Do any fairies have wings?

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Permalink Reply by Crimpson on February 28, 2009 at 12:01am

there are many types of fairies, and a lot of people use the word "fairy" as a general term to label any small magical creature. some people are even so bad as to refer to angels and elves as fairies (they hate this). I'll name a few and give you an example.
Whisps and Zips are like little light bugs but posses no physical body.
Fairies and Pixies traditionally always have wings.
One creature commonly mistook for a fairy is a Brownie, but the Brownie is nothing like either a fairy or a pixy. They're more of a house gnome, small mischievous and often times troublesome creatures that live in your walls. Pixies are known for the same tendencies but generally don't live in your wall.
back to fairies... there are many types of fairies in general: Forest Fairies, River Fairies, Meadow Fairies, Fire Fairies(not to be confused with a fire imp). Fire Fairies don't really have wings, they dance in the heart of the fire and throw out sparks. Forest fairies are your most common fairy and their wings can be anything from that resembling a dragonfly, to old dead leaves or those of a gorgeous butterfly. one belief is that fairies have the ability to change the appearance of their wings, not to mention their many other magical abilities; invisibility, shape shifting/transformation, illusion just to name a few.
in short, the traditional fairy does have wings, though their appearance always very on the type of fairy and on that of the fairy its self.

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Permalink Reply by Tanewha on February 28, 2009 at 7:03am

As far as fairies go - the tiny creatures spawned from the repressed sexuality of the Victorian mind - then yes because they make such sweet pictures.

If you are talking about the Faeries, the Fae then it is a different story. They are the same size and shape as humans. They sort of have wings but only when they are in flight. They have the ability to ride magic force fields that permeate the Fae Realm. The interaction of the Faerie flight organs ( located near the shoulders) cause multi-coloured light patterns to be created that look much like wings. When they stop flying the "wings" disappear.

When the Fae and the Mundane worlds are linked the the magic forces leak out of the Fae Realm into the Mundane Realm allowing Faeries to fly here as well as there.

At the moment the two realms are separated and so those Faeries who are trapped in this world are unable to fly for now but it will not be long before herds* of Faeries will be taking to the skies.

* yes herd is the correct collective noun for them.

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Permalink Reply by Crimpson on February 28, 2009 at 7:59am

This is interesting. I haven't done much research on the Faerie and Fae and i have a couple of questions if you wouldn't mind answering them.
I first thought the Fay (Fae, Fey) was a Fairy in a human form through transformation. Is there any truth to this? Then i was told that the word Fay, Fey or Fae is a broad term for many magical or goodly beings including elves and gnomes. Now i have no doubt your description of a Fey is accurate but could you tell me if there is any relation between the Fairy and the Faerie. I never heard of a Fae Realm, unless you're meaning the same as the Fairy Realm (or Fairyland) because if there is a Fae Realm than i would think that that would make them entirely separate from Fairies. Maybe they are, I dunno.

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Permalink Reply by Tanewha on February 28, 2009 at 10:04am

OK here is a brief and incomplete ( i have not completed my study in Faerie Lore by a long shot) introduction.
I use "fairy" to refer to the diminutive fairy that Disney uses (Tinkerbell) and has been part of popular culture since the Victorian times. They are based on the Faery but are mostly the product of human imagination.

Fay, fey, fae, faerie is a general term that applies to all supernatural beings of the Faerie type. Although nearly every culture on earth has faerie lore I will concentrate on the Celtic tradition. This includes the solitary faeries such as Lepracaun, Cluricaun, Far Darrig and the beautiful but dangerous Leanhaun Shee; and the Trooping Faeries who make up the bulk of the Faerie population. Terms like Pixies, Brownies, Gnomes etc usually refer to Faeries it is just that they are in different locations and have different appearances and habits just lie humans in different countries. They are called the "good people" not because they look after forests and little bunny rabbits but because people are very afraid of them and for very good reason - they will punish those who offend them up to and including death. On the other hand they will reward those who please them. Always refer to the Faerie with respect.

As for the Faerie Realm many ancients believed the Faerie Folk lived underground in Hills but it is most likely that these hills held gates to a world that is hidden to us but parallel to ours. A great hero of the Tuatha De Danaan, called Lugh of the Long Arm, could reach into the Faerie Realm to get things and he did this in battle to retrieve his invincible spear.

So little fairies like Tinkerbell are fantasy. Faeries are real and are a multitude of related beings that are spread around the world just as the gates from the mundane to the Faerie world are found in all lands.

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Permalink Reply by Crimpson on February 28, 2009 at 9:59pm

"I use "fairy" to refer to the diminutive fairy that Disney uses (Tinkerbell) and has been part of popular culture since the Victorian times. They are based on the Faery but are mostly the product of human imagination."

I'm sorry but I have to disagree with you that they are mostly the product of our imagination. There have been many accounts of the diminutive Fairy and that word its self "Fairy" is traditionally used to discribe the wee little people with wings.
Gnomes are appropreite tp bring up at this time as there are versions of both tall Gnomes (like humans) and short Gnomes (the size of small forest creatures). there are many stories and accounts of these short forest Gnomes coensiding with the diminutive Fairy.

The rest of what you said makes sense and I can agree with, eaven take notes on. Thank you.

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Permalink Reply by unseelie man on March 1, 2009 at 8:07am

Most of the smaller fae have wings,elves,brownies and upper fae do not. The great fae also known as the sidhe look very human except for feline eyes.These can open doors from our realm to the nevernever (choice of way to say faerie realm) and dont need wings.

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