Why do Faeries translate so well to modern fiction?
The faeries of Celtic folklore have always had an ambiguous relationship with mankind. Although there are many types of faery-like creatures in world mythology, the faeries of the United Kingdom seem to be active well into the modern age. They’ve become a subgenre of writing that not only appeal to fantasy writers, but to fiction writers as well. Faery-like creatures such as Slender Man and the Black-eyed Children who ask to be invited into a house only recently appeared in urban myths. The more sinister faeries are becoming popular in such shows as Lost Girl and Supernatural, and have made appearances in movies such as Outcast, Hellions, and The Hallow.
In the sixties, Tolkien’s Elves were cold and regal beings of nature and law, reflecting, perhaps, the need for angelic intervention in a time of chaos. They became a bit more human with Sylvia Townsend Warner’s Lolly Willowes and John Crowley’s Little Big. And a Renaissance of faeries began with urban fantasy in the ‘80s. (Charles de Lint’s Newford series, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, Terri Windling’s Bordertown series, Greg Baer’s The Infinity Concerto, and Tom Deitz’s Windmaster’s Bane.) Faeries at this time shed their primitive aspect for biker boots and Rock and Roll. In folklore, appearing as the Gentry ,they’ve always worn the fancier clothing of the time. There are many such faery sightings as the one below:
“And I saw a lady . . . dressed in a sort of ball dress, white and short in the skirt, and off the shoulders. And she had long stockings and dancing shoes . . . I followed her a bit . . . and when she got to the pier she shrank into it and there was nothing left.” Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland by Lady Gregory.
Faeries, being immortal, use fashion to fit in with the times.
Faeries graduated to paranormal romance in the ‘90s. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series became popular, as did Karen Marie Moning’s Faefever books. Recently, the YA genre has taken on faerie in Holly Black’s Ironside, Tithe, and Valiant books, Maggie Stiefvater’s Lament, Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey series, and Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series. In these stories, urban faeries don’t like to let their inner ‘creature’ show and wear alluring masks that sometimes slip.
What appeals to writers (and readers) is the shady character of faeries. They’re a race of tricksters, double talkers, and shapeshifters. They’re immortal, wild, and dealing with them is always fraught with danger and doubt, which makes for great fiction. And who doesn’t love unpredictable characters? They’ve evolved from pretty, winged mischief makers, to something darker, and it seems to be the dark side of faerie that appeals to writers of modern fiction. Faeries, being shapeshifters, easily fit into modern life in tribes of families (Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver, John Crowley’s Little Big), as gangs (Terri Windling’s Bordertown series), tattoo artists (Except the Queen by Jane Yolen and Midori Snyder, and Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely books.) The Tooth Fairy made a sinister appearance in Graham Joyce’s novel of the same name, and the Ganconer (lovetalker), has shown up in Joyce’s Some Kind of Fairy Tale and Jennifer McMahon’s Don’t Breathe a Word. Incidentally, faeries with names are ready-made templates—kelpies, selkies, pookas, and mermaids bring with them a history, like fairy tales, that can be changed to fit the mindset of any era.
In old tales, faeries aren’t necessarily evil, but to be avoided at all costs, as in the old Irish saying: “May their backs be towards us, their faces turned away from us, and God save us from harm.” But fantasy writers realize that, ancient and ever changing, the faeries wear whatever masks they need to evolve alongside us, and for writers, that’s an appealing sort of magic.
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Katherine Harbour
The author of Thorn Jack, Briar Queen, and Nettle King. (The Children of Night and Nothing series) Pretty good Painter and terrible gardener. Loves Faery, the Gothic, Victorian writers, the female surrealists, botany, and myth & folklore. My aunt once dated a Beatle, my father loved to read Mark Twain, and, if I was brave enough, I’d explore all those haunted woods and houses.
http://www.katherineharbour.com/
