Fairies Always Have Wings and Wands — Or Don’t They?
Fairy Post #2 — in anticipation of International Fairy Day on Saturday, June 24
When I was six or seven years old, I had a remarkable encounter with a fairy. It was a fleeting moment — a dazzling blue flash that lasted only a second — but it left an indelible impression on me. Over the next five decades, I never forgot that extraordinary experience. It was many years before this vision was validated — I was well into my 30s before meeting another person who’d had a similar experience, up to and including no one believing what she’d seen with her own eyes.
Though many a website starts with something like, “You know fairies are make believe, right?” even USA Today allows for the possibility of the existence of fairies:
Though the belief in fairies still exists to present day, there is no concrete proof for or against the existence of fairies.
Because it was so fast and just a glimpse, I’ve no idea whether the fairy I saw had wings and/or a wand, but in my imagination, she has both. To my best awareness, all fairies have wands and wings. So imagine my surprise — no, my dismay — when a writer friend who also believes in fairies confidently asserted that fairies have neither wings nor wands. I was baffled. Confused. Confounded. Of course, fairies have wings and wands. Don’t they? Isn’t it interesting how little it sometimes takes for us to begin questioning our long-held beliefs?
Reminds me of the time I saw a quilting show on HGTV. They were broadcasting from Disneyworld, so presumably they had all their facts and figures correct. This show was about a quilt including aspects of the 50 states. The woman hosting the show stated with confidence and bravado that everyone knows the state of Arizona, my home state for 40+ years of my life, the state where I grew up and took social studies and Arizona history, became a state in 1910. No, it didn’t. It was Valentine’s Day 1912, a date that’s been etched onto my brain since grade school. But this woman on HGTV said something different, and I immediately had to look it up on my phone because I was suddenly uncertain of a fact I had known forever. Wow. So, yes, I admit I allowed my friend’s toss-off comment to shake my certainty that fairies always have wings and wands.
As it turns out, the debate over whether fairies have wings and wands is not limited to just my friend and me. There are people on both sides of this discussion. While many, like me, associate magical wands and wings with fairy attire, not everyone believes these enchanted beings carry wands or are endowed with wings. One reason fairies are believed to have wings — by those who haven’t actually seen them — is the wings’ symbolism of a fairy’s ability to transcend the mortal world and dwell in the realm of fantasy and magic. Wings represent freedom, grace, and a connection to the natural world. In art, fairy wings are often depicted as delicate, iridescent, or shimmering, reflecting these magical beings’ elusive nature and otherworldly beauty.
In ancient mythology and folklore, winged creatures were revered and respected. Belief in winged beings can be traced back to ancient civilizations such as the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks. Numerous myths and legends featured winged beings as intermediaries between humans and the divine world. It is possible that associating wings with fairies might have originated from these ancient beliefs, where supernatural beings with wings were considered messengers or guardians.
Fairy wings gained further popularity through literature. Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which features winged fairies like Puck, emphasizes the fairy’s mischievous nature and magical powers. Shakespeare’s portrayal of winged fairies in this play may have helped solidify the association between fairies and wings.
Tinker Bell, of Peter Pan fame, is another winged fairy of literary acclaim. Her small gossamer* wings accentuate her magical abilities and focus attention on her role as Peter Pan’s magical companion. It’s believed that this portrayal helped popularize winged fairies in modern culture. My belief in fairy wings is starting to make more sense, since Peter Pan is one of the first movies I remember seeing as a child.
Art also has played a vital role in shaping the popular concept of fairies with wings. Throughout history, artists have depicted fairies with wings in paintings, illustrations, and sculptures. These artistic representations have further reinforced the idea that wings are one of a fairy’s essential characteristics. Artists have used fairy wings to enhance the whimsical and magical aspects of fairy imagery, creating an indelible impression on the collective imagination.
When it comes to fairies, it makes sense that they have long been depicted with wands, as these implements are associated with sorcery, magic, and witchcraft. According to the British Fairies blog, magical beings who use wands as tools of manifestation and/or symbols of power have existed in various cultural traditions since at least the 1300s.
Marjorie Johnson’s popular book, Seeing Fairies, provides a dozen modern examples of fairies wielding wands. Witnesses often attribute the wand to an individual fairy identified as the fairy queen, though she may simply be a distinguished person wearing a crown. It seems that crowns and tiaras are other human accessories attributed to fairies, along with wands.
Going back to my premise, however, not every fairy lover is enthralled with the idea that fairies must have wings and wands. This belief — pro wings/wand or anti wings/wand — tends to be influenced by the believer’s individual perspectives, cultural contexts, and artistic interpretations. Though she didn’t actually use one in the 1953 Peter Pan movie, Tinkerbell has been using a wand to spread pixie dust for years. Perhaps that’s all the cultural incentive I needed to imagine all of my fairies with wands.
While the concept of fairies with wings and wands has gained significant popularity, traditional folklore and mythology often depicted fairies without such adornments. Throughout various cultural traditions, fairies have been portrayed as mystical beings closely connected to nature, folklore, and human affairs, yet they often possess neither wings nor wands.
In Celtic folklore, for instance, fairies were frequently described as small human-like creatures, possessed of otherworldly beauty and magical powers. The Irish Sidhe (pronounced “shee”) and Scottish Seelie and Unseelie Courts are examples of fairy beings that were not commonly associated with wings or wands. These creatures were believed to exist in a parallel realm, interacting with humans and influencing their lives.
Modern literature and artistic interpretations have further expanded the portrayal of fairies beyond the stereotypical image of wings and wands. In Neil Gaiman’s novel Stardust, fairies are depicted as ethereal creatures, distinct from humans, but without wings or wands. Gaiman’s portrayal emphasizes the fairies’ connection to nature and their enchanting abilities, showcasing a departure from the conventional depiction.
The depiction of fairies without wings or wands can carry symbolic significance. By removing these traditional attributes, authors and artists may be aiming to explore the multifaceted nature of fairies, focusing on their inherent magic, wisdom, and their role as intermediaries between different realms. This alternative portrayal invites audiences to perceive fairies through a newer lens, perhaps encouraging deeper reflection on the fairies’ essence and relation to human beings.
So my conclusion is it’s a tossup. Though the popular image of fairies often includes wings and wands, people who prefer the depiction of fairies without these iconic features are not necessarily wrong. It pretty much all comes down to a preference of belief. Traditional folklore and contemporary literary works, alike, offer a diverse range of fairy depictions, both with and without wings and wands.
Which is your preferred version of a fairy?
* Something that is light, delicate, or sheer
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Laura Orsini is an artist, author, speaker, consultant, and creator of Fairy Positive, an antidote to the worries of the world. Please visit her website to view and purchase Laura’s collage art: FairyPositive.com. Find and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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