Faerie Realm – Page 3 – Mark Bere Peterson’s Hauntings, Urban Legends the Northern Tradition and Southern Witchcraft

Faerie Flowers

Specific flowers, such as buddleia, attract butterflies and fairies alike. Wild flowers that are bell-shaped, such as foxgloves and bluebells, work in much the same way. Planting certain flowers will encourage fairies to come in their droves and bring an extra sparkle of magic to your back yard:

Bluebell: The indigo hue attracts fairies. They love to dance on bluebell-carpeted woodland.
Buttercup: The golden cup brings confidence and awareness of your own abilities.
Clover: Three- or four-leaved clover can be carried as a protective charm.
Cowslip: Thought to be a portal into the fairy dimension.
Daffodil: This yellow trumpet ushers in the spring and brings clarity and new beginnings.
Daisy: Holds both the strong male energy of the sun and the soft feminine energy of the moon.
Heather: Perfect for fairies to feed from.
Honeysuckle: Its potent fragrance evokes old memories and buried feelings.
Lavender: Its therapeutic fragrance soothes, cleanses and calms and induces sleep.
Marigold: Connected to the warmth of the sun, it has magical potency at noon.
Poppy: Bringer of dreams and visions, inspiration and creativity – when used carefully.
Primrose: Portal to the fairy realm. Protects the household from harm.
Rose: Bringer of love, healer of the heart and feminine energy.
Snapdragon: Repels negativity and reveals hidden truths.
Tulip: Shaped like a chalice, this ‘cup of love’ assists with feeling the blessings of nature.”

Sources: Connecting with the Fairies Made Easy

Avoiding Being Taken By Faeries

Faerie Realm, Folklore, Mythology

In faerie lore there is the tradition where the fae whisk away humans to fairyland. Humans also run the risk of accidentally wandering into fairyland, which is why one might want to stay away from bluebell fields and other fairy-rich environments, and avoid consuming fairy food or drink, which could leave one vulnerable to being tricked into making a little visit there. The fairies don’t really need a reason to do so, but they might take a young man or woman who’s especially desirable to be the husband or bride of a fairy ruler; there are stories of fairies using humans as slaves in their palaces, and young mothers were desirable for their milk, which apparently is of better quality than the fairies’. And of course if you betray or upset the fairies, all bets are off.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid this tragic fate:

Do not step in mushroom rings.
If you hear music from an unidentifiable source, try not to listen.
Take off your coat or shirt and turn it inside out if you think fairies may be near. It sounds odd, but it works. It doesn’t so much repel them, but it does confuse them long enough for you to escape.
Fairies hate iron, which is like poison to them. Carry some with you—a nail or small object—just in case.
To avoid being taken by fairies, keep on their good side. Show them respect. Leave them a bowl of milk (or bread, cream, butter, or ale) outside your door.
As you walk by a natural body of water, throw in a piece of silver as a gift for them.
By all means, if you ever take anything from nature, leave a small biodegradable gift in token.
Never, ever say thank-you to fairies for anything they’ve done. A human thank-you offends them, because they feel it trivializes their contribution and effort.
Do not accept fairy gifts. If you do so, you owe them. And they can ask for anything in return.
Never tell a fairy your name. Names have great power. If a fairy ever gives you his or her true name, it’s a huge sign of trust and not to be misused.
Always be polite.
If you do find yourself trapped in fairyland, do not eat or drink anything, no matter how alluring and delectable. You may still be able to escape as long as you follow this rule.
Be prepared for time to have passed differently in fairyland if you ever have need to go there. You can never visit the fairies and leave unchanged.

