The Sights
"Golden Wood" by Ruth Sanderson
Why do people get sucked into the faerie world?
It may seem like a simple question to answer. In fact, many will definitely argue over the apparent beauty found in said faerie worlds. The surrounding forests of the Faery Queen must be abominably beautiful; her court must have a train of the most dazzling creatures ever; her palace a wondrous display of entertainment--of music and dancing and merry-making all until the next morning. The scenes depicted would be so entrancing that mortal eyes could only cower in wonder and admiration. Mortals yearn for this beautiful world because they know in their hearts that nothing in their lifetime could ever be as exquisite as the one run by the Faery Queen and her fae folk.
As far as mortal perception goes, the land is beautiful and deadly. The world of the Fey is rather complex, but many people divide themselves between the belief that a) the faerie realm is beautiful and b) the faerie realm is truly hideous. Nobody would disagree over the Fey's magical land, because the magic woven through the trees would probably be the major cause of attraction for mortals. Why else would they yearn the touch of faery forests over their own plethora of foliage? Why do people waste away, craving for golden fruits in a tree only seen in their dreams?
A perfect example of the description of the faerie world in stories would probably be found in the variants of the story about dancing princesses and worn-out slippers. Since there are at least 29 variants on the tale alone (yes, 29!), I will only discuss the ones that describe the faery realm in detail:
Kate Crackernuts - This Scottish tale actually puts Kate Crackernuts as the clever heroine who solves the mystery of a sickly prince and sickly princess. In this story, Kate follows the prince as he leaves his bedchambers at midnight. Onward he goes to the "green hill," where he enters a faerie ball. The palace is lit up magnificently, and surrounding the prince are the most beautiful faery creatures. The fae come in many forms, because even a faery infant is visible in the ball, speaking as intelligently as its peers.
The Midnight Dance - In this Russian variant, the tale tells of 12 princesses and a single soldier. With the aid of Babushka--an old female witch who aids many in Slavic folklore--the soldier falls in step with the princesses. Invisible to them, he follows the girls down into a grove with golden flowers. To carry proof with him, the soldier breaks off a sprig and shows the proof to the king. When the king asks where his daughters went every night, the soldier answers: "Into the subterranean realm, to the Accursed Tsar, where they danced all night long."
The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes / The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Ah, the Brothers Grimm version. This version is known by a number of names, though mostly they are known by the two titles indicated. The story follows the same variant as "The Midnight Dance," except perhaps the faery world described here is much more detailed than the previous two descriptions. For one, the princesses traveled down to a "magnificent walkway between rows of trees." The first row of trees were decked in silver, with silver leaves. As they continue onward, the silver is replaced by gold leaves and trees. And the gold is replaced further on by clear, beauteous diamonds (Can you imagine a forest made of diamonds? My word!). But the description of the faery world doesn't end there, oh no! "On the other side of the water there was a beautiful, brightly illuminated castle." It is an enchanted place, and clearly the castle is the culmination of it all.
This tale and its variants are only a set of speculative tales of what the Faery Realm looks like. Of course, whether the world is gilded or not becomes a problem, and many other bards try to tackle the overall appearance of the world of Fey. Current authors also undergo trying to delve deep into the root of the faery world tree; we can see this through the works of three authors below.
It may seem like a simple question to answer. In fact, many will definitely argue over the apparent beauty found in said faerie worlds. The surrounding forests of the Faery Queen must be abominably beautiful; her court must have a train of the most dazzling creatures ever; her palace a wondrous display of entertainment--of music and dancing and merry-making all until the next morning. The scenes depicted would be so entrancing that mortal eyes could only cower in wonder and admiration. Mortals yearn for this beautiful world because they know in their hearts that nothing in their lifetime could ever be as exquisite as the one run by the Faery Queen and her fae folk.
As far as mortal perception goes, the land is beautiful and deadly. The world of the Fey is rather complex, but many people divide themselves between the belief that a) the faerie realm is beautiful and b) the faerie realm is truly hideous. Nobody would disagree over the Fey's magical land, because the magic woven through the trees would probably be the major cause of attraction for mortals. Why else would they yearn the touch of faery forests over their own plethora of foliage? Why do people waste away, craving for golden fruits in a tree only seen in their dreams?
A perfect example of the description of the faerie world in stories would probably be found in the variants of the story about dancing princesses and worn-out slippers. Since there are at least 29 variants on the tale alone (yes, 29!), I will only discuss the ones that describe the faery realm in detail:
Kate Crackernuts - This Scottish tale actually puts Kate Crackernuts as the clever heroine who solves the mystery of a sickly prince and sickly princess. In this story, Kate follows the prince as he leaves his bedchambers at midnight. Onward he goes to the "green hill," where he enters a faerie ball. The palace is lit up magnificently, and surrounding the prince are the most beautiful faery creatures. The fae come in many forms, because even a faery infant is visible in the ball, speaking as intelligently as its peers.
