The Meaning of the Word

The origins of words can give us a huge amount of information, since getting back to the source of a name means that we can get to the original intention of the people that devised that name in the first place, and can put ourselves in their shoes, can understand what they thought and how they perceived things.

So, please forgive this dry dictionary definition of ‘fairy’;

1. A small imaginary being of human form, believed to possess magical powers . . . from Old French faerie, from ‘fae’ FAY . . .

The Concise Oxford Dictionary, Ninth Edition, 1996

As we can see from the definition, ‘Fairy’ has its origins in an old French word, ‘faerie’, which refers to the enchanted realm of the ‘faie’ or ‘fee’. The modern spelling of this word is usually ‘fey’, and here’s where we strike gold; ‘faie’ itself is in turn derived from the Latin, ‘fata’, the Fates, which were guardian spirits that could advise and counsel humankind.

When we talk about ‘fatalism’, we’re using a word that essentially shares the same thread as our latter-day ‘fairy’. And we also bring into play the whole idea of destiny, and we’re reminded of the Fates of ancient legend (known in Greek as the ‘moirai’) that dictated the beginning, middle and end of every Human life and event.

So, we can see how ‘fey’ plus ‘ery’ – as in a place belonging to an activity, or the activity itself (as, for example, in ‘nunnery’,’ cookery’, ‘nursery’) easily becomes ‘fairy’. And indeed, in referring to fairies, we still use the word ‘fey’. Possibly the best-known example of this is of the Arthurian über fairy, Morgan le Fay. The term ‘Contes de Fee’, effectively meaning ‘Fairy Tales’, was coined in the eighteenth century by Madame d’Aulnoy, one of the great French fairy-tale writers and collectors. We’ll take a closer look at Madam d’Aulnoy and her work later in this book.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

In the eighth century AD, the Emperor Charlemagne issued an edict that forbad sylphs, the elemental personification of air, from appearing. This ban must have been very effective, since his son, Louis the Pious, thought fit to renew it.

The Fates

In Greek myth, the Fates – from whom it’s possible that the word ‘Fairy’ is derived – are called the Moraei. In Norse myth they’re called the Norns. And the Romans referred to them as the Parcae.

These three mystical women personified the idea of destiny – or ‘fate’, another word inspired by their name. They are often symbolised as weavers, working with the thread of life to spin out the destiny of every living being. This work, it is rumoured, carries on even after the earthly demise of the person. Their power is so great that even the lives of the Gods are in their hands; this means that the Fates are greater even than the deities. The names of the Fates reflect their roles. Clotho is the spinner, who spins the thread of live. Lachesis is responsible for measuring the life-span with her ruler or measuring tape, and her name means to gain something by lot; and finally there’s Atropos – whose name means ‘Unturning’ – who decides when the time is right for the thread of life to be cut, and for the person to die. Her name is the root of the word ‘atrophy’.

The Fates are generally depicted as being heartless and calculating, not open whatsoever to negotiation. In many ways, the amoral nature of the fairy has similarities to the uncompromising personalities of the Fates. In the UK, there’s a wonderful representation of them in Castell Coch, just outside Cardiff in the Welsh valleys. The castle was rebuilt by the Marquis of Bute and designed by William Burgess.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

The garden gnomes that we have a love/hate relationship with were first brought to the UK by a wealthy landowner, Sir Charles Isham. Isham brought back home 21 terracotta gnomes from a trip in Germany, and dotted them around the garden of his house, Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire. Only one of the gnomes survives today but Lampy, as he is known, is insured for a million pounds!

WHAT DEFINES A FAIRY?

So, given that we now know that the fairy has its origins in an ancient idea, let’s take a look at the defining characteristics that actually constitute a fairy.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. The ambiguities surrounding the subject are as ambiguous as the creatures themselves, and in many ways this is entirely how it should be. For example, there’s a very fuzzy area between what we accept as ‘standard’ for a fairy today – and remember our fairy folklore has been added to extensively even in the last few decades, particularly with the coming of cinema – and what our ancestors believed. But there are areas where these ideas coincide.

DID YOU KNOW..?

The name for Brazil has the same origins as Hy Brasail, The Land of Brasail, another word for the Realm of the Fairies.

Immortality

Numerous sources agree that fairies live forever, never age, and that although we humans are therefore inferior beings since we are mortal, there are nevertheless certain benefits to our mortality which may make some fairies want to have a taste of lives on the ‘other side’.

