FOLKLORE RECORD No. 002

The Fair Folk

Who were the mysterious beings of British & Irish folklore?

Quite often, when we think of the word fairies, we imagine beautiful little beings with delicate wings, dancing among flowers, hiding beneath toadstools and flitting through sun-dappled woodland. It is a charming image, but it bears little resemblance to the older traditions of Britain and Ireland, where the Fair Folk were often regarded with a great deal more caution.

Far from being harmless creatures of children's stories, these mysterious beings could be unpredictable, mischievous and, at times, deeply dangerous. They belonged to a world that existed alongside our own, hidden just beyond the edges of ordinary human sight.

In this Archive entry, we'll delve into the history and folklore surrounding the Fair Folk, exploring where these traditions came from, the many names and forms they have taken, and the customs and warnings that grew around them. We'll also look at their traditional correspondences and consider how our understanding of the Fair Folk has changed from the old stories to the enchanted, winged fairies we know today.

CORRESPONDENCE

Who Are the Fair Folk?

The Fair Folk, also known as the Fae, Faeries, Good People or Aos Sí, are beings belonging to the Otherworld — a mysterious realm believed to exist alongside our own. While the word fairy now tends to conjure images of tiny, winged creatures with a fondness for flowers and glitter, the older folklore surrounding the Fair Folk is considerably more complex.

The word fairy has been part of the English language for more than 700 years, although its meaning has changed considerably over time. It has been used as an umbrella term for a wide variety of supernatural beings, sometimes overlapping with words such as elf, goblin, sprite and imp. There was never one single, universal idea of what a fairy was; instead, beliefs varied considerably between regions, communities and traditions.

Across Britain and Ireland in particular, stories of the Fair Folk form a rich and sometimes unsettling part of folklore. Different cultures and regions developed their own names, traditions and beliefs surrounding these otherworldly beings, from benevolent household spirits to mysterious creatures who were best treated with caution.

And perhaps one of the most interesting things about the Fair Folk is that they were not necessarily considered good or evil in the way we might understand those terms today. They belonged to a world governed by its own rules, and humans who encountered them were expected to understand those rules — because breaking them could have consequences.

A History of the Fair Folk

The history of the Fair Folk is not a straightforward one, largely because there was never one single tradition from which all fairy folklore developed. Britain and Ireland were home to many different beliefs about supernatural beings, spirits, ancestors and inhabitants of the Otherworld, and these traditions changed as they were passed from one generation to the next.

In Irish tradition, the Aos Sí are often understood as the people of the mounds, associated with the sí or ancient hills and mounds scattered throughout the landscape. Medieval Irish mythology connected these supernatural inhabitants with the Tuatha Dé Danann, a legendary people who were said to have retreated into the Otherworld after the arrival of the Milesians. Over time, these mythological traditions became intertwined with later folk beliefs about the Good People who lived beneath hills, within fairy forts and in other hidden places. (Myths of Ireland)

The landscape itself therefore became an important part of fairy folklore. Ancient mounds, ringforts, wells, woods and particular trees could all acquire supernatural associations, and in Ireland especially, so-called fairy forts became places that were treated with considerable respect. Many of these sites are actually prehistoric or early medieval structures, but folklore gave them another layer of meaning, transforming old earthworks and abandoned settlements into places belonging to the Fair Folk. (National Museum of Ireland)

This relationship between the Fair Folk and the landscape is one of the things that makes the older stories so fascinating. These were not simply creatures who appeared anywhere for the sake of a story; they belonged somewhere. Their homes, pathways and territories were part of the folklore, and interfering with those places was often considered extremely unwise.

By the medieval and early modern periods, ideas about fairies had become increasingly woven into literature and popular storytelling across Britain. Stories of encounters with fairy lovers, enchanted kingdoms and journeys into the Otherworld helped develop a more recognisable idea of the fairy realm, although the beings themselves remained far removed from the tiny creatures of modern children's stories.

And fairy belief did not simply disappear as the centuries passed. Folklorists and antiquarians of the nineteenth century collected stories and oral traditions from across Britain and Ireland, while some people continued to regard the Fair Folk as a genuine part of the unseen world. Even during the Victorian period, when fairy stories were increasingly associated with children's literature and fantasy, there remained considerable interest in the possibility of fairy belief as something rooted in living folk tradition. (OUP Academic)

The Otherworld & the Rules of the Fair Folk

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about the Fair Folk is that their world was not simply somewhere populated by miniature people. The Otherworld was imagined as a place existing alongside our own, sometimes separated from it by little more than a hill, a doorway, a pool or a particular moment in time.

There were certain places where the boundary was thought to be especially thin, including ancient mounds, fairy forts, wells and woodland. Twilight and other transitional times could also carry a sense of uncertainty, when the ordinary world seemed to slip briefly into something stranger.

The Fair Folk were also thought to have their own customs and expectations, and humans were expected to respect them. This is one reason euphemistic names such as the Good People, Good Neighbours and Fair Folk became so common. Calling them “good” did not necessarily mean that people believed they were harmless; rather, speaking respectfully was considered a sensible precaution.

The same attitude appears in stories about offerings, gifts and bargains. Food or milk might be left for household beings, while people were warned against taking something that belonged to the Fair Folk or accepting a mysterious gift without considering the consequences. In many stories, the danger came not from deliberate evil but from failing to understand the rules of a world that was fundamentally different from our own.

