The terms “faeries”, “fairies”, “fairyland” are words that people are familiar with and most often use when talking about the Other World and its inhabitants.
In general, the word “fairy” means “doomed to die soon” or “sinister”, but over time it came to be associated with fairies.
This spelling of the word may come from a tradition that considers the Other People dangerous and formidable in relation to people who do not harmonize with them.
The term “fairy” was introduced in the 16th century by Spenser in his epic “The Faerie Queene” during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in England and denoted the Other World, although over time it came to refer to individual inhabitants of it.
Usually, scholars consider the Other People of the Old Religion to be the old gods, whose power faded with the advent of the New Religion. At some point, the pagan gods were reimagined and incorporated into the new hierarchy as fallen angels who failed to choose a side in the war between God and Lucifer (the “bringer of light” in ancient Rome, a reference to Venus, the morning star).
They were too good for Hell (named after the Norse goddess Hel) but not good enough for Heaven, and over time they were considered demons.
And with the advent of the Victorian era, they were further reduced in size to tiny creatures in human form with butterfly wings, and were finally decided to exist only as fantasies and speculations of damaged ancient people, like the Picts or the Fads.
Interestingly, demons (from the Greek word daimon, meaning spirit) and devils were considered real, and were certainly worth avoiding or exorcising with the help of the appropriate church authorities.
The Other Folk, on the other hand, often prefer names such as Good Neighbours, Shining Ones, Others, and even Friends or Companions. “Sidhe” or “Other Folk” may also be used.
The Sidhe (usually pronounced “shee”, meaning “mound” or “hill”) are the Fairy Folk, said to dwell in the great banquet halls beneath the ancient burial mounds of Ireland. Often associated with spirits, the word is also reflected in the concept of the “banshee”, a ghostly figure of a weeping woman (sometimes washing bloody linen) who predicts death.
The nobles of the Sidhe are called Daoine Sidhe (pronounced “dinah shee”), and the group as a whole is associated with the people of the Tuatha De Danann, the people of the goddess Danu, who took Ireland from the Fir Bolg but lost it centuries later to the Sons of Mil (the Gaelic Celts) around 1,000 BC. The word “Sidhe” is becoming increasingly popular when describing the Other People, especially the Elves.
According to legend, the Sidhe fought so well that the Celtic invaders were impressed and agreed to a truce, giving the Sidhe kings the right to live under the hills (sidhe) of which Ireland is full, though some chose instead to live under the sea or in the lands to the west.
Nowadays, fairy mounds are thought to be burial mounds, but excavation is discouraged, just in case. The Irish are particularly fond of the Little People, the Good Neighbors, and would not take kindly to anyone, especially outsiders, disturbing the hills, angering the dangerous fairy inhabitants.
Considering that the fairy interpretations have been rewritten over the last couple of thousand years by people who are very prejudiced against the Other People, it is best to put these cultural views aside in order to approach such amazing beings.
It is difficult to form a bond with people whom you intend to manipulate for your own purposes and whom you actually believe to be demonic (i.e. evil).
So if you want to communicate with the Other People, you must do so with the right frame of mind and heart.
You should enter the Other World only with a loving heart and trust, for this is one of the cardinal rules of communication with the fairies: what you take with you into the Other World is what you will find there.
