What Do Fairies Look Like?
What do fairies look like? Most of the popular conceptions of fairies fall into one of two categories. Many artistic renderings of fairies depict delicate beings of small stature with wings like those of a butterfly or dragonfly. This type of fairy seems to have a strong connection to the plant world, particularly flowers. In fact, some fairy lore says these fairies emerge from the loveliest blooms, rather than giving birth to each other. These flora-borne fairies may participate in photosynthesis and have the faintest green tinge to their complexions. These garden fairies are depicted as gentle yet playful, primarily concerned with the natural world, only glancingly aware of humans unless you seek their favor. These flower fairies, or plant devas as some call them, may reward those who place a gift in the garden for them—you can try leaving a bowl of milk, a small crystal, or a ring. Some people say that if on a summer night you see a garden or forest grove glowing with innumerable moving lights, only a small percentage of those are fireflies, the others are fairies performing an airborne dance to encourage and celebrate the abundant, lush growth of plants.
There is also another image of fairies. Some paintings portray fairies as possessing the same size as humans and resembling us in most ways, yet exuding a subtle, magical difference. Their long limbs give them a sinuous grace, and their facial features are so symmetrical as to recall a sculpture or a mask. Fairies speak with unusually musical voices which charm the listener into a state similar to hypnosis. Sometimes a small difference of anatomy betrays these fairies as other than human—perhaps one extra finger, or eyes of a rare color, unusually shaped ears, or pupils recalling those of a cat.
Sightings of these not-quite-human fairies reveal them as inhabiting an enchanted parallel universe of eternal pleasure and beauty. Sometimes humans have spied fairy processions, with the fey riding astride majestic horses. Or on occasion a human will catch a glimpse of a fairy ball in an enchanted grove, with fairies dancing gracefully to music of unearthly loveliness. Tales of this type of fairy have a darker undercurrent than stories about the tiny winged garden dwellers. Lingering reports over the centuries tell of these fairies using their irresistible allure to tempt humans away from their mortal lives and families. There does not seem to be a happily ever after ending for humans who follow the fairies into their world. Fairies may steal attractive humans of either gender for servants or playthings, so men as well as women should exercise caution if approached by extraordinarily beautiful strangers. Not all fairies engage in kidnapping. Some of them may act with generosity, giving help where least expected, but their kindness is capricious.