Sources: The Faerie Handbook

A Guide to the Faerie Realm

Faerie Realm, Mythological Creatures, Mythology

Politeness and respect goes a long way. It could save your ass and it is really a universal skill to have.
If a faery starts talking to you be sure to be polite. It will not do you any harm. Woe if you’re rude or pompous because you may find yourself in a heap of trouble.
Do not purposely insult the Fae. Apologize and truly mean it– even then they might not forgive you. (Humans are the same way…)
Please do not assume that all Fae know one another, or like one another.
Faery food is fine it is from someone your personally trust then you do need not to be weary about what you are eating.
Do offer the fae folk sweet, shiny, natural gifts. We like the shiny.
Honey.
Recognize your environmental/carbon footprint. Plenty of fae dedicate time and effort in helping protect the planet. You should too!
According to lore it would be wise not to walk into circles of mushrooms. In Faerie they are spellbound.
Circles of dark green grass, too.
If you choose to befriend a faery do not carry cold iron on you. (However, iron that’s been shaped into other things, such as steel and Wrought iron is not as lethal) and they will take it offensively.
Faerie time is different from Earthly time.
Try to not say thank you. The fae find it disrespectful as it dilutes their act of kindness or whatever they have done for you. Say “you are most kind” or “I appreciate your help/act of kindness/fellowship” etc. as a means of gratitude.
Not over or under, but in-between, is where you’ll find the blessed and unblessed unseen.
Nothing in Faerie is black or white, everything is gray.
Keeping the rule of number 13 in mind, do not say I’m sorry. Say “my apologies”, “pardon me”, or “I express regret”.
When the fae speak they mean everything they say. The tongue holds power so be careful what you say and listen closely to them because they may be saying more than they let on.
If you are so super awesome that you can get the fae to promise something they will stick to that promise even if it means them death. The phrases “a faery’s promise” and “you have my word” are very powerful. Either of these sayings mean business.
Fae are masters of manipulation. They will twist your words and generally make you regret what you asked for. Do understand that manipulation is a survival skill and it honestly isn’t narrowed down to just Fae culture.
You can actually contract a fae: bond between you and them where both parties have to do something for one another– be careful. Faeries are very good at finding loopholes. Ex: You say they can’t cause you any injury and then they bite you, explaining the fact that they simply chose to take injury as meaning “verbal insult” instead of “bodily harm”. Very sly.
The fae are able use glamour to confuse you or mislead you if that is their goal.
If you are going for walks in wooded areas and get an overwhelming feeling of not being welcome then leave immediately. The Fae there probably feel threatened by your arrival and do not want you there. Or it could be something else entirely not fae.
Some areas are more prone to fae activity than others, they could be urban or wild.
Branches from hawthorn trees have a protective abilities. They also lure faeries and you might be able to see them there.

Gwragedd Annwn

Celtic, Faerie Realm, Mythological Creatures, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries

The famous Lake Maidens of Wales, their name means ‘Otherwordly women’. While many fairies who make their homes in bodies of water are at best mercurial and at worst murderous, the Gwragedd Annwn have a good reputation for kindness and gentle ways. They appear as beautiful young women and are known to make good wives when they marry human men, although like many fairy wives they usually leave if the man violates a taboo relating to them.

In many stories of these Lake Maidens this taboo has to do with the husband striking the wife three times. Even if they are forced to leave their family such fairy women stay involved with their children, and one Welsh family renowned for their medical knowledge claimed it had come from a long-distant Gwragedd Annwn ancestor. The Gwragedd Annwn are strongly associated with cattle, both Earthly cows and Otherworldy ones, which may be seen as symbols of abundance and blessing.

Corrigans (Korrigans)

Faerie Realm, Mythological Creatures, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries

A type of fairy found in Brittany that is less of a specific kind of being so much as a general category of beings is the Corrigan. They might be loosely compared to the generic English idea of elves as small, mischievous creatures. Corrigans are social fairies who live in groups and enjoy dancing; where they dance mushroom rings are said to appear. They wear white exclusively and are the size of young children, but look like an adult in miniature.

Corrigans can be very cruel to humans in their power and they are usually less inclined to aid people, but are not always hostile towards them and will sometimes help around homes or farms. They are nocturnal fairies and only emerge at dusk and during the night-time. In most ways they are exactly like all other Celtic fairies: they are known to steal human children, to punish those who spy on them or repeat their secrets, and to reward those who please them.

Corrigans have beautiful hair and red flashing eyes. They are sometimes described as important princesses or druidesses who were opposed to Christianity when the Apostles came to convert Brittany. They hate priests, churches, and especially the Virgin Mary. They can predict the future, change shape, and move at lightning speed.

Like sirens and mermaids, they sing and comb their long hair, and they haunt fountains and water wells. They have the power of making men fall in love with them, but they then kill the ones who do. In many popular tales, they are eager to deceive the imprudent mortals who see them dancing or looking after a treasure, and fond of stealing human children, substituting them with changelings. On the night of 31 October (Samhain), they are said to be lurking near dolmens (a megalithic tomb with a large flat stone laid on upright ones, found chiefly in Britain and France) waiting for victims.

Oberon, King of the Faeries

Faerie Realm, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries, William Shakespeare

First mentioned as a King of the Fairies in a 15th century French romance, Oberon also appeared in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream paired with the Fairy Queen Titania. In contrast other sources say his queen was Mab, and while Shakespeare described Oberon as human sized, in the French story he was the size of a toddler. This may reflect the shape-shifting powers of the fairies or the use of glamour to alter perceptions, or perhaps merely indicate the same name being used for two different Fairy Kings between cultures.

In Huon of Bordeaux, the first place Oberon appears as a Fairy King, he is described as small and deformed, yet extremely handsome, wearing a jeweled gown that glows. This Oberon carries a bow that never misses and a magical horn that cures all illnesses and acts as a cornucopia. A 16th century literary source described Oberon as tiny and said he could not bear sunlight and fled the light of day. The name Oberon is also strikingly similar to names used for familiar spirits during the Renaissance, including ‘Auberon’ and ‘Oberycom’; in this guise he was invoked as a spirit of luck and to gain power for the person calling him. This could mean that Oberon was a general term for a powerful male fairy that was later applied as a name for Fairy Kings. In that case, if we also view Diana/Titania as a similar generic name applied to a Fairy Queen there is a logic in pairing the two together.

