The Truth About Fae

[SoulSplat]

POSTED BY ECLECTA MAR 15, 2006

I read somewhere recently when trying to get a better understanding of Fae, that they are prone to lying and are sometimes tricksters?  Is this fact or myth?

[SoulSplat]

REPLY BY NATASHA MAR 31, 2006

Tricksters yes, lying depends on the person really. Fae tend to enjoy playing pranks on people, but mostly are happy go-lucky glittery beings that would rather spend time chasing bubbles and whatnot than causing problems.

We can be very wishy-washy concerning cementing plans simply because Fae would rather be free than have a set schedule.

[SoulSplat]

POSTED BY XAPHANIEL APR 11, 2006

i know as it goes with fairy folk the tales i was told as a child and then as an adult lol the scottish fairy folk were good to its peoples but as it goes there was alot of undertones not said in the stories and then later you find out that in the story that they norrmaly traped the hero or heroin in there land then theres full on ones telling of how they intentialy tricked its peoples into situations for there benifits.

one thing is that when you have asked for something and its given to you or put in your way its a thing never to say "thank you" aparantly its etiquette to tell them why your thankfull lol as it goes it works alot beter.

as for modern fae i havent met that many and been in there online company long enough to tell if there all tricksters lol sorry couldnt help it just going on about mythos and all

xaph

[SoulSplat]

POSTED BY ZERO AUG 1, 2006

The first interesting thing that one has to do is separate out medieval and Victorian fiction, which is only loosely based on traditional folklore -- the little "tinkerbell" faeries, the Shakespearean faeries with their wiles and rhymed couplets, etc.

Once that's done, the salient and common thread among almost all folk lore and history regarding Faeries is the quality of alienness. Faeries are almost as muddled a category as "vampires," but there are some interesting facts that can get sifted out to start with:

1 - the mythic history of Ireland treats the Fae as one of several competing nations warring over the island. They are described as having supernatural nature or abilities, but then again, so are some of the other competing nationalities, including other nonhumans and even humans. Some folks analysing the Book of Invasions are led to conculde that this was all metaphors for different *human* tribes, and all the business about the war with the Fae was actually a metaphor for some indigenous group who lost the war.

2 - the "little people" bit is under debate - did the ancient humans of Ireland really mean that they were short? Was this another euphamism or poetic device? Did they believe that the Fae were tall, short, or Variety Pack? Further murking up already-cloudy waters is the recent discovery of small-framed hominid skeletons in Indonesia, sparking debate as to whether Faerey legends are actuallyfolkloric mementos of a time when modern humans as we know them existed contemporaneously with societies of much smaller hominids:
http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,65492,00.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041028144857.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_floresiensis

3 - the folklore surrounding Faeries demonstrates their alienness, in that encounters with Fae sometimes do not make sense and modern analyses often attribute the strange things that happen around Fae in these stories to "mischief" and "malice," but it's unclear as to whether it's just Fae being Fae and humans getting really confused. Things that don't confuse humans are impossible to navigate for the Fae, like not being able to find you if your clothes are inside-out.

4 - beyond alienness of culture or perception, Fae encounter stories have an element of *contamination* to the alienness - time works strangely around them-- seem like a familiar complaint of Otherkin, energy workers, psivamps, and UFO enthusiasts?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1588340635/sr=8-2/qid=1154489294/ref=sr_1_2/104-2613504-0283948?ie=UTF8

So you spend time with Faeries and you wind up spending more or lless time than you thought, sometimes a Rip-Van-Winkle amount..

Also, you can't go there and come back again, not without some major effort, and you can't eat their food or you become them. So different that sharing a meal will permanently contaminate you and make your substance of them and of their world. Merely seeing them in the woods can accidentally lead you to your death.

So, do they lie alot? over the years, this reputation for alienness translated in the literature to being lawyer-slick -- faeries were supposed to have to tell the truth and so get around it by mincing words.

