The Faery Lineage and Irish Mythology — The Jacobean Fairy

The end of the Elizabethan era saw many changes in European society, resulting in corresponding changes in the Faery Lineage. The Elizabethan Fairy shrank further in size, and became more dangerous. This darker fairy, making its first appearance in the 17th century, became known as the Jacobean Fairy.

The Nature of the Jacobean Fairy

The Puritans classified all fairies as devils, claiming that they were creatures of the purest evil. However, most people in the 17th century regarded them as more maliciously mischievous than truly evil. The general populace felt that they were to avoided, not because they were evil, but because they might cause difficulties for the humans who encountered them.

The Jacobean Fairy was so minute as to be almost invisible. Some of them were said to be no bigger than microbes. Their small size was one of the reasons they were said to be malicious. They were thought to be jealous of humans and their naturally large stature.

This envy sometimes turned into something more sinister. Though unlikely to attack humans directly, they had no qualms about causing indirect harm or even death. Tales of will-o-wisps and fairies leading travelers to their deaths in the swamps and bogs of Ireland abound during the 16th and 17th centuries. Similar stories can be found throughout Europe.

The Powers of the Jacobean Fairy

The Jacobean Fairy were said to have many powers. They could affect the seasons, controlling when the seasons changed. The fairies could turn a good harvest into dust. They could withhold the spring rains, causing drought. And in some cases, they were credited with prolonging the winter, causing starvation when the food ran out.

The Jacobean Fairy had power over unborn children. They could influence children still in the womb, encouraging them towards the ideals of the fairy. Sometimes, they would even steal human children, replacing them with changelings.

As the 18th century arrived, the nature of the fairy changed once again. The Jacobean Fairy lost its tendency towards evil, and reconnected with the powers of nature. As this happened, the Faery Lineage split into the Flower Fairy and the Folk Tale Fairy.