JC's Fairy Catalog Part II

Welcome back were magic come true, enjoy the part II of my fae catalog

Seelie and Unseelie Court

Origin: Scotland's folklore

Myth/Folklore: opposing groups/factions of fae, representing the struggling forces of nature, the Seelie Court are "benevolent" fae associated with summer, day and warmth, meanwhile the Unseelie Court were "malevolent, assiciated with night, winter, embodying darkness, chaotic and raw instincts.

Characteristics: Seelie Court usually portrayed light-side inclined, dress more elaborated and elegant, they have a high value for ceremonies and can be helpful or benevolent to humans. Unseelie court are more darker-inclided fae, most of the corrupted or "creepy" fae are part of the Unseelie faction, not always are making evil things to humans but embodies the most darker and harming nature of the fae. Both factions could harm and take revenge on humans if they are offended.

Extra: the Seelie Court is commanded by the fairy queen Titania, meanwhile the Unseelie are by the "Queen of Air and Darkness", in some traditions also named "Queen Mab".

The english word "silly" has its roots in the word Seelie.

Dryad

Origin: Greek mythology

Myth/Folklore: strickly in greek myth they are nymphs, a supernatural beings and lesser deities, female of incredible beauty, and embodies a part or type of nature elements or landscapes, in this case the trees (particullary oak trees in ancient greek tradition), later brittish poetry and literature blended them with some other tree-related fae, sharing the attribute of being spirits of nature.

Characteristics: as most nymphs they are all female of ethereal or flawless beauty, they live inside a tree in wich they are tied, in the animistic tradition they are the personification of that tree, also their life was tied to the tree, wich in greek myth, cut down a sacred tree was punished (usually by Artemis or Nemesis). Later their physical appareance, usually in non-greek mythology context, changed to more fairy look with tree features, usually trunk-wooden skin or branches and leafs.

Boggart

Origin: Brittish and Anglo-Saxon folklore

Myth/Folklore: wicked creatures who dwell near houses in swams, marsh or woods, they usually do minor harms like steal things, sour the milk and some other domestic havocs.

Characteristics: Their appareance and size vary, often depicted as ugly creatures with a relatively human-shape with beast features, they have the ability to make themself invisible and to shapeshift. They should not be named or their attitude turns destructive. Similar to Household Spirits, if they are respected and gave them offerings, they could help in chores and crops.

Extra: They are an early boogeyman, used to scare kids to stay away from some dangerous places like bridges, rivers or swamps.

Sylph

Origin: Paracelsus's works, european hermetic tradition

Myth/Lore: Spirits of the air, a conception of Paracelsus, a swiss-german physician and alchemist, later literature, ballet and opera made an association and identification of the sylphs with fairies, in this case an air elemental fairy.

Characteristics: original Paracelsus described them as invisible, their appareance evolved to air-cloud form beings

Banshee

Origin: Ireland celtic mythology and irish folklore

Myth/Folklore: also known as Bean Sidhe, are female spirits that announce death of a family member. When several Banshees appear at once, it indicates the death of someone great or holy.

Characteristics: they have a ghostly female appareance, their size vary, unnatural tall or smaller, their notable characteristic is their screaming and keening sound.

Selkie

Origin: Scotland, Norse mythology, Celtic mythology

Myth/Folklore: water creatures that can shapeshift between seal and human form, they have a dual nature, can be friendly and helpful to humans, and also dangerous or vengeful. Many myths and stories involve a selkie having a romantic relationship with a human, others involve human coarcing selkies into marriage, often resulting in a unhappy marriage as the selkie always long for the sea, and eventually escaping.

Characteristics: They have a seal skin that can wear to shapeshift into a seal, and remove to shift to human form, in their human form they are often attractive and seductive. They hiddes their skin near rocks and sea caves, if someone took it they will cannot shift into seal. The children of a selkie and human, could born with webbed fingers.

Stay in tune for part III

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