Are they malicious or capricious? Again, the literature would have it so.

But the nature of faery-encounter stories in folklore really suggests that the ancients who originally talked about them really had no idea how they worked, or what they wanted.

There is no lore on how to interact with Faery culture, how to go to Faery, etc. It's all how to avoid Faeries, because that's what you did if you wanted to be able to predict anything in your life.

[SoulSplat]

POSTED BY MERTICUS NOV 14, 2006

Realm Of Air

To all fae bearing winged, air is the element of choice. Every storm and breath of wind is their work, from the tiniest puff to the most terrifying gale. They often take the shapes of birds, or incorporate aspects of their design into their human forms and are particularly fond of birds' wings. Many speak the language of birds and sometimes teaching human speech to the birds. Air is a creative force, resulting in their intellectual versitily of air faeries, who work to stimulate inspiration and creativity. Fae who fly are the most evolved of the fae, having incorporating all aspects of the four elements. Wings are symbolic of air, legs of earth, their shimmering qualities of fire, and a shape shifting aspect represents water's fluidity. Added to these four, is the fifth magical element, moonlight.

In this section you will find: Slyphs, Trows, Phooka and Fachan

Realm Of Earth

The element of famed faery circles; earth fae are the spiritual force of nature. Residing deep in the earth, they can be found in barrows, rocks, roots, caves, caves, quarries and mine shafts.

Earth fae work in and maintain the physical structure of the earth. Because of their close relationship to metals and woods, the craftsmanship of earth faeries usually far supercedes that of humans.

I have divided the earth fae into two groups. Forest Fae and Mountain Fae.

Among the Forest Fae you will find: Pixies, Leprechauns, Brownies, Gnomes, Will'o'wisps, the Green Man, Bally Bogs and Boggarts.

Within the Mountain Fae reside: Goblins, Spriggans, Dwarfs and Trolls.

Realm Of Water

Running water is a favorite haunt of faery kind. Indeed, crossing through or over running water is a method by which their realm may be reached. Be warned that the size of the body of water is of little concern to the fae. Oceans, lakes, rivers, springs and pools are as likely as teardrops and raindrops to harbor faeries.

Water faeries heal and purify the earth. Their presence is typically communicated to humans through dreams.

Those calling the element of Water home are: Undines, Mermaids, Selkies, the Fir Darrig, Beansidhe, Leanan Sidhe, and Kelpies.

Realm Of Fire

Instilled with magical properties by many societies, fire is a natural element to assign faery phenomena. Pagan Holy Days such as Midsummer's Eve and Samain were renowned for fairy attentions, as they gathered around ceremonial flames. Hearths, in particular, served as homes for numerous types of faeries. Bringing wealth and gifts to their masters, they are excellent workers in farmyards, workshops, kennels, or stables. Should you be so lucky as to have one residing in your home, take care to provide prompt and proper gratitude. Fire spirits reflect the volatile nature of their element and can become quite hostile when they feel slighted.

Harbored by the element of Fire: Salamanders and Drakes.

Source:  http://thefae.freeservers.com/

[SoulSplat]

REPLY BY LadyAnara MAR 3, 2006

Merticus, Just wanted too comment on your fae post, these are most oftenly the elemental faerie kinds, those who sometimes slip over into the "mundane realm" (more and more often as the veil and barriers recede). They differ greatly from other Otherkin reincarnated faerie.

(and elves) which i will post on a little bit later

[wicthdragon]

I have a qustion are fae in human bodies or faekin' that  diffrent from fae who do not live on earth.? and also at the end of the day dose it even really matter aren't they still fae any way no matter the form or being on earth.?

not sure if the second part if this post was a qustion or more of a statement but i just figure it needed to be said thank you for your time,.

[SoulSplat]

Ah, is a rose just a rose. Is a cigar just a cigar? I think those cliches can apply here.

I think the more imprtant thing to take away are the many definitions of Fae. Different cultures have interpreted the "Fae" in different ways. Similar to the vampire.

