fairies

Fairies are supernatural beings found in the folklore of many cultures, typically imagined as humanlike and magical. The word fairy comes from Old French faerie or fae, and English usage has broadened to cover a wide range of beings associated with nature, enchantment, and a parallel realm often called the Otherworld. In traditional belief, fairies can be benevolent, malevolent, or ambivalent toward humans, and they are frequently linked to natural places such as groves, rivers, hills, and mounds.

In the British Isles, fairies are commonly tied to a separate fairy realm and to landscapes such as fairy forts and mounds. Folklore includes stories of encounters with fairies at night, fairy gifts, and fairy tricks, as well as the fear of changelings—human infants replaced by fairy offspring. Distinct traditions describe Seelie courts, which are considered more benevolent, and Unseelie courts, which are more dangerous. Over time, fairies have been depicted with wings in many retellings, though traditional images vary by region.

Regional variations exist within Ireland, Scotland, and other parts of Europe. In Irish lore, the sídhe (also called the fairies) are a powerful otherworldly race associated with burial mounds and ancient sites. In Scottish folklore, fairies are part of a broader cosmology that includes spirits, sprites, and shapeshifting beings; iron, fire, or daylight are often said to affect them differently than people.

In modern usage, fairies appear in literature, film, and art as archetypes of wonder, mischief, or guardians of nature. They also feature in some neopagan and witchcraft practices as symbolic or devotional figures.