FAERIES

Faeries are creatures that live everywhere, not just in Ireland or Scotland like a lot of people think. There are many different kinds of Faeries - flower, plant and tree faeries that are called Devas or Dryads. Devas often look like the plants that they take care of. My favorite Deva is the Lavender Faerie. My Grandma has a big lavender bush in her front yard and sometimes, I think I see Lavender Faeries flying around it, taking care of it. There are also Faeries that live in the water. They're called Undines or sometimes Nymphs or Nyads. Undines look like mermaids. Nymphs look like pretty ladies with long blue hair and clothes that look like waves. Nyads take care of wells. I'm not really sure what they look like. There are fire Faeries that are sometimes called Salamanders. They're black and red and orange and yellow and look like big lizards. There's also earth Faeries that are called Gnomes or sometimes Wyrms. Gnomes look like little old men with pointy hats and beards. They like to help take care of gardens. Wyrms look like dragons. I'm not sure what they like to do.

The Faeries that live in Scotland are called sidhe, which is pronouced "she". The High Sidhe look like very tall, very pretty humans, except that they glow and ride around on horses and wear clothes from the olden times. The high sidhe in Scotland have two different royal courts called the Seelie and Unseelie courts. All the very prettiest, nicest, kindest Faeries live at the Seelie Court and all ugly, naughty, mean Faeries live at the Unseelie Court. There are lots of different kinds of Sidhe than just the High Sidhe. There's Brownies, which live in people's houses and help them out. There's boggarts, who are mean and like to scare little kids. There's silkies, which are seal people who can change into seals and then into humans. There's bean sidhe (ban she) who cry when someone's going to die. There's also water horses, which are really mean Faeries that like to trick humans into riding them. Then when the people get on their backs, the water horse drowns them and eats them. Scottish Faeries are usually not very nice.

Some Faeries, like Brownies, selkies, Devas, and Gnomes are really nice and it's good to make friends with them. If you'd like to make friends with a Faerie, it's a good idea to give them presents. They like Faerie wine, which is warm milk with honey, vanilla and cinnamon in it. Sometimes, my Momma will make Faerie wine for me and my brother before we go to bed at night, and she always leaves a little out on the dining room table for the Faeries to drink. Faeries also like shiny things, like silver jewelry and pretty rocks. I like leaving pretty rocks out in my garden for them. They also like it when I make them clothes and stuff. Momma says the best hat for a Brownie is an acorn top. And they like to wear flowers like foxgloves and bluebells for dresses. If you make friends with a Faerie, they'll usually be helpful. They like to help you find lost stuff, like keys and jewelry. If a Faerie ever helps you find something that's lost, be sure to give her a present. If not, the Faerie might steal from you!

This picture is of me in my Halloween costume from 2004. I was a Lavender Faerie. Momma let me wear make-up! I hope you liked learning about all the different kinds of Faeries. They're nice little creatures and I like having them around my house!