I write fiction in which the main characters are not human. Okay, some of them are, but invariably the humans play second fiddle to the star attraction, the Irish Faerie. I think it's fair to say I adore faeries. Not the flitty, tiny-winged type that came into vogue in the post Victorian era—a pox on you Tinkerbell—but the capricious and mysterious faeries of Irish folklore.
These are the faeries that will do you a good turn as easily as they will put your eye out for admitting you can see them, the ones that will pinch a baby and leave a sickly wizened creature in place. The ones that kidnap humans, and whisk them away to faerie for a life of... What exactly?
And therein lies the fascination.
Sometimes the tales will tell us the abductee is an honoured guest, treated to music such as is never heard in mortal halls and tempted with lush feasts—best not taste of it if you wish to return to your mortal life, for eating or drinking in Faerie is a sure way to get yourself trapped.
Sometimes the guest is to be a concubine of royalty, other tales imply they are kept as servants. I do find it odd that so many stories involve the human wishing to be freed from the glorious, immortality of the Fae world and returned to the mundane drudgery of the mortal realm, even those whose fates seem splendid. To me, this is where the tales get allegorical.
But maybe that's simply because I find this fleshy realm in which we have chained ourselves to the monotony of a nine to five workday and allowed materialism to enslave us so utterly depressing. Or maybe humans aren't exactly cherished on 'The Other Crowd's' side of the veil after all.
The Faeries of Irish folklore do seem enamoured with our bodies, let's face it, faeries have been bonking humans throughout the ages, and human women traditionally fare poorly from the relationship. Is this because faerie men are uncaring or is it an indictment on the patriarchal era from which the tales arise? Certainly it would seem that a good Christian lass who finds herself unchaperoned or goes off alone with a dashing male finds herself in trouble indeed. From the human brides who are whisked away to faerie and returned to the human realm when they are used up, to the geancannah's predilection for blushing virgins—who curl up their toes and die after tasting the carnal delights he offers.
Traditionally, Faerie encounters are Not Good for a woman's health and well being.
More on that next time...