The Midnight Dance - In this Russian variant, the tale tells of 12 princesses and a single soldier. With the aid of Babushka--an old female witch who aids many in Slavic folklore--the soldier falls in step with the princesses. Invisible to them, he follows the girls down into a grove with golden flowers. To carry proof with him, the soldier breaks off a sprig and shows the proof to the king. When the king asks where his daughters went every night, the soldier answers: "Into the subterranean realm, to the Accursed Tsar, where they danced all night long."
The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes / The Twelve Dancing Princesses - Ah, the Brothers Grimm version. This version is known by a number of names, though mostly they are known by the two titles indicated. The story follows the same variant as "The Midnight Dance," except perhaps the faery world described here is much more detailed than the previous two descriptions. For one, the princesses traveled down to a "magnificent walkway between rows of trees." The first row of trees were decked in silver, with silver leaves. As they continue onward, the silver is replaced by gold leaves and trees. And the gold is replaced further on by clear, beauteous diamonds (Can you imagine a forest made of diamonds? My word!). But the description of the faery world doesn't end there, oh no! "On the other side of the water there was a beautiful, brightly illuminated castle." It is an enchanted place, and clearly the castle is the culmination of it all.
This tale and its variants are only a set of speculative tales of what the Faery Realm looks like. Of course, whether the world is gilded or not becomes a problem, and many other bards try to tackle the overall appearance of the world of Fey. Current authors also undergo trying to delve deep into the root of the faery world tree; we can see this through the works of three authors below.
Under the Hill
"Perilous Gard" by Richard Cuffari
"In the Hill. Down in caves under the Hill. Wonderful they are, the walls all covered with gold, and the Fairy Folk with crowns on their heads, drinking out of magical cups and dancing to the music of harps and pipes; and they do say that any mortal man who drinks from one of those cups will dance to that music for the rest of his days, and never find his way out of the Hill again."
-- excerpt from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Many undergo to describe the world of the Hill Folk, the faeries of Celtic folklore. Taking inspiration from the ballad of Tam Lin, Elizabeth Marie Pope went out to craft a story of the clash between age-old folkloric beliefs and the religious Christianity displayed by a historical society. In The Perilous Gard, the reader is taken to a world where the Hill Folk and their Faery Queen rule the underground.
In the story, Kate, a lady-in-waiting, is exiled to Elvenwood (also known as "the Perilous Gard"), a place of superstition. Many of Elvenwood continue to believe that there is a presence under the hill. Ever-curious, Kate eventually stumbles into the realm of the Lady in Green (the Faery Queen). The discovery of the magical world of the Hill People is, however, completely different from the stories told her. What Kate finds instead is a dark, shadowy place. The only gold seems to be that of the Lady's cup, which she and her servants take a sip from in a ritualistic manner. The walls were not made of gold, though from the light, Kate does detect that there is a shining, otherworldly glow about the cavern. Again, like the stories of the dancing princesses, the Faery Queen in this tale is surrounded by beautiful figures.
-- excerpt from The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope
Many undergo to describe the world of the Hill Folk, the faeries of Celtic folklore. Taking inspiration from the ballad of Tam Lin, Elizabeth Marie Pope went out to craft a story of the clash between age-old folkloric beliefs and the religious Christianity displayed by a historical society. In The Perilous Gard, the reader is taken to a world where the Hill Folk and their Faery Queen rule the underground.
In the story, Kate, a lady-in-waiting, is exiled to Elvenwood (also known as "the Perilous Gard"), a place of superstition. Many of Elvenwood continue to believe that there is a presence under the hill. Ever-curious, Kate eventually stumbles into the realm of the Lady in Green (the Faery Queen). The discovery of the magical world of the Hill People is, however, completely different from the stories told her. What Kate finds instead is a dark, shadowy place. The only gold seems to be that of the Lady's cup, which she and her servants take a sip from in a ritualistic manner. The walls were not made of gold, though from the light, Kate does detect that there is a shining, otherworldly glow about the cavern. Again, like the stories of the dancing princesses, the Faery Queen in this tale is surrounded by beautiful figures.
The Refuge
Graphic depiction of Brandon Mull's "Fablehaven"
"Before her lay a pristine pond, a couple of hundred yards across, with a small, verdant island at the center. A series of elaborate gazebos surrounded the pond, interconnected by a whitewashed boardwalk. Flowering vines wound along the latticework of the impressive promenade. Elegant swans glided on the water. Butterflies and hummingbirds wove and darted among the blossoms. On the far side of the pond, peacocks strutted and preened."
