Friday, October 22, 2010

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Madeleine Drake

Faith in Fae: The Origins of Faery Lore
By Madeleine Drake

In pagan times, belief in faeries and elves was widespread throughout Europe: everywhere you find Celtic and Teutonic culture, faery lore shows up in folk customs and tales. But why faeries? What's the origin of the belief in the Hidden People?

One of the earliest "explanations" for faeries comes from the saga of Beowulf, which contained a mixture of both pagan and Christian beliefs. In Beowulf, faeries are lumped into the same category as monsters like Grendel and other demons, who are described as the descendents of the Biblical Cain.

Starting in the Middle Ages, proponents of Christianity argued that faeries were fallen angels whose sins were lesser than that of Lucifer's, so God cast them down to Earth instead of sending them all the way to Hell. It's not surprising that Christianity equated faeries with demons, given that the early Church divided the entire world into God's forces and Satan's forces.

A delightful exception to the Church's view--Scottish minister and seer Robert Kirk wrote a detailed treatise on faery civilization, in which he explained that there were other realms beside the human one, and that the inhabitants of these other realms were as much a part of God's creation as we are.

But as the fledging sciences of anthropology and archaeology developed, other explanations for the popularity of faery faith arose.

There was the "souls of the dead" theory, which said that belief in faeries was an outgrowth of ancestor worship. This theory makes a lot of sense when you consider the traits of faeries:

• They live underground, often in burial mounds.

• The dead were often reported as seen in the company of the Fae (especially in Ireland).

• The Wild Hunt is a faery rite where Fae emerge into the human realm and snatch up the soul of anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with the hunters.

• There are a number of traditions which say being killed in a certain way can cause you to become a faery (dying before your time, dying in a war, being a druid who was not saved by Christ but who was not wicked enough for Hell, or being stillborn are just a few examples).

• Faery food and drink, like the food and drink of the underworld, cannot be safely consumed by a living human—if you dine with a Fae, you're there to stay.

The mythological theory was born from the new discipline of comparative religion. This theory proposed that faery lore and practices are the half-remembered remnants of a more ancient pagan religion.

To support this theory, its proponents pointed out that:

• Many pagan gods were closely associated with faeries, and faeries sometimes bear the names of ancient deities. The Book of Invasions, a medieval document which describes a succession of races invading Ireland and portrays the Tuatha de Danann as gods who were eventually supplanted by the Gaels, supports this theory.

• Sacrifices offered to the faeries were practiced: ritual sacrifices of blood and food in northern Europe, "gifts" of food, drink and household items in southern Europe.

• Faeries perform some of the same functions as nature spirits in so-called "primitive" religions, and faery practices resemble those of other Stone Age shamanic traditions.

Yet another theory – the anthropological theory – was popular among the Victorians. This theory stated that stories about faeries were actually garbled history of a time when sophisticated Iron Age humans settled in Europe, conquering the small-statured, dark-skinned race of aboriginals and literally driving them underground (in Britain, the Picts; in Germany, the descendants of the Celts and the Wends, often referred to Kleine Heiden, or Little Heathens).

The evidence?

• Faery fear of iron was considered symbolic of the aboriginal people of Europe having only Stone Age technology, inferior to the invader's swords and axes.

• Stone arrowheads dug up by archaeologists (another new scientific endeavor) were said to be elf shot or faery darts, and other Neolithic artifacts were sometimes said to be items left behind by the Fae.

• The Book of Invasions, interpreted as garbled history rather than as a religious document, is sometimes invoked to support this theory too.

But maybe you'd like a more modern theory of faery origins? One more fitting for this modern, high-tech, space-faring era? You're in luck.

In 1908, an Irish tailor told scholar Walter Evans-Wentz that faeries came "from other planets." Many UFOologists since have pointed out the striking similarities between stories of human encounters with faeries and modern reports of alien abduction. And Robert Kirk's theory of "other realms" sounds remarkably like a pre-modern-physics suggestion that the universe contains dimensions that we can't detect.

Fallen angels, forgotten gods, conquered peoples, alien visitors—in every era, we remake the Fae in our image. When Christianity dominated Europe, we squeezed the Fae into our religious worldview. When imperialism was all the rage and the resulting clash of cultures inspired us to study other people's beliefs, we reshaped the Fae to fit our new ideas about politics and comparative mythology. In our current scientifically-focused era, the idea that Fae could be visiting aliens—or even colonists—is intriguing.

How do you like your Fae? Would you rather imagine them as pagan gods or pointy-eared aliens?

