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Fae at faire, H/A or pure fantasy?

Started by jcbanner, October 18, 2008, 11:32:18 PM

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jcbanner

I've heard some talk about wanting to make a change at one of the faires I go to.  There is an "enchanted forest" type area that is populated by faeries, elves, and the like, but most of them are of a fantasy basis with basic nature undertones and backstory relating to faerytale type fae.  but I've heard rumors that they are wanting to change to more purely historical base and get rid of the wings and glitter.

Opinions? When you travel to a faire, which would you rather see?

Lady L

I don't know what HA fae would look like, but I do like the fantasy.
Former Shop Owner at MNRF

Selkie

I know I've heard that fairies with wings are more of a Victorian trait, than a Renaissance one.  From the folklore I've read, they did seem to have more animal traits or forms. Like kelpies that had a horse form. But when people think of fairies nowadays, they do tend to think of the ones with wings more often than not, since that's usually how they're depicted.

I like the winged fairies, but I'd still like to see ones without wings, too. It actually balances things out, since some fairies could be elemental. Winged fairies connected with air, so on and so forth.
"I am a woman upon the land, I am a seal in the sea..."

Whistler Fred

The Bristol RenFaire uses fae that are mostly connected to the elements or other aspects of the natural world (such as the Spider Fairy).  They don't speak but communicate using a wide variety of gestures and sounds.  They are considered by many to be among the highlights of the faire.  I don't recall if any of them had wings, although most of them definitely glittered!

I think the ability to invoke something both familiar and otherworldly with the faire folk is the key to their success.  Glitter and wings may, depending on the fairy, add a lot to that.  The problem I see is when the fae end up looking like Tinkerbell or Legolas, and that because they may be too familiar and not otherworldly enough!

Of course, from a strictly historical perspective, the fae folk didn't exist (or so we like to believe nowadays...) so any type of faire folk would be unhistorical.  So why not let imagination have its way?  
Whistler Fred (Lauritzen)

"Get ready for the Whistler.  I'll whistle along on the seventh day."  Ian Anderson

Zaubon

I much prefer the cute fantasy fae we have at faires I've been to. I don't want to try to deal with a H/A fae. Tradional fae are not cute (though they may present a glamour) or friendly. Think Bane Sidhe, (commonly spelled Banshee  in North America) and these were some of the friendlier ones.

LadyElizabeth

I think Fae is what you make of it.  I would love to see a combination of them, but I adore winged fairies and would never want to loose the magic of them at fair.  When they dance it looks like they'll take off, or when they hide behind a tree and you know they aren't actually hiding cause you see their wings... it's just so cute ang magical!  Plus, I don't want anyone telling me I can't wear my wings that I adore!
Queen Elizabeth the 1st
Champagne the Bubbly
Bubbles the Fairy
Frost the Arctic Barbarian
Red the pirate

escherblacksmith

In my very uneducated opinion (largely from the writings of Shakespeare and the like), H/A fae were definitely of the darker side . . . not necessarily evil, just nature.  Which, I suppose, was the point.  They exist in all cultures as the things that go bump in the night, the dark forest that makes us uneasy, the moors that seem to watch with indiscriminate malevolence (with the people disappearing if they go astray).  They are the things that people used to explain the fears they had but couldn't define (the lizard part of our brain telling us to stay by the light, away from the prowling predators). 

Not specific, and usually not as an unfair entity.  Just the chaos of nature.  Why one child dies and another lives . . . why your chickens were taken, but not your neighbors . . . etc.

So, they fae at the time would at best pranksters, at worst the evil spirits and devils of medieval christendom.

I have thought that dressing as a seriously dark puck would be fun . . . but probably a trifle disturbing for our fair.  Maybe TRF on Halloween.  For now, I'd just as soon we had those like Twig.
YMMV
--

renfairephotog

It might be nice to see some of the more HA fairies. Something  closer to the original Grimm fairy tales.
Twenty seasons of covering renaissance  festivals. Photos/calendar/blog.
Fairy photographer

LadyElizabeth

But I think the point of the fae at fair is not to scare people or be accurate, it's to bring magic and beauty and joy.  The Grimm fae are evil and scary looking.... Imagine how the children would react to one of those kinds of fae... and it's not like you can sit there and explain to the 3 year old that their picutre of the fae "just isn't historically accurate for the 16th century fae"... how ridiculous would that be!  I see the fae more for the children at fair than for anything else!!!
Queen Elizabeth the 1st
Champagne the Bubbly
Bubbles the Fairy
Frost the Arctic Barbarian
Red the pirate

Trillium

Yeah, I can't imagine doing a "h/a" fae.  People already think I'm an evil fae just because I have horns!  I enjoy feeling pretty and special with my wings, and seeing the awe in the wee ones eyes.
Got faerie dust?

Amras Elfwine

#10
Your horns are adorable, Trill!

I must chime in with the pro-winged fae crowd...the fun, fantasy and magic are just plain, er, well, fun, fantasy and magic!  ;)


Beside, how is it even possible to be "historically accurate" with fantastic beings and folklore? Isn't that kind of oxymoronic?

Cheers, and have fun at faire!!!
R/F member since 2004
"They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink." ~Tolkien

"Who are you callin' plushy??" ~ Todd the Squirrel

Lady L

Along with Trillium, I have had people ask me if I was a "devil's daughter" because I had my antlers on. ???

I got a leather leaf mask for Hawthorne, a few year's ago and it is not at all scary ( unless you think leaves are scary...) and I can't guess how many people are frightened/unsure of that.  ::)

I have seen a dark elf patron at MNRF, who comes with a beautiful dark fairy. Didn't see them this year. I didn't think they looked scary, but they were mysterious.
Former Shop Owner at MNRF

PurpleDragon

I say screw it all... if you're a fae, dress as you like.  ;) 

Seriously though,  what I would like to see is more of the unseelie court mixed in with all the "cutesie" type of fae.  It'd be nice to have a little bit of bad to go with the good ;)
Karl "Dragon" Wolff
The Pirates Cove

Bin Ich SCHLECHT? Ja BIN Ich.

Trillium

I would love to see more non-faerie fae.  At TRF, we're lucky enough to see more of the other types.  I think a lot of people forget that the fae realm is not just faeries, but satyrs, brownies, trolls, goblins, elves, dragons, etc.
Got faerie dust?

LadyElizabeth

I've seen tons of dragons at TRF and we have the whole cast of elves, but I agree we're pretty lacking in the other respects... But being a fairy with wings is just so much fun, I know why women in particular choose this persona over others!
Queen Elizabeth the 1st
Champagne the Bubbly
Bubbles the Fairy
Frost the Arctic Barbarian
Red the pirate