Having said that, there are some fairy creatures that are described as mortal, except that their lives are so very long they do seem to live forever.

No Concept of Time

If a mortal strays into fairyland, part of the enchantment is that time ceases to exist; upon return to the ‘real’ world, the passage of the years must come as a shock to the bemused human being who, no longer enchanted, realises that friends are either aged or dead and that once-familiar surroundings have become strange and alienating. There are lots of examples of this phenomenon in fairy tales; one of the best-known is of Rip Van Winkle, who wakes after forty years, to discover during his seeming sleep he’s been away with the fairies, and everything about his everyday life has altered dramatically in the interim.

Royal Winton Pixie Clock c1935. T&C Nelson Antiques, Brecon

Magical Powers

Sorcery, wizardry and other magical powers are an absolute pre-requisite for fairy folk. These powers may vary, but basically, with a fairy, it seems that almost anything is possible, including the powers of transformation or shape shifting, invisibility, and granting wishes. And, of course, the power of flight.

Flight and Levitation

Have you seen a relatively recent image of a fairy that doesn’t have wings? Probably not, and these wings are right at the top of the list of what we would nowadays expect of any self-respecting fairy. However, the introduction of wings is relatively recent, first appearing in the fairy art of the Victorians.

Prior to the addition of wings, fairies didn’t have any trouble travelling by means of levitation, and managed this by various means, such as floating on dandelion clocks or other seed heads, or using bundles of sticks in much the same way that we see witches riding about on broomsticks.

Fairies could also use magical spells as a means of taking flight. To do this, they used magical words and spells. Such spells also had the power to raise objects into the air, and transport them. One such powerful phrase, apparently, is ‘Horse and Hattock’. (The author of this book has tried this, though, to no avail. You might want to give it a go anyway). Other ways of getting about by magical means include simply giving an instruction; ‘To the Ball!’ for example. Or, for the more prosaic journey; ‘To the Supermarket!’

Furthermore, fairies can apparently levitate entire buildings and relocate them with not so much as a cup or glass out of place, if they feel like it.

Temperament

Fairies can be nice. Or fairies can be nasty. Or, indeed, fairies can be a bit of both. The Fairy Godmother is the perfect example of a fairy that is attached to a particular person and whose role in life it to smooth the path of that person with the application of a little bit of magic here and there. In this, there are strong parallels between the Fairy Godmother and the concept of the Guardian Angel. Conversely, there’s the ‘wicked’ type of fairy that treads a fine line between fairy and witch; think of the fairy that curses the infant Sleeping Beauty, for example. Some fairies, such as Tinkerbell, who first appears in the J.M. Barrie books about Peter Pan, can alternately help or hinder, since the nature of the fairy is known to be capricious.

On Nocturnal Dance of Fairies, in Other Words Ghosts. Olaus magnus 1555

Shape Shifting Capabilities

Whilst such talents might seem to be just another aspect of all-encompassing magical powers, the ability to turn into an animal or, indeed, into a human being, or a hybrid of the two, is a repetitive theme in fairy folklore and can therefore be taken as a defining characteristic.

Strange Stuff About Fairies

There are some strange things about fairies which you might notice; things that differentiate them from human beings, whatever their nature. Some of these traits mean that human beings with a similar condition have been suspected of being fairies. You can understand how physical abnormalities might be put down to supernatural reasons by our ancestors.

For example, there’s a particular species of Brownie found in Aberdeenshire that have their fingers joined together, but with a separate thumb. In humans this is known as syndactily, and anyone with this condition, especially if they were living in the Aberdeenshire area, would have had to endure prejudice and the suspicion that they were a member of a different species. Other such characteristics? Conjoined toes, facial deformities, certain kinds of birthmark, and in particular, oddly-coloured eyes were enough for people to be consigned as ‘otherworldly’.

DID YOU KNOW . . .?

There’s an old belief that the Devil extracts a ‘payment’ from the fairies every seven years. Called a ‘teind’ after the old lowland Scottish word for ‘tithe, or ‘tenth’, the Devil prefers this payment to be made in a blood sacrifice from amongst the most interesting inhabitants of Fairyland; humans are preferred.

SIGNS OF FAIRY INTERFERENCE – do fairies make people ill?

Did you know that the term ‘stroke’ – used to describe a heart attack or sudden seizure – has its origins in our belief in fairies? The term was originally ‘elf-stroke’ or ‘fairy stroke’, a condition brought about by such a