Leave a comment and be entered to win a $10 Barnes & Noble gift certificate and a copy of Maddy's new release, Faery's Bargain!

Madeleine Drake writes feisty, fast-paced paranormal romance and erotica that spans the space-time continuum. aised by a pride of cats, a friendly mutt, and the Sonoma County library system, she loves to read about ancient history and mythology, anthropology, gender roles, and sexual archetypes. Her current releases include Blood Hero (Excessica, 7/9/10) and Faery's Bargain (Cobblestone Press, 10/8/10).

Her homeworld is located out past the constellation Orion, but she currently resides in Texas.


You can find her online at www.madeleinedrake.com.


Faery's Bargain

A witch gets more than she bargains for
when she lends her magic to a sexy Fae warrior

Tara's witchcraft has failed to save her naga-bitten nephew: the only cure is a rare Faery herb, impossible for a human to obtain.

Kane, a warrior of the Morrigan tribe, is bound to a baigh-duil. He needs a witch to help him send the soul-devouring monster back to its own realm, and he's willing to bargain.

It seems like a fair trade -- the herb for help with a single spell. But what will Tara do when she realizes Kane can only perform sex magic and death magic?


Excerpt:

First time in a thousand years the oracle's been wrong, and it's my question she blows. Kane glowered at the occult shop across the street -- a refurbished Victorian painted lemon-drop yellow and trimmed in white, with all the hand-carved flourishes picked out in gilt. Its windows swarmed with faceted crystals that sparkled like drunken pixies in the San Francisco sunlight.

It was too damned cheerful for a woman reputed to have faced down a naga in its own lair.

He stomped down his frustration, focusing on the cool air against his face and the scents of the ocean and car exhaust. The witch inside that candy house might not be the one he sought, but Kane had to admit she was skilled for a human. He could feel the thick, electric buzz of her wards even from across the street. She'd layered the shielding into the walls and powered it with the ley line that ran right beneath the building. Clever, but also dangerous. Tapping straight into the line for spell-work was like drinking from a fire hose. It required excruciating precision to siphon off just the amount you needed without drowning and heroic strength of will to resist the temptation to drink too deep. Kane had seen a mage lose control of a ley line in mid-spell once. The mage had suffered an agonizing death, and the damage wreaked by the botched spell had taken weeks to clean up.

Pain seared through him. The amulet tucked under his shirt flared hot against his skin, its fiery glow visible through the fabric. He hissed out a cantrip, repeating the chant until the pain dulled and the amulet cooled. I won't be able to maintain the binding much longer.

If the witch in the lemon-drop house couldn't help him, he was dead.

* * * * *

Time-yellowed pages slithered against each other as Tara folded the grimoire closed, letting her fingers explore the arcane symbols embossed on the cracked leather cover. Another ancient tome, another chunk out of her rapidly dwindling savings, another dead end. Meanwhile, Jimi continued to weaken under the care of his confused doctors. She didn't blame them, of course. Even if she could make them believe her, what could they do? My nephew was bitten by a half-man, half-snake monster straight out of Hindu mythology. What do you mean you don't have the right anti-venin?

Even more frustrating, she'd found a cure for the naga's poison -- crith-siol, a plant rumored to be cultivated by the Tribes of the Fae -- but it had proven impossible to get. For the last three months, she'd scoured book after book, hoping to find a substitute for the faery herb. As she searched, Jimi grew weaker. Tara had snatched the boy out of the naga's coils before the monster could eat him, but she hadn't saved him. She'd merely postponed the inevitable, and now she could do nothing but watch her nephew deteriorate, his body shutting down one system at a time. The last doctor had given Jimi a couple of months more, at best.

I wish Gran was alive. Gran would have found a cure by now. Or she'd have found a way to get the crith-siol, no matter what it cost.

Gran wouldn't have let Jimi get caught by the naga in the first place.

The brassy jangle of bells signaled the arrival of a customer. The jangle was cut short by a loud thump and a metallic crash -- the front door slamming shut. An impatient customer. Tara sighed, caught between irritation at the interruption and guilty relief for the distraction. She stepped into the front room of her shop.

The man in the black leather duster frowned at a rack of hand-crafted candles as if he found the colorful cylinders of beeswax offensive. He was tall, dark, and too beautiful to be called handsome. His long black hair was pulled back into a sleek braid, the severity of the hairstyle contrasting with the sensual planes of his face -- sloping cheekbones, amber-brown eyes under upswept brows, and a wide, full-lipped mouth over a strong chin. He was the sexiest man she'd met in ages, and if the humming in her head was any indication, a powerful mage. That delicious hum reverberated down her spine, lighting up her nerves as it went.

