A cyclopedic of fairies: Pillywiggins, Pixies, and Sprites.

So first of all, I just want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who commented on my last post allowing me to write this one! You guys are awesome! This post is going to be packed with information on fairies, so I hope you're ready! ;)

First of all, I want to talk about the term fairy. What is a fairy? Something I recently learned is that it is much like saying animal. It's a very basic general term that leads to hundreds, even thousands of different species. Typically when I heard the term fairy I pictured a female humanlike figure with wings. The term "fairy" also spelled "faerie" is used to depict the denizens of the "otherworld" or other "realm". What I now know is that a leprechaun, a goblin, a troll, a satyr, an elf, a mermaid, a pillywiggin, a pixie, and a sprite are all fairies, to name only a few.

In my book Beyond The Veil, I mention several different kinds of fairies, including dryads, hobgoblins, and of course pillywiggins, pixies, and sprites. Below I have recorded a brief cyclopedia of the fairies to the best of my knowledge.


Pillywiggins.

BOOK EXCERPT: 
Type: Pillywiggin
Name: Shaylee
Habitat: the fields
Pillywiggins live in the fields of wildflowers, for they are flower fairies. They tend to the flowers in people's gardens and in the fields.

KNOWLEDGE: Pillywiggins originated in England and Wales. These flower fairies are seen in spring and summer months and hibernate during the colder months. Pillywiggins typically live in fields of wildflowers, but tend to live in gardens as well. They are tiny, playful, loving, and excellent gardeners. They do not plant gardens, but rather, they tend to those gardens belonging to people. Though they are generally uninterested in humans, they sometimes show themselves to those who have a good heart and have asked to see them. After a human has asked to see a fairy, a pillywiggin will sometimes watch that person for several days to make sure that that person has a good heart. One thing to note is that pillywiggins are known to visit more often if there are lemon treats left out for them. Often pillywiggins are seen riding dragonflies or bees, as they have no wings of their own. Some believe that they have mated with insects which would explain their long antennas and green skin. Their clothes are made of flowers, and often they are seen wearing hats made of leaves or flower petals. Their weddings and dances and other parties (which they picked up from humans) are the most spectacular events to behold, as noted from Beyond The Veil: 

"I know how taken you are with the village and the humans. A pillywiggin long before our time, a queen whose name is long forgotten, was not so different than yourself. She became so infatuated with their world and wished to see them up close. And so she left the fairy realm behind her. She saw a great many things. But more than anything, more than the people she had encountered or the vastness of the earth she saw or the sense of freedom she felt, she was stricken with awe by their celebrations and dances. It was like nothing our world had ever known. But she made it known. She returned home, took a husband for herself, and held a grand celebration for all sorts of fairy folk. It was the first wedding our world had known, with food and music and dancing."


Pixies.
BOOK EXCERPT: 
Type: Pixie
Name: JuJuBee
Habitat: the Forest
Pixies are tiny human-like figures with large pointed ears, wild eyes filled with childish glee, and feet that carry them as fast as that of a hunted fox. Pixies are mischievous beings who delight in deliberately tormenting and misleading people, sometimes with the use of magic, sometimes not.


KNOWLEDGE: Pixies are thought to be of Celtic origin. They are very small and extremely fast. Contrary to common belief, pixies do not have wings, but they do have very pointed ears. They are very mischievous and delight in misleading and/or tormenting people; causing one to lose their way or walk in circles without realizing it, or even throwing one's clothes off the line. To avoid pixie magic, one must wear his or her clothes inside-out. Pixies typically wear clothes made of grass. It is believed that pixies are so playful because they are the souls of humans who died as infants. Fairy rings are the result of pixies dancing so it is said, and those who enter a fairy ring are transported into the fairy realm, instantly becoming invisible to the human world.


Sprites.
BOOK EXCERPT: 
Type: Sprite
Name: Hollyhocks
Habitat: the Forest
Sprites are perhaps the most beautiful of all the fairies for reasons not only in appearance, but also in manner. They are very kind-hearted, caring, and innocent by nature. They resemble humans, except for their pale and almost translucent soft skin, and their elegant gossamer wings protruding from their backs. The fairies all lived at peace with one another for the most part, but unlike the hobgoblins and the pixies, the sprites avoided all human contact. The magic they worked was very important and like nothing else to behold. Nothing short than the work of a skillful artist, they painted the leaves in the autumn, carefully but swiftly, though not too swift; they enjoyed to make the autumn last before the winter came upon them and carried the leaves away in the wind.

KNOWLEDGE: Sprite comes from the Latin word "spiritus", meaning spirit or ghost. Originating from Celtic folklore, sprites were generally thought of as tiny ghost-like beings because of the faint glowing light coming from their bodies. Though they usually avoid human contact, they are very peaceful. Sprites are some of the most creative fairies and are well practiced in the arts of music, poetry, and painting. They were given one very important task, which is to change the color of the leaves in the fall. Sprites are known to vary in size, some say they are even capable of shape-shifting. These winged fairies are very kind-hearted and caring. Because of their innocent nature, they see it fit to wear no clothing as noted in Beyond The Veil:

You see Dear Reader, the sprites live in a different world than the humans entirely. They live in peace with one another always. They know no hate, only love. They are innocent in the ways of man and they are not ashamed to be naked.

I hope you enjoy the fairies as much as I do! Thanks again for allowing me to write this post! ;)