FAERIE GLEN

The word faerie is believed to be descended from the Latin word Fata, meaning the fates. This word spread throughout the Roman Empire, becoming hada in Iberia, fada in Pronvence, and fa'ae in Gaul. It reached England following the Norman invasion, as fay. The word fairye was originally an adjective for a state of enchantment. Many other forms abounded, such as faerie, faierie, fee, and fae in Old French, and in Middle English: feerie, fee, feir,feirie,pherie,fayerie, fai, and others. Faerie originally had a tri-syllabic pronunciation, up through Elizabethan English, and replaced the old english "elf" during the Tudor period. The works of Shakespeare popularised this change. The spellings for "faerie" are numerous; fayerye, fairye, fayre, faery, fairy. The word faerie may refer to the world of faerie as an entity, as a geographical location, as a general name for its inhabitants.

There has always been fairies in the world, every country has their own unique name for them. The ancient Greeks called them nymphs and dryads, and believed they were the spirits of trees and water.

In Scotland they were known as "The Still Ones", "Pixies", "The Wee Ones", "The Silent Moving Folk" and "Prowlies"; and believed that the local faeries are descendants of a race of people called the picts, who once lived there.

From Ireland - "Wee Folk", "The Little Folk", "The Gentry", "The Good Folk", "The Blessed Ones" and "Them Who Prowl". Daoine Maith - The Good People,and Daoine Sidhe - The Faery people. In Ireland there is a legend that the faeries are angels fallen to the earth from the heavens.

From Wales - "Them Who Be", "The Fair Folk", and "The Night Walkers".

From Japan - "Kami"

From Egypt - "Hathor"

In England,among those mentioned above they were also known as, "Little People","Addlers" and "Menters".

From Nordic prespective they were called "Nixen" (water spirits), "Light Elves" and "Dark Elves" (or Huldafolk) - each depicting a type of faery, and "Alfar" From Greece, The "Fauns", "Satyrs" and many other mythological beasts were considered faeries.

In Italy they were known as " Fada"

From Polynesia they were called "Menehuna"

And In Russia they are "Domovoi"

There is alot of things the Faerie are called, but in Australia we usually use the word of old and call them "faye" as a collective group and "Faerie" if there is only one.

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