He looked up, and his frown evaporated in the flash-fire of another emotion -- something so intense it made Tara want to squirm.

Can I help you? she meant to ask. But when she opened her mouth, what came out was, "Mine."

Horrified, she barely managed to stop herself from clapping her hand over her mouth. Mine? Where did that come from? It had been a long time since she'd dated, but was she so lonely that the mere presence of an attractive man was enough to scramble her brains?

Apparently so.

The corner of his mouth twitched as if he were fighting the urge to laugh.

Tara flushed. "I mean, I make them. The candles."

He licked his lips, a deliberate, sensual motion, and Tara found herself mirroring the action before she could stop herself. What's wrong with me?

"Um." She cleared her throat and tried again. "Can I help you?"

The stranger smiled. "I believe you can, Bandraoi."

* * * * *

The oracle had been right after all. The witch's aura had responded to him at once, flaring in intoxicating reds and purples the moment she'd emerged from the back room. Her eyes widened with surprise, and the power he sensed sleeping within her stirred, brushing against his aura like a curious cat. He fisted his hands against the near-overwhelming urge to reach out and pet her. She had a touch of the Tribes in her. His body's reaction to it was sharper than a knife to the heart and hotter than a Beltane bonfire. It was like his first fight and his first orgasm squeezed into one frenzied moment.

His witch was short and curvy, and she'd wrapped her luscious figure in a clingy black dress that emphasized her hourglass shape. When she pursed her lips, his cock expanded as his imagination burst open, spilling one wicked fantasy after another into his brain. He pictured her moss-green eyes half-shut with delight, sweat gleaming on her skin, while her wavy gold hair clung to her bare shoulders. He imagined all that power crackling through him as she trembled in the throes of it, her silken voice raw with ardor.

She'd sensed the rousing of her Fae nature; he could tell by the slight quiver of her shoulders, the heat that bled over her cheeks, the pink tip of her tongue wetting her bottom lip. She was perfect -- except for the wariness that glimmered across her face when he'd addressed her by her proper title. Surely she knew Bandraoi was a term of respect among the Tribes? Or hadn't she recognized him for what he was yet?

* * * * *

Available from Cobblestone Press:
http://cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/faerysbargain.htm

69 comments:

SandyG265 said...

I like the Fae to belong to Earth but they don't necessarily have to be gods.

Madeleine Drake said...

Thanks for having me here today, Roxanne! :)

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Sandy, nice to meet you! By belonging to Earth, do you mean that you see them as terrestrial creatures, like humans? Or do you mean you associated them with the element of earth?

Gabby said...

I'm sort of partial to both ideas. The one where they may be from earth or connected to earth, as well as the idea that they may be aliens from another dimension.

I think both ideas are pretty interesting.

Sherry said...

When I think of them I always imagine them as pointy eared but I'm not sure if I consider them aliens though.

sstrode@scrtc.com

jessica said...

When I think of the Fae, a picture of pointed ears with light colored skin and dark hair and exotic eyes comes to mind. I don't really think of if they are from earth or not (or if they are as hot as gods) but I always think of them with pointed ears. . .

jessangil at gmail dot com

cat said...

Not sure which I prefer..altho pointy ears are a definite thing they'd have.

Interesting stuff....

Cybercliper said...

Hi Madeleine - I'm definitely going to be googling Robert Kirk! He sounds like a pretty deep thinker - a dangerous habit during his time.

I like to imagine the Fae belonging to an outer world with the ability to travel by dimension rather than dark space. And who knows, maybe WE ARE colonists placed here by a Fae like race. Biblical Enoch believed and even went off on a trip with angel like beings who gave him the gifts of knowledge. It's mind boggling to think about all the answers that have been lost or destroyed throughout time.

Judy said...

Very interesting post, finding about the ideas of where and when they existed. I would want my Fae to be from earth in the underground areas, not aliens or pagan gods.

susan said...

I like both ideas as gods and as pointed ear little men..like you would find in the garden. I think they should be connected to Earth in some way at least and would really be nice if they were human size so guess the human size gods would be top of the list..the little ones on the next level. I just like the idea of them in any shape. susan L.

Jennifer Mathis said...

I like to think of the Fae as Pagan Gods

meandi09@yahoo.com

Nicole Zoltack said...

Both ideas are interesting. I like to think of them as a part of the earth.

Vicky CK said...

