Faeries Unicorns and Dragons, Oh My! continued some more
On October 10, 2018 by mysticdd-admin{Part Three}
The people of Ireland have found a way to keep magic in their everyday life and in the mundane world by noticing the “little people” that inhabit this shrouded land. While modern man has sped towards the end of its days, the little people, the faeries, the Fae, continue to support and live within our realm yet hidden from the busy world and outside of the notice of most of the people who live within the same spaces as they do.
From the ever-popular Little Mermaid, to the well known Tinkerbell, our culture is full of references and images that we accept as being part of the natural world, even if we keep them in the part of our heart that sees the magic.
The Greeks had their Sirens and Muses, the Europeans their Faeries, Imps and Elves, and for those of us in North America, we can all name at least one Leprechaun inspired product that we grew up with.
If you had to think about the most prevalent modern collection of the Fae, in all its’ many forms, what would it be for you?
In my opinion, J.K. Rowling’s fantastical series has re-awakened the believer in all of us. From house elves to boggarts, unicorns to dragons, the big and the small are well represented. If you have seen the movies, or read the novels, just how many non-human creatures can you recall, without even trying?
Even people who will say they don’t believe in the “little folk” will put a gnome in their garden for good luck, or laugh as we kid each other about being one of the seven dwarves depicted in the Disney movie.
Lesser known, but longer recorded is the Green Man, with images being found that date back to 400 AD, most of them adorning the walls of churches from that period. The Green Man and the connection to the Earth in its two forms, growing and resting, have roots in Ancient Egypt. Osiris is often depicted with a green cast to his face, and images of similar nature have been recorded in Iraq with carbon dating confirming an age that puts the relics in the 2nd century of recorded time.
Literature contains many references to the Fae. One of the well known books was written by the Brothers Grimm. Known coloquially as the Grimms’ Fairy tales, children are introduced to trolls under bridges, fairy godmothers, dwarves, witches, and all manner of characters, depicted in a manner meant to teach life lessons through an oral reciting of the tale. As modern man has made some of the stories less intense, most people are unaware of the true origins of stories such as Cinderella, Snow White, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