Is it possible one culture saw something that had Fae qualities and labeled it Fae. And even though it was something new and different, the name just stuck. The same could be possible when talking about "off-world" fae.

[wicthdragon]

Ok i can dig that like  just because 'i am in human form dose not make me less  of a dragon or a  pheoinx or  vampire  .

just means  i am in human form is all.

but i do  get what ya mean basicly every one has diffrent takes  on what they think is the fae are .

[NyteMuse]

I have a qustion are fae in human bodies or faekin' that  diffrent from fae who do not live on earth.? and also at the end of the day dose it even really matter aren't they still fae any way no matter the form or being on earth.?

not sure if the second part if this post was a qustion or more of a statement but i just figure it needed to be said thank you for your time,.

*chuckles at the do not live on earth comment*  The fey really are all around, just kind of on different planes, so I don't really think of that as not-on-earth.

At any rate, if you're getting at what I think you're getting at, yeah, we're the same.  There are lots of different reasons why beings incarnate...for most of the fey (at least the ones I'm acquainted with), it's either for fun/to screw around, or because fey are really sensual creatures and have a lot of fun with the "sins of the flesh" *grin*  Except for the few who had it done as a punishment, but even so, it's not a huge deterrent, so not used all that much.

And, as for the lying comment, most fey will not lie.  Your word is your bond in faerie, and to be caught outright lying is to be foresworn and cast out of faerie.  We do spend a lot of time and energy on word games and lawyer-speak and dancing around the truth so much that you'll think it's a lie, but nearly all of the fey I know will not knowingly flat out LIE.  If you think they have, they're either already outcast and don't really care about faerie anymore, or they've actually not lied, you just interpreted as such.  Or, if they really and truly believe it's truth, it's not a lie.

[Nata-Chan]

Fae are still around and they do take the form of humans. Most fae are "halfbreed" now because the fae would mate with humans. They are not the "little people" that they are made out to be in myths. Fae are also very mischievous as the myths say.. that is one of the things that are true. The whole bread and bells deal is not, although the not liking silver thing is. Fae are "allergic" to silver, it blocks their senses to magic. The "wing" myth is also untrue. Fae are able to use their magic to fly.... well full blooded fae are. There are different classes of far too.... like elven-fae, blood fae(kind of like vampires but at the same time not), dark fae, and light fae. Fae are also very..... sexual I guess you could say. As NyteMuse said they like the "sins of the flesh". Also the lying part is some what true... as I said it depends on if the fae is full blooded or not. The half breeds tend to lye at points because they have human in them.

[NyteMuse]

Fae are still around and they do take the form of humans. Most fae are "halfbreed" now because the fae would mate with humans.

I think that might depend on one's definition of "halfbreed".  Yes, fey did reproduce with humans, but faerie "genetics" traditionally work differently than the genetics we know of.  Often the dominant or more powerful "genepool" would win out, so a half-sidhe, half-something else baby would not display attributes of the non-sidhe parentage and would just appear to be sidhe.  Made it easier to ignore the cross-breeding down the generations *grin*

They are not the "little people" that they are made out to be in myths.

Actually, the terms fey, fae, fairy, faery, and faerie have been used to refer to...well, a large umbrella of different beings.  Some fey are wee ones, others are human-sized, others even larger.

The whole bread and bells deal is not, although the not liking silver thing is. Fae are "allergic" to silver, it blocks their senses to magic.

Actually, iron is more commonly a deterrent than silver in the traditional lore.  Manmade metals and materials also (anything not found in nature) can cause havoc.

BTW, what do you mean by "the whole bread and bells deal"?

The "wing" myth is also untrue.

Mm...I dunno about that.  True, the sidhe don't generally have wings, but demi-fey and pixies do, and they are also considered creatures of faerie

Also the lying part is some what true... as I said it depends on if the fae is full blooded or not. The half breeds tend to lye at points because they have human in them.

