Faeries

The faeries are a broad class of beings in European folklore, typically described as supernatural, often human-shaped, with magical powers. They are not a single fixed creature but a tradition with regional varieties. The term faerie (or fairy) derives from Old French faerie, related to Latin fata meaning fate; in English, faerie, fairy, and fae have overlapped but can imply different senses, with fae or fey sometimes used for beings and their realm.

In many traditions, faeries are associated with natural places—woods, hills, streams, and fairy mounds—and with enchantment. They may be helpful or mischievous, sometimes dangerous. Common powers include invisibility or glamour, shapeshifting, flight, and control over luck, weather, or fortunes. Interactions with humans range from benevolent gifts to tricks, bans, or abductions; there are also codes of etiquette and consequences for offending them.

Regional forms include the Aos Sí or Sidhe of Irish and Scottish lore, conceived as a separate otherworldly race living in mounds and accessible through thresholds; English and Welsh traditions feature fairies as a "good people" of liminal spaces such as hedges and fairy rings. Similar ideas appear across continental Europe, with local names and customs varying, but the overall notion of a magical realm with its own rules remains common.

In modern culture, faeries appear in literature, art, and media; they are central to Shakespeare, traditional fairy tales, and many contemporary fantasies. The term is often used more broadly to denote magical beings in fiction than to describe a specific traditional belief. Scholars study faeries as a reflection of cultural attitudes toward nature, danger, and social norms.