Scottish folklore gives us another interesting example through the Seelie and Unseelie classifications. The Seelie Court was associated with fairies who were generally more favourable towards humans, while the Unseelie were associated with more hostile and dangerous behaviour. Even here, however, the distinction was not as simple as “good fairies versus evil fairies”, and Seelie beings could still be unpredictable or harmful. (Wikipedia)

Not So Fair: The Darker Side of Fairy Folklore

This is where the beautiful modern image of the fairy really begins to fall apart.

Across British and Irish folklore, the Fair Folk could be blamed for illnesses, unexplained misfortune, spoiled food, strange behaviour, missing livestock and other events that seemed difficult to explain. They could lure people into the Otherworld, lead travellers astray, steal possessions or take an interest in human children.

Perhaps the most unsettling tradition is that of the changeling. Stories from Britain and Ireland describe the belief that the Fair Folk could steal a human baby and leave behind a substitute — a changeling — in its place. These stories were particularly associated with vulnerable periods following childbirth, when mothers and newborn children were thought to be especially susceptible to supernatural interference. (Pitt University)

There are also countless stories warning people not to disturb fairy places. Cutting down a particular hawthorn, building across a fairy fort or interfering with a mound could supposedly bring illness, bad luck or something considerably worse. These stories were not always ancient remnants of a distant pagan world either; belief in the supernatural inhabitants of particular places continued into relatively recent times, particularly in rural communities.

The darker side of fairy folklore is therefore not really about “evil fairies”. It is much more interesting than that. The Fair Folk could be generous, helpful or even protective, but they were not human and did not necessarily share human ideas of kindness, fairness or morality. The safest approach was often simple: show respect, keep your promises and do not interfere with what does not belong to you.

Traditional Customs & Correspondences

Because fairy folklore was so strongly connected to particular landscapes and communities, there is no single universal list of fairy correspondences. What was considered sacred, dangerous or significant could vary considerably from one region to another.

Certain associations, however, appear repeatedly throughout British and Irish traditions.

Hawthorn is perhaps one of the most famous. The lone hawthorn, or whitethorn, could be regarded as a fairy tree, particularly when growing in an otherwise open landscape. Such trees were sometimes treated with great respect and were not to be cut or disturbed without good reason. The National Museum of Ireland continues to document the strong folklore surrounding fairy trees and their place within the Irish landscape. (National Museum of Ireland)

Mounds, rings and ancient earthworks are similarly important, particularly in Irish folklore. Fairy forts were often regarded as the homes or gathering places of the Sí, creating a fascinating overlap between archaeology, landscape and folklore.

Music and dancing also appear frequently in fairy stories, particularly tales of people hearing mysterious music or discovering that the Fair Folk have been dancing while humans sleep.

And then there are the more intangible associations: twilight, thresholds, hidden paths, bargains, transformation, enchantment and the boundary between worlds. These themes perhaps capture the essence of fairy folklore better than any particular object could.

For modern practitioners of witchcraft and folklore-inspired spirituality, these older traditions have also become the foundation for newer forms of correspondence. It is worth remembering, however, that modern fairy magic is not necessarily the same thing as historical fairy belief. Keeping that distinction clear allows us to appreciate both without pretending that modern practices are ancient traditions when they are not.

From Folklore to Fantasy

So how did beings who could steal children, punish people for disturbing their homes and lure travellers into the Otherworld become the tiny winged creatures we associate with fairy tales today?

The answer lies partly in literature, art and changing attitudes towards folklore.

Over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, writers, artists and folklorists increasingly collected, reshaped and romanticised fairy traditions. Victorian culture became particularly fascinated with fairies, and the growing popularity of illustrated children's literature helped create a much softer version of the Fair Folk. Tiny bodies, wings, flowers and sparkling woodland settings gradually became part of the popular image. (Cambridge University Press)

This transformation did not completely erase the older traditions, but it certainly changed the way many people imagined them. The mysterious inhabitants of hills and hidden realms became creatures of children's books, paintings and eventually modern fantasy.

Today, the Fair Folk can be found everywhere from folklore collections and fantasy novels to films, games and modern witchcraft. Some people approach them purely as fascinating remnants of British and Irish folklore, while others continue to explore the idea of an Otherworld and its inhabitants as part of a living spiritual practice.

Perhaps that is what makes the Fair Folk so enduring. They have changed considerably over the centuries, but the basic idea remains strangely familiar: that our world may not be quite as empty as it appears, and that there are places where the boundary between the ordinary and the Otherworldly feels just a little thinner.

And perhaps, if you ever find yourself walking past an ancient mound at twilight, or notice a lone hawthorn standing where it shouldn't be, it is worth remembering the oldest piece of fairy etiquette of all.

Leave their places undisturbed.

You never know who might be watching.

Further Down the Rabbit Hole

Want to wander a little further into the world of the Fair Folk? Here are a few places to begin.

Books

Katharine M. Briggs — A Dictionary of Fairies
A brilliant reference book for exploring the huge variety of fairy beings, names and traditions found throughout British folklore. It's the sort of book you can dip into for five minutes and somehow emerge an hour later having learned about three creatures you've never heard of before. A new illustrated edition was published in 2025.

Diane Purkiss — Troublesome Things: A History of Fairies and Fairy Stories
A readable history of fairy belief and fairy stories, exploring how our ideas about the Fair Folk have changed from older traditions into the versions we recognise today.

Online

The Aos Sí — Myths of Ireland
A useful introduction to the Irish Fair Folk, their connection with the ancient mounds and their place within Irish folklore and the Otherworld.

British & Irish Fairies — Folklore Finder
A lovely place to keep exploring once you've finished this entry, with folklore and legends relating to fairies and Fae from across Britain and Ireland, including brownies, boggarts, pixies, Tylwyth Teg, the Aos Sí and the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.