Fairy Creatures

The idea of fairies shapeshifting into animals is common in folklore. But more than that, fairies are often said to appear as strange human-animal hybrids, either like satyrs or fawns or as human-like beings that got something wrong (they appear with a tail or a talon or a pair of horns or animal ears). I’ve always found this one-foot-in-the-animal-world and one-foot-in-the-human-world nature of fairies fascinating. The idea of a hidden species living on this planet that are human-like in intelligence and in appearance (in some cases) but that are closer to nature and animals than we are certainly stirs the imagination.

I’ll be sending out my first entry in the Shaken Tree soon for those interested, where I’ll go into more detail about some of the fairy characters in The Ghosts of Nothing. I was certainly thinking of the alien nature of the fairies when I created these characters, and though I think some of the time they seem human, there are other times when their another-species nature comes out in the narrative.

In the meantime, please enjoy my latest video. This one features some of the more interesting stories I’ve posted.

A few fairy animal images, some of which appear in this month’s video:

From his cradle in the glamourie

They have stolen my wee brother,

Housed a changeling in his swaddlings

For to fret mine own poor mother.

Pules it in the candle-light

Wi' a cheek so lean and white,

Chinkling up its eyne so wee

Wailing shrill at her an' me.

It we'll neither rock nor tend

Till the Silent Silent send,

Lapping in their waesome arms

Him they stole with spells and charms,

Till they take this changeling creature

Back to its own fairy nature

Cry ! Cry! as long as may be,

Ye shall ne'er be woman's baby !

- Walter de la Mare.

🍄 Featured Artist

Every month in this space I feature an artist - a writer, musician, poet, illustrator or any kind of artist with a connection to the channel.

This month’s artist is Lyndsey Hall and her fae fantasy novels, The Fair Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy.

Check out The Fair Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy

Until next time,

Your Scary Fairy Godmother