Fairies

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A fairy (sometimes seen as faery, faerie, or even fae; collectively wee folk, good folk, people of peace or many other euphemisms) is a spirit or supernatural being that is found in the legends, folklore, and mythology. The term came into use in the folklore of Western Europe in the medieval era; it has be used to translate the terms of many different cultures, referring to beings similar to (though often with distinct differences) the Western European fairy (see List of beings referred to as fairies). Even in the folkore that uses the term, there are many definitions of what constitutes a fairy, sometimes describing any magical creature, like a goblin or gnome, and at other times to describe a specific type of creature, distinct from such creatures as hobgoblins .

They are generally portrayed as humanoid in their appearance and have supernatural abilities such as the ability to fly, cast spells and to influence or foresee the future. Although in modern culture they are often depicted as young, sometimes winged, females of small stature, they originally were of a much different image: tall, angelic beings and short, wizened trolls being some of the commonly mentioned fay. Diminutive fairies of one kind or another have been recorded for centuries, but occur alongside the human-sized beings; they can range from the size of human children to the tiny. Even with these small fairies, however, their size may be magically assumed. Wings, however, are very rare in folklore; even very small fairies flew with magic, sometimes flying on ragwort stems.

Etymology

The words fae and færie came to English from Old French which originated in the Latin word "Fata" which referred to the three mythological personifications of destiny, the Greek Moirae (Roman Parcae, "sparing ones", or Fatae) who were supposed to appear three nights after a child's birth to determine the course of its life. They were usually described as cold, remorseless old crones or hags (in contrast to the modern physical depiction). The Latin word gave modern Italian's fata, Catalan and Portuguese fada and Spanish hada, all of which mean fairy. The Old French fée, had the meaning "enchanter." Thus féerie meant a "state of fée" or "enchantment." Fairies are often depicted enchanting humans, casting illusions to alter emotions and perceptions so as to make themselves at times alluring, frightening, or invisible. Modern English inherited the two terms "fae" and "fairy," along with all the associations attached to them.

Read more at Wikipedia.org