table of contents WhAt Is A FAIry 4 FAIry spottIng 15 FAIry Myths And storIes 20 reAl-World FAIrIes 31 FAIrIes All Around 39 FAIry Myths Across the MAp 45 glossAry 46 Further InForMAtIon 47 Index 48
WhAt Is A fairy lIttle FolK It is said that fairies or fay take many forms Some even change the way they look or become invisible Fairies can have wings but many do not Nymphs and pixies may be very beautiful On the other hand hobgoblins and gnomes can be ugly In many myths and stories fairies look just like humans but they are very tiny The smallest fay is between 2 to 6 inches 5 to 15 cm Others can be the size of a child or about 4 feet 1 m However the sidhe pronounced shee from Irish Folklore can be the height of an adult Whatever their size fairies are not easy to spot They are shy and do not like to be seen In many stories fairies live underground in water or in plants Others live in an invisible fairyland Humans cannot see this world because it exists in another dimension FAst FAct do not use the word fairy when you’re outdoors Fairies prefer other names such as little people or fair folk 4 4 Fairies may have wings and live in plants
THE NATURE OF FAIRIES At certain times during the year the fairies can be easier to see In England legends say that humans can spot fairies on a special night in June Midsummer's Eve Fairies may keep themselves away from humans for different reasons Long ago people thought that fairies might be the ghosts of the dead Others thought that fairies were guardians of the dead Almost all fairies have some association with nature Flowers forests rocks and toadstools are common fairy homes People leave gifts near these places to keep the fairies happy or to ask for their help Some fairies such as brownies are solitary fairies They live alone Others called trooping fairies form a royal kingdom A fairy queen and king rule over their subjects These fairy communities enjoy festivals music parades and dancing Trooping fairies are said to rule the countryside especially in Celtic countries such as Ireland Scandinavian countries such as Denmark Iceland and Sweden also have strong Fairies love flowers fairy traditions and butterflies 5