Wow, that was some post. I don't think my high school papers were that well researched or writen! I do not like the idea of Fae aliens at all. They should be a part of us, our planet (underground feel...). And yet I don't have a real problem with the other dimension idea...guess I am a contradiction like the stories behind the Fae, haha. Some part of me likes the traditional Celtic/Irish Fae best.
I really liked all the history listed in your post and for all that I think of myself as a history buff, lots of it I didn't know. Thanks!
Vicky

Carol L. said...

Hi Madeline,
I really enjoyed this post, very fascinating. I like to think of them as connected to Earth through another realm.I love fantasy so I choose to imagine them as beautiful creatures with many powers both evil and good. :)
Loved your excerpt as well.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com

Mary Corrales said...

Wow, there was so much about about the fae that I didn't know. I like the idea of them being gods of some sort.

Wonderful excerpt, btw. Fairy's Bargain sounds like an intense yet fun read.

Thanks for sharing.

throuthehaze said...

I think I prefer the fae as pointy eared pagans :)
throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Carrie said...

I picure them with pointy ears as well as with alienish qualities. Either way they seem mean

Madeleine Drake said...

Gabby, if you like the "alien" idea, Tanya Huff has a wonderful military space opera series in which humans and several other alien races (which are all scifi versions of traditional fantasy creatures, including faeries/elves) have adventures together. It's called The Confedoration series, and all the titles have "valor" in them: Valor's Choice, The Better Part of Valor, The Truth of Valor, etc. Her fae are sexy and superflirty. So much fun!

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Sherry, thanks for stopping by! I bet those pointy ears are extra sensitive... ;)

Madeleine Drake said...

Jessica, your image of the Fae is very European, as they are. Gotta love those pointy ears...my love of elves probably predisposed me to a fondness for Vulcans when I was growing up. Hmmm, now that I think about it, not only do Vulcans share the faeries' pointy-earedness, they also have superhuman mental abilities and a low fertility rate (only reproducing every seven years). I wonder if Gene Roddenberry did that on purpose...

Madeleine Drake said...

Glad you found the post interesting, Cat! :) You're in the majority, it seems, in preferring pointy ears on your elves.

Madeleine Drake said...

Cybercliper, you can download Kirk's treatise on the Faery world (search for "Robert Kirk commonwealth") -- it's so old it's in the public domain, and it's absolutely fascinating. He incorporates a lot of Scottish lore, his personal experiences with faeries, and a lot of metaphysical ideas that were really pushing it for his time. Definitely worth reading!

Madeleine Drake said...

P.S. Funny you should mention Enoch, I just watched a documentary that mentioned his visit with the angels (and his ostensibly learning their language). Makes me want to read more about that...any books you'd recommend on the subject?

Madeleine Drake said...

Ah, Judy, a traditionalist I see. ;) The idea of there being another sentient species living underground that we're completely unaware of is so intriguting.

Madeleine Drake said...

Susan--interestingly, the earliest stories about the fae and elves describe them as being human-sized...but the more recent the lore becomes, the more fantastical they look, the more likely the are to have wings, and the smaller they become. There's actually a reason for that (I've got a link to an article I wrote about it on my website, if you're interested; go to www.madeleinedrake.com and click on "Musings.")

Madeleine Drake said...

Hey, Jennifer! Who's your favorite pagan god? I have a special fondness for Artemis and Inanna...

Madeleine Drake said...

It seems like the consensus view of the Fae is that the are of or connected to the earth. Nicole, do you see them as literally living underground, or more as living more in harmony with nature than we humans do?

Madeleine Drake said...

Thanks, Victoria! I love reading about myth and folklore, so it was fun to research. You're right, the Fae are a contradictory lot...or maybe they just see an underlying reality that makes those seeming-opposites not contradictions?

Madeleine Drake said...

Carol, one of my favorite things about the Fae is when they are depicted as having a lot of variation in their beliefs and motives--just like us. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt! (And who is that sexy guy who's acting as your avatar?)

Madeleine Drake said...

Thank you for stopping by, Mary, I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. It gets even more intense once Tara and Kane get naked. ;)

Madeleine Drake said...

Hey, throuthehaze...three cheers for pointy-eared pagans!

Madeleine Drake said...

Welcome, Carrie! It's true that the Fae are often tricking humans in stories. But it's also true that most of those stories are written by humans. I wonder what we'd find if we could read *their* books on human lore? ;)

Maria said...

I would like to know more about the sources you used to write this one.

