Different Names, Spellings & Definitions for Faeries
You will notice that I use different spellings for faeries:
- “fairy” for the little trooping fairies and winged nature spirits that frequent our gardens and fields
- “faery” (or faerie) by which I indicate the broader realm including nature spirits, plus the Sidhe, elves, unicorns, dragons, fauns and others who inhabit the Otherworlds.
This is not a universal usage of these spellings. The names are actually culturally based, with “faery” being more common in Europe and “fairy” being common in America, but I am not alone in making this distinction.
To some people, the word faery only means the Sidhe. The Sidhe are Irish faeries descended from the Tuatha de Danaan.
Similar beings are called elves in other countries. Again, trust what you feel. Your heart knows what your mind may not understand. The names are not really important, except when trying to communicate with other humans.
I find that it helps to differentiate between the many different types of faeries we may encounter.
Some of these beings are quite large and powerful. Elves, Sidhe, Devas, Jinn, or gods and goddesses are names describing powerful beings of the Otherworlds in different cultures.
Some people call all faeries “elementals,” but in my understanding, elementals are only the beings of the elements.
I, and many others, use the word “faery” to describe the entire realm of faery beings, including the elementals.
Here is how I generally break down definitions of different beings of the faery realm:
- Elves and Sidhe – close relations to humans living in a higher vibration (sometimes seen as gods and goddesses, like Brigit and Llugh of the Tuatha de Danaan)
- Elementals – the beings of the four elements and the weather
- Nature spirits – from tiny flower fairies, mermaids, and brownies to massive devas of mountains and oceans – including elementals, trolls (stone spirits), nymphs or dryads (tree spirits), etc.
- Mythical creatures such as unicorns, Pegasus, fauns, and dragons
- Probably there are many, many more that I have not encountered
I would imagine that the faery realm is at least as diverse as our physical world, with all sorts of beings of all shapes and sizes. And of course, being non-physical, they can change their shapes and sizes at will.
That makes it a little tricky to pin down any particular description of them. Our cousins, the Elves and Sidhe, including the Ladies of the Lake, tend to appear to us as very tall, beautiful and human-like. But the way to know them is to recognize their energy by feeling.
The faery realm is very much a feeling realm. The essence of each being can be felt, no matter what shape they choose to take.