Concept of Time in Fairyland

Faerie Magic, Faerie Realm, Mythology

One distinctive feature of Fairy is the flow of time; in most cases time in Fairy seems to move at a different pace than on Earth. We may see a single night go by in Fairy while years pass on Earth, or in one anecdote years passed for a man in Fairy while only minutes passed here. We see a variety of stories where a person joins a fairy dance for what they believe is only a single night only to find at dawn that years, decades, or even a century has passed while they danced.

In the tale of King Herla a single night of feasting in Fairy occurs while 200 years pass on mortal Earth. There is no clear predictable pattern to this, however, and the fairies themselves seem exempt from the disjointed temporal effect, as they often and regularly cross between the two worlds, even maintaining friendships with mortals over the length of the person’s lifetime, without difficulty. The same is obviously not true for mortals, or at least not without fairy aid, as we see many mortals doomed by their time in Fairy because they return to a world that is utterly changed from the one they left by nothing more esoteric than the passage of time.

Trows

Celtic, Faerie Realm, Mythological Creatures, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries

A term found in the Shetland and Orkney Islands of Scotland, likely imported to there from Norse areas during occupation periods. Possibly a variant of the word trolls. Trow is considered roughly synonymous to other Scottish terms for fairies including sighean.

In some folklore Trows are described as very human in appearance, although they may appear old, shrivelled, or physically deformed. In other stories, however, they are described as clearly inhuman, unattractive, and twisted, even in sometimes appearing as a mix of human and horse. They are often described in unflattering terms as having oversized feet, large noses, flat faces, and short limbs. They can range in height from three to six feet depending on the story. They are often said to dress in grey, although sometimes they appear in green, red, white, or black.

It was claimed that the witches in these areas dealt with the trows, much as we see the witches in other areas dealing with fairies, and as in other areas the trows were known for shooting magical arrows that caused illness and death and for swapping changelings for beings they wanted. In Shetland the Trows prefer night time and fear the sun which traps them on earth until it sets. Like some other kinds of fairies Trows will make themselves welcome in human homes at night while the inhabitants are sleeping, coming in to sit by the fireside; they are known to dislike people who lock their doors for this reason. Trows live in mounds that are often called knowes and like other fairies they will steal humans, most often brides, and enjoy music and causing mischief.

Size of Faeries

Faerie Realm, Mythological Creatures, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries

The size of fairies is an often debated subject, yet folklore paints a clear, if varied, image of them. While modern depictions tend to favour small, childlike imagery looking at the wider scope of material we find everything from miniscule ant sized beings to gigantic fairies twice as tall (or more) than humans. The most common depictions fall into two main categories: those that are around 2 feet tall and those that are the height of an average human being.

What we find in many of the stories and ballads is that fairies look very much like human beings except that they have an aura of Otherworldliness to them or in some other intangible way project their fairy qualities. As Andrew Lang puts it:

“There seems little in the characteristics of these fairies of romance to distinguish them from human beings, except their supernatural knowledge and power. They are not often represented as diminutive in stature, and seem to be subject to such human passions as love, jealousy, envy, and revenge…The People of Peace (Daoine Shie [sic]) of Ireland and Scotland are usually of ordinary stature, indeed not to be recognized as varying from mankind except by their proceedings…” (Andrew Lang, 1910).”

Fairy Queen Titania

Faerie Realm, Mythology, Varieties of Faeries, William Shakespeare

Titania is a Fairy Queen who appears as an important character in Shakespeare’s play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ written in the mid 1590’s. In the play she is the wife of the Fairy King Oberon and the two are fighting over a changeling child; because of the fight Titania is refusing her husband’s company and so he sets one of his servants out to make her fall in love with a foolish mortal as a punishment. Titania’s name connects to that of the goddess Diana, suggesting that Titania was meant to be an epithet for the well-known goddess. Diana is often associated by early modern writers with both fairies and witches so there is a certain logic to this idea. Titania’s name is not widely seen elsewhere in literature although it does appear in one magical text found in the British Museum.

Titania appears in a handful of works after Shakespeare, usually paired with Oberon or as a minor character; examples include a reference to her in Faust I and in an opera titled ‘Oberon, or the Elf King’s Oath’. Shakespeare’s Titania did not find widespread popularity in modern culture although she does either appear, or is referenced, in some video games and literature. Perhaps her most high profile modern appearance would be as the Summer Court Queen in the Dresden Files books, although she does also appear as the Queen of the Black Court in Dana Marie Bell’s ‘Grey Court’ series.