I think that faeries in southern europe are a very different kind than your usual fae.
there are many rituals of offering food, wine or something else to the dead, to the earth or to a log on christmas eve that is going to be burned, and all of these things have similarities and differences and a lot of different points that connect them to slavic mythology and prechristian belief system, it`s not that simple to put all that in the same basket nor it is wise to call it "fae".

for example, in Croatia, the word "vila" is translated to "fairy" and these are usually creatures of nature that are obviously been drawn in the likeness of the roman nymphs, but then again, "vila" is sometimes reffered to as an evil, dark entity that is very different from the "nymph" ones.

fae as aliens? not for me, thank you, ;)

Unknown said...

Madeliene what a wonderful write up on the Fae!
I personally have always thought of them as the Pointy eared fae of earth. But I love the idea of them being aliens there is so much that can still be written! Loved it!

Mahalo, Mona

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Alice!

The main books I referred to in researching this post were:

Fairy Lore: A Handbook (D.L. Ashliman)
The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People (Thomas Keightley)
The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries: The Classic Study of Leprechauns, Pixies, and Other Fairy Spirits (W.Y. Evans-Wentz)

I agree, there are some big differences between faeries in southern europe and their northern counterparts, the biggest difference being that christianity took hold of southern Europe much sooner; more stories about elves survived intact than have survived about faeries, and the northern stories show fewer Christian influences.

Regarding sacrifice--in the north it was called "alfablot" and was usually blood or food that was left out to the elves, sometimes in exchange for a request granted, sometimes just to earn good favor. In the south, there are lots of stories where people leave gifts for the faeries, again, in return for a request granted or to earn good favor, and while it wasn't commonly referred to as a "sacrifice" -- it worked pretty much the same way. "I give you what you want, and in return, I hope you'll be nice to me/answer my prayers."

You're right, the Victorian anthropologists who collected a lot of the surviving stories about the fae were very quick to generalize about any lore that wasn't Christian--a lot of supernatural creatures that weren't originally considered "fairies" got lumped into that category, just as many supernatural creatures were labeled "demons", even when the cultures those creatures came from had a variety of words to categorize the paranormal realm.

For example, nowadays we lump pixies, sidhe, leprechauns, trolls, mermaids, and a whole bunch of other creatures into the realm of Faery just because they all belong to the paranormal world, but that's kind of like saying "there's no difference between sheep and wolves, because they both belong to the world of four-legged mammals." :)

The Ashliman book is focused on the similarities between faerie/elf lore in different regions of Europe, and includes a lot of analysis on recurring themes. The Keightley book, on the other hand, is organized by region, and while he does make some generalizations, he's also very careful to point out regional differences. They're both fascinating.

I've never heard of a "vila"--any good books you'd recommend on Eastern European mythology and folklore to get me started?

Estella said...

I always imagine the Fae as pointy eared but not aliens.

Anonymous said...

Fae as aliens? That'd be interesting. I do think of them as nature spirits more than anything else.

cories119[at]yahoo.com

Maria said...

thank you for your reply and sources, ;)

unfortunately, I have no idea what texts have been translated in english.

I`d recommend to read anything by Vitomir Belaj for slavic mythology reconstructions, but then again, I have no idea is he translated.

if you want, I can check JSTOR (I have access) for articles.

booklover0226 said...

I haven't read any books featuring Faes, yet. I'm willing to give both kinds a try!

Thanks,
Tracey D
Booklover0226 at gmail dot com

Edna said...

I'm still getting my feet wet reading paranormal or urban fantasies featuring fae so I found this extremely fascinating. I'm open to any kind of faeries as long as the story is well written.

chey said...

I don't think of them as aliens or gods.

Michelle Miles said...

Great blog! I think of them as pointy-eared but not gods or aliens.

Unknown said...

Hi Madeleine -
I like to imagine the Fae as pointy-eared Earthlings/aliens (possibly living in another dimention).

Lea Ellen {night owl in IL}

Stephanie said...

Hi Madeleine!

Your posts are so informative and thought provoking!

As for which I prefer, I honestly can't decide each option bring about so many ideas the possibilites are endless!

Stephanie B.
DragonStar1974@aol.com

The Scarf Princess said...

Interesting post. I definitely see the Fae as otherworldly, but not too otherworldly. I see them as being undeniably attractive so pointy ears would ruin that image. And since they have powers, I can see them as Pagan Gods.

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

Mary Kontrary said...

