Fairies

When most people hear the word fairy the think of a small cute creature that wants nothing more than to be helpful, however for a long time this was not the case. In spite of the appearance the media frequently gives them fairies were once an object of great fear in western Europe. There are many different kinds of fairies in legends but most stories agree that they looked like humans and had at least some level of magic powers. Their size varied from the tiny sprites that are now popular to being as large as the average person though many of them were said to be capable of changing their size to whatever they wish. Another deviation from modern depictions is that fairies rarely were said to have wings, but rather would fly using magic. There are many different stories saying what exactly a fairy is some say that they are spirits of nature or the dead while others say they are demons, angels, or something else that is entirely separate from either. Entrances to the land of the fairies was said to be found deep in caves where unsuspecting explorers could easily end up if they weren't careful. It was said that time flowed differently there with one day in the land of fairies becoming seven years outside or people spending years there only to emerge and find almost no time had passed at all.

What were they known for?

While fairies were known for many things one of the most popular stories was their kidnapping of children and replacing them with changelings. Besides newborns fairies were known to abduct other people as well with the reasons and duration of the abduction varying by story. Similar to the greek stories of the underworld it was said that if you ate anything while in the land of fairies then you would be trapped there for all eternity. Generally speaking fairies were seen as dangerous and to be avoided whenever possible. The most popular way recorded to protect oneself from them was said to be iron which was said to be a very potent poison to them even if it only touches them. They are also well known from Arthurian legends in which the lady of the lake(a fairy) gives king Arthur the legendary sword excalibur after he breaks the Sword in the Stone. It is also said Morgan le Fay from the same legends had a connection with the fairies as her name implies.

Purpose of the myth

Just as stories are unclear what fairies are it is unclear why the myth itself exists. Some people say that it is what became of minor deities in various pagan religions when Christianity took over a region. Others see them as being nature spirits fulfilling a role similar to that angels and demons have in Christianity.

Modern Influences

The most obvious modern influence of fairies is their namesake that is seen in many children's shows and stories. Also as with many creatures found in ancient stories sightings of them continue to this day.A more interesting modern relation though is their relation to alien abductions. While the two appear dissimilar at a glance closer inspection has revealed that modern reports of alien abduction are quite similar to ancient stories of fairy abductions. Both phenomena involve time flowing at an abnormal rate though alien abductions are said to last a much shorter period of time and the time said to be lost is also shorter. Both are said to have a particular interest in abducting pregnant women and newborns as well and some stories give them similar appearances too.