I'm curious about your source on this one.  Oftentimes it seems like fey might lie, but more often we just kind of find a loophole or "pixie" out of a deal by a semantic argument.

[Nata-Chan]

The bread and bells thing I read somewhere....  I don't remember where but yeah. The little people thing..... well most far are human size now because of such dilution in the blood... thats what I was gettin g at in the "halfbreed" thing. The lying part I know is true because I know a Fae. She lives in South Carolina and we are very close. She does do the whole loophole thing but she does lie on occasion.

[Nata-Chan]

There are two main types of Fae. These are pure Fae and half-fae. Pure Fae are pure energy, like light. Half-fae are humans who are basically half-human and half-fae.

Pure Fae ? They are pure energy as stated above and if seen they appear as sparkling lights or blobs of color. As the Fae are connected to plants you can always find them there. If you start communicating with them they can take form. Their form comes from your own mind. So some people see them as aliens and others see them as tiny pixies and others see them as the great Eldanar (elves) or Pan.

The Fae can be very childlike as they live only in the present. Also they think together as a whole rather than separate as we do. They also have Queens and Kings which are a group of Fae who all come together and make up this being. Which can then scatter into sparkling lights as they separate.

Fae Races- There are many different races. The sidhe, who are the old ones. Elves, pixies, dwarves, satyrs, fauns, pucks, pookas, mermaids, sylphs, dryads and many others. There are books written on many of these races so I won?t go into them right now. The races are often connected with certain elements. Elements meaning Air, Fire, Water, Earth. But do not mistake them for Elementals. Those are different beings.

Plants - They are one with plants and all plants have the Fae with them. It can be one Fae or a family of them. They work with plant, helping them to survive and connect them to other plants. By communicating with your plants you are talking to the Fae and your emotions towards the plant with your communication can help the Fae help the plant. You can get plants to grow like crazy. You can also communicate with the Fae and they can tell you what the plant can do, such as healing or for food. You can also use the spirit energy of the plant through communication with the Fae. This allows you to use the plant without it's physical presence being there.

A good example is: You could call the Fae who works with sage to bring the spirit of sage so that you could purify your house. To call the Fae, singing to them, visualization, offerings of alcohol and sweet foods often work well. Being closer to nature always makes it easier. Since the Fae and plants are all in harmony they can have a powerful effect on us. Especially when it comes to healing us. This is because we have the ability to create things that aren't in harmony. This disharmony is what makes most of us sick in mind, body and spirit.

If you start communicating with heir form comes from your on mind. So some people see them as aliens and others see them as tiny pixies and others see them as the great Eldanar (elves) or Pan. The Fae can be very childlike as they live only in the present. They think together as a whole rather than separate as we do. They also have Queens or Kings which are a group of Fae who all come together and make up this being. Which can then scatter into sparkling lights as they separate.

Half-fae: We are talking about people, human beings who are half Fae. Often called having the blood of the Fae within you. What this m is someone who has created oneness within themselves and thus becomes in harmony with everything around them. They become magic and effect their environment and the people around them without doing anything special, just being themselves. Their harmony starts making things around them move towards harmony. These people can connect very easily to other people and their environment.

[NyteMuse]

Also they think together as a whole rather than separate as we do.

*raised eyebrow*  Um, could you provide a source on this?

Half-fae: We are talking about people, human beings who are half Fae. Often called having the blood of the Fae within you. What this m is someone who has created oneness within themselves and thus becomes in harmony with everything around them. They become magic and effect their environment and the people around them without doing anything special, just being themselves. Their harmony starts making things around them move towards harmony. These people can connect very easily to other people and their environment.

Semantic difference, I guess.  When I refer to something has "half-something", I'm usually thinking on a measurable genetic level.  Since we have no preternatural biologists, I don't think of fey genetics.  I can see being part-fey on a spiritual level (i.e. Otherkin)...be pretty hypocritical if I didn't, but I don't know if I believe in actual fey blood.