Public Domain Super Heroes
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Fairies
Brock Fairy

Other Names

Fay, Fae, Fey, Fair Folk, or Faerie

First Appearance

European Myth

Created by

Unknown

Origin[]

A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic, Slavic, Germanic, and French folklore), a form of spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities.

Myths and stories about fairies do not have a single origin, but are rather a collection of folk beliefs from disparate sources. Various folk theories about the origins of fairies include casting them as either demoted angels or demons in a Christian tradition, as deities in Pagan belief systems, as spirits of the dead, as prehistoric precursors to humans, or as spirits of nature.

The label of fairy has at times applied only to specific magical creatures with human appearance, magical powers, and a penchant for trickery. At other times it has been used to describe any magical creature, such as goblins and gnomes. Fairy has at times been used as an adjective, with a meaning equivalent to "enchanted" or "magical". It is also used as a name for the place these beings come from, the land of Fairy.

A recurring motif of legends about fairies is the need to ward off fairies using protective charms. Common examples of such charms include church bells, wearing clothing inside out, four-leaf clover, and food. Fairies were also sometimes thought to haunt specific locations, and to lead travelers astray using will-o'-the-wisps. Before the advent of modern medicine, fairies were often blamed for sickness, particularly tuberculosis and birth deformities.

A list of fairies found on this wiki can be found here.

Public Domain Appearances[]

All published appearances of Fairies from before January 1, 1929 are in the public domain in the US.

Some notable appearances are listed below:

Public Domain Literary Appearances[]

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595–1596)
  • The Scottish History of James IV (1590)
  • Romeo and Juliet (1597)
  • The Entertainment at Althorp (1603)
  • Oberon, the Faery Prince (1610)
  • Nymphidia (1627)
  • Robin Goodfellow, His Mad Pranks and Merry Jests (1628)
  • Parnassus (1657)
  • Faust I (1770s)
  • Oberon (poem), by Christoph Martin Wieland (1780–96)
  • Holger Danske (1789)
  • Grimms' Fairy Tales (1812)
  • Queen Mab (1813)
  • Oberon (1825–26)
  • The Tale of the Nutcracker (1844)
  • The Mad Pranks of Robin Goodfellow (1845)
  • The Rose and the Ring (1854)
  • The Elves’ Gift: The Veritable Narrative of Thomas Graspen (1874)
  • Fairy Guardians, by F. Willoughby (1875)
  • The Adventures of Pinocchio (1881)
  • The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902)
  • Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (1904)
  • Queen Zixi of Ix (1905)
  • Puck of Pook's Hill (1906)
  • Tooth Fairy (1908)
  • The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918)
  • Glinda of Oz (1920)
  • I Have to Know 57 Trades in Order to Run My House (1925)

Public Domain Comic Appearances[]

  • Thrilling Comics #9: The Fairy Queen refuses to leave Fairyland to become a Hollywood star.
  • Pep Comics #18, 28-29, 37-38: Here she is also known as "The Good Fairy" and appears to govern Wonderland, sending Danny of Wonderland on missions for her.
  • Four Color #68: The Fairy Queen attends Mother Goose's birthday party and transforms the Ugly Duckling into a beautiful swan.
  • Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #1: Marvel Bunny helps retrieve the Fairy Queen's wand from a witch, restoring the Fairy Queen's power.
  • Hoppy the Marvel Bunny #2: The Fairy Queen gives Millie a magic ring that grants wishes (and causes trouble).
  • World Famous Stories #1
  • Ibis the Invincible #5
  • Fairy Tale Parade #2, 6, 8
  • All-New Comics #4

Public Domain Theatrical and Musical appearances[]

  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream (play), by William Shakespeare (1595–96)
  • Love Restored (1612)
  • Grim the Collier of Croydon (1660)
  • The Mad Merry Pranks of Robin Goodfellow (c. 17th Century)
  • Faust I (play), by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1770s)
  • Oberon (opera), libretto by James Planché, music by Carl Maria von Weber (1825–26)
  • The Foresters (play), by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1892)
  • Dear Brutus (1917)
  • The Tooth Fairy (1927)

Public Domain Film Appearances[]

  • The Magic Cloak of Oz (1914)

Notes[]

  • In the 6th generation of Pokemon games beginning with Pokemon X and Y, fairy type Pokemon are introduced and many Pokemon were changed to be the new type such as Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Marill, and Mr. Mime, as well as their evolutions & pre-evolutions.

See Also[]

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