Angels and fairies in folklore and mythology

Angels and Fairies

The word, "angel," comes from the greek word "angelos," which means "messenger" (MSN Encarta, 2003). Angels are believed to be celestial beings that act as messengers from God; send divine messages; help mankind; and are composed of pure light and absolute love. It is also believed an angel is assigned to a human at birth and that they may stay with us throughout our lives to support us on our paths on the way to greater harmony with God.

The word 'fairy' is a Middle English word meaning 'enchanted being. Stories involving fairies are a lot more diverse than that of angels, but they are most commonly perceived of as small, supernatural beings or creatures involving themselves in human relationships via magic and are usually beneficial to human life (The Fairy Faith, 2001). They are, however, renowned for causing mischief and it is best to treat them with respect.

For thousands of years, stories of fairies have permeated a wide range of cultures (The Fairy Faith, 2001). Some cultures believe that fairies are angels cast out of Heaven, falling into the sea and upon the land where, if not bothered, they cause no harm. In Greek lore, fawns and satyrs were examples of some types of fairies, while the Romans told stories of furies and genies. But it was perhaps within Celtic myth that fairies are most popular.

Fairies have magic powers that perform both good and bad deeds. They can fly, change shape and make themselves invisible to human beings. Most fairies are helpful, but there are many who behave mischievously and occasionally act cruel -- like bad fairies. While many believe that an angel is a celestial being believed to act as a messenger of God, many believe that there are also bad angels. The use of the word angel has historically been a way of describing what was believed to be an appearance of God himself in human form, but there are rumors of the "fallen angel," as well.

Fairies were considered by the Irish to be the people of Mother Earth and similar to nature, there were some good and some terrifying fairies (The Fairy Faith, 2001). Other Irish folklore presents them as a prior society, conquered by the Celts and forced to live underground. And furthermore, in Wales, fairies are thought of as a race of invisible and spiritual beings living in an alternate dimension. With the arrival of Christianity in these countries, the myth of fairies grew a lot less powerful over the centuries, but still remained an important part of Celtic legend.

Mostly benevolent in nature, they are few tales of malicious acts practiced by fairies (The Fairy Faith, 2001). According to some beliefs, fairies were renowned to tempt humans to the islands where they dwelled. These islands were magical places where it was always springtime, no one got old or ill, and everyone was happy.

However, once a person entered, they were trapped there forever. They have also been known to have a reputation for kidnapping newborn babies and leaving a changeling in their place. To protect against this sort of behavior, parents were encouraged to lay a pair of the father's pants over the babies crib or hang an open pair of scissors above it. Horseshoes, crosses, bells, and four leaf clovers were other things believed to have protected one against fairy mischief.

Pixies, goblins, Changelings, Banshees, and Leprechauns are only some of the many varieties of fairies existent in various cultures (The Fairy Faith, 2001). On the other hand, angels only have one type but have many different duties. For example, many believe that angels have been sent out as divine messengers to humans to instruct, inform, or command them (MSN Encarta, 2003). An angel can function also as a protective guardian, as a heavenly warrior, or even a cosmic power. Like fairies, the line between a good angel and a bad angel, or demon, is thin. In this light, angels are broadly described as personified powers mediating between the divine and the human.