The Faery Lineage and Irish Mythology — The Flower Fairy

As society changes, so does its mythology. This rule applies equally to the continuous development of the Faery Lineage. With the arrival of the 18th century, the Jacobean Fairy of the previous century changed and adapted, splitting into the Flower Fairy and the Folk Tale Fairy. Both of these forms have endured into modern times, but it is the Flower Fairy that most people envision when they hear the term ‘fairy.’

The Nature of the Flower Fairy

Above all, the tiny Flower Fairy was said to be gentle and generous. Flower Fairies were the gentle spirits of the earth. They were thought to exist wherever nature flourished. They lived in the hills and the mountains, the lakes and the oceans, and they would flit from flower to flower in every garden.

Flower Fairies were passionate in their pursuits. They admired love and beauty, but abhorred ugliness and greed. They held in contempt those who were tightfisted with their time or wealth.

Those humans who left a bit of food or drink for them at night earned their love. They were said to wander the physical realm at night, collecting the last bit of grain from the field, the last fruit off the tree, and the last drop of milk from the pail. They also enjoyed a bit of wine, but Flower Fairies never became intoxicated.

Superstitions Surrounding the Flower Fairy

In 18th century Europe, including Ireland, superstition was still very much a part of daily life. Common knowledge of the era held that the blessings of the Flower Fairy could be brought into a household with a few simple actions.

Those households wishing to draw the Flower Fairies into their homes were advised not to sit up too late, as the fairies might wish to come into their home after dark. They would leave some food or milk for the fairies to dine, and a vessel of clear water for them to bathe. Those who made the effort to provide the fairies with these small comforts were said to be rewarded quite richly in the form of luck and protection.

This charming fairy would endure into the modern era, and continues to be a part of popular mythology. With the rise of Wicca and other Pagan movements in the 20th century, the Flower Fairy was reinvented, slowly becoming the Elemental Fairy.