-- excerpt from Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Now here's a definitely interesting place for the fae folk. Fablehaven is just one of the very few faery preserves in Brandon Mull's world. The place acts like a sort of "refuge for mystical creatures" and Fablehaven's caretakers are the Sorensons. The most interesting (and non-spoilerish) description in the book probably goes to the shrine of the Faery Queen. After a small exploration, Kendra and Seth, Stan Sorenson's grandchildren, walk into a world of witches, naiads, and butterfly-shaped faery creatures.
The Faery Queen's shrine is in the middle of a naiad pond, pristine and beautiful. In the story, this shrine is the only place that the Faery Queen appears, because it is the only place where she is untainted by the dark magic that can also be found throughout Fablehaven. Of course, later on, the grandchildren will find that not everything is beautiful in this particular faery preserve.
-- excerpt from Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Now here's a definitely interesting place for the fae folk. Fablehaven is just one of the very few faery preserves in Brandon Mull's world. The place acts like a sort of "refuge for mystical creatures" and Fablehaven's caretakers are the Sorensons. The most interesting (and non-spoilerish) description in the book probably goes to the shrine of the Faery Queen. After a small exploration, Kendra and Seth, Stan Sorenson's grandchildren, walk into a world of witches, naiads, and butterfly-shaped faery creatures.
The Faery Queen's shrine is in the middle of a naiad pond, pristine and beautiful. In the story, this shrine is the only place that the Faery Queen appears, because it is the only place where she is untainted by the dark magic that can also be found throughout Fablehaven. Of course, later on, the grandchildren will find that not everything is beautiful in this particular faery preserve.
Parallel Dimension
"Faerie Wars" by Luis Royo
"He caught me stealing his golden phoenix.'
Tithonus closed his eyes briefly. 'Good grief!' He opened them again. 'I was half hoping it wasn't true. Have you any idea of the implications?'
'He was mistreating it!' Pyrgus protested.
'Of course he was mistreating it. This is Black Hairstreak we're talking about. He mistreats his own mother. I don't suppose you stole her as well?"
-- excerpt from Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
Here's a rather different set of faeries! Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars takes on a slightly scientific and fantastical approach to the parallelism of the faerie world. Brennan pits mortal Henry Atherton and Alan Fogarty with the likes of crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, heir to the Purple Emperor's Peacock Throne (oh, yes, I kid you not). The first book in the series sets out to explain the portal from Henry's world to the Realm, the Faerie World. And in the end, if one puts Henry and Pyrgus side-to-side, one will see that the two will look just as human and just as faery as the other. Because that is what the world of the Fey looks like: a mirror of what the actual world is. Minus the castles and the demons/faeries, of course.
At first Pyrgus comes off as a small, insect-like creature in the real world. This view of faery-like creatures is quickly debunked by a scientific explanation over faulty transportation devices and shoddy faery portals. Once in the faery world, Henry and Alan find that amidst the castles and the magic, there lies an order that is not unlike their own world. To top it off, they arrive in the midst of an approaching war; again, not unlike their world, which is littered with conflict upon conflict.
Tithonus closed his eyes briefly. 'Good grief!' He opened them again. 'I was half hoping it wasn't true. Have you any idea of the implications?'
'He was mistreating it!' Pyrgus protested.
'Of course he was mistreating it. This is Black Hairstreak we're talking about. He mistreats his own mother. I don't suppose you stole her as well?"
-- excerpt from Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
Here's a rather different set of faeries! Herbie Brennan's Faerie Wars takes on a slightly scientific and fantastical approach to the parallelism of the faerie world. Brennan pits mortal Henry Atherton and Alan Fogarty with the likes of crown prince Pyrgus Malvae, heir to the Purple Emperor's Peacock Throne (oh, yes, I kid you not). The first book in the series sets out to explain the portal from Henry's world to the Realm, the Faerie World. And in the end, if one puts Henry and Pyrgus side-to-side, one will see that the two will look just as human and just as faery as the other. Because that is what the world of the Fey looks like: a mirror of what the actual world is. Minus the castles and the demons/faeries, of course.
At first Pyrgus comes off as a small, insect-like creature in the real world. This view of faery-like creatures is quickly debunked by a scientific explanation over faulty transportation devices and shoddy faery portals. Once in the faery world, Henry and Alan find that amidst the castles and the magic, there lies an order that is not unlike their own world. To top it off, they arrive in the midst of an approaching war; again, not unlike their world, which is littered with conflict upon conflict.