Thought-provoking post. I had never really considered the origin of the Fae before, but I kind of think they are simply another terrestrial species having talents that are quite beyond that of human beings and that lives in a separate dimension but can cross over to ours. If nasty creatures like fetches are also Fae, I suppose that makes my idea unrealistic and one of the others would make more sense. Something to think about, anyway.

Enjoyed the excerpt! Thanks.

mkip @ aol . com

Pam P said...

I've always thought of the Fae as alien beings thinking themselves superior and godlike; thus humans thinking of them as gods because of all their powers.

pambook@ alternate pamreads @mail.com

Diane Pollock said...

I like the older tales that connect them with our land, not alien.

SiNn said...

awesome post Madeleine honesly for me i want them to be pegan gods and not aliens because i dunno when i hearthe term alien i think of the awesomely horrifying alien movie and nothings pretty or sexy about that that excerpt was awesome

ty Roxanne for haven her here!

mortalsinn@yahoo.com

desitheblonde said...

wow hard question to answer
but they can be normal and grant
the wish of all and they can have a little horn or little broom

Madeleine Drake said...

Thanks for stopping by, Estella! That's another vote for liking the pointy ears... ;)

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Cories5! You know, another book that had a scifi version of fae was C.J. Cherryh's Morgaine Cycle (another one of my all-time favorite books). The fae in it are aliens, but the setting is a post-catastrophic universe where tech has devolved, so it feels like a fantasy novel. (It also has a very sweet romance in it.)

Madeleine Drake said...

Alice, It's so sweet of you to offer to send articles my way. I don't have a particular focus right now research-wise, but if you see something especially interesting about vila via JSTOR, I'd love to read it. Or if you come across any texts in the future in English that you think would be a good intro to Eastern European folklore, please feel free to contact me in email (maddydrake AT gmail DOT com).

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Tracey! Well, if there's anything I can do to help you get your feet wet re: reading about the Fae, please let me know. :) What do you normally read?

Madeleine Drake said...

I'm glad you enjoyed the post, Edna. :) What's been your favorite paranormal/urban fantasy so far?

Madeleine Drake said...

Hey, chey--do you seem them as being human-like?

Madeleine Drake said...

*Waves to Michelle* Thanks for stopping by! (For anyone who likes hot contemporaries, Michelle writes delicious ones: www.michellemiles.net)

Madeleine Drake said...

Lea Ellen, fae being from another dimension would totally explain the time differences and other weirdness about Underhill, wouldn't it?

Madeleine Drake said...

Thank you, Stephanie! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. I'm also glad there are so many different ways that the fae have been reimagined--each has it's own special charm, doesn't it? ;)

Madeleine Drake said...

Hi, Joder! Interesting, a vote for them to look more human, sans pointy ears. Who's your favorite pagan god?

Madeleine Drake said...

Howdy, Mary! By "fetch" do you mean a being that a witch/mage sends out on the astral plane to collect information, etc? Or were you thinking of another creature?

Madeleine Drake said...

Pam P, did you know that there's a legend about the fae once living in a couple of cities aboveground a long time ago? The legend says that the fae grew too proud and started using their powers to enslave humans. Naturally, the humans (who outnumbered the fae) got tired of being used and sacked the cities.

Madeleine Drake said...

Thanks for stopping by, Diane! All right, another vote for the terrestrial fae!

Madeleine Drake said...

Hey, SiNn! Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt. The Alien movies are awesomely horrifying...I was actually tricked into seeing the second one. I don't like horror movies in general, and when I was in high school my circle of friends all wanted to see it together. Since they knew I wouldn't go to a horror movie, they all decided to tell me it was science fiction. :) EEP! I went out and bought a nightlight for every socket in my room the next day!

Madeleine Drake said...

Welcome, desitheblonde! Do you like them with a horn (musical instrument)? Or do you mean that you like them horned, a la Pan?

CrystalGB said...

I like to think that they belong to the earth and they are amazing creatures.
Your book sounds great.

Pamk said...

I think of them as from this earth but not gods even though I can see the more primitives of our culture seeing them as such. I'd like to think of them as a seperate race from humans and sort of like the animal species that humans were so prolific we sort of made them extinct. or theve chosen to hide themselves from us until such time as we could live side by side which will never happen

Andrea I said...

I like to think of the fae as belonging to Earth, but not necessarily being pointy eared.

andrea.infinger@gmail.com

Jolene and Family said...

I have only read a few books with Fae. I would love to explore some more. I like to read of Fea that are beautiful and somewhat magical. Maybe the evil ones could be pointy eared and Alien looking :)
june111@att.net

 
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