I need a name!!
I've been on a semi-long search (okay short searches with long periods of time in between) to find out the difference between many of our cherished woodland creatures. I was not one that read a whole lot of fairy tales when I was young and I did not grow up in an area where they are flooded with them, like Russia or Ireland or even Scotland. So I had to rely on Google for most of my information, much like as with anything else.
Some of the critters I speak of are listed and basically given a definition below.
Fairies. Awww...we all like a fairy now and then, right?? Beautiful small human looking creatures that can fly about with holey or tattered wings ( and they don't even whistle!) and some even have time to stop in for a mani-pedi or a cool tattoo these days. :) Good to know that the fairies are raking in the cash to be able to afford such a thing. Must be all the sales of their magic fairy dust. Uh-huh...dust. Right. Don't get me wrong..I am just being silly. I love all of these fairies as much as the next fantasy sculptor but I think its a little funny how far we will take these little beings from the lore in which they were born. (Or were they born in lore?? I actually do not think so!) Ohh and important thing to remember here...not all fairies are nice. Keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times.
Pixies. I think all the people in the world like me with a slightly sadistic humorous side have a little thing for pixies too. From what I have read, they are fairies with a puck-like demeanor and they are the woods version of that one co-worker that loves to leave whoopee cushions behind on your chair when you leave your cubicle. BUT...they don't always look like fairies...not the human like facial features...sometimes they tend to look like little green aliens with the huge eyes and sideways football shaped heads. I think someone needs to tell them to pull their socks up too.
Brownies. Now Brownies are the helpers of the world. Much like that of a fairy or a pixie...but don't you dare leave a piece of cake out in offering to them. They will spit on it in disgust and leave, never to look back. They will help as long as it's not spoken of. Maybe they are the nice "black-sheep" of the fairy family and don't like it when people finally come to like them. Not used to being treated kindly. Not sure...but don't thank them if you like what they have done for you. I'm not entirely sure if Brownies have wings or not though. Hmmm
Imps....much like the pixie...in different clothes, I guess. No one speaks of it. Must be a secret. I'll NOT be the one to reveal it here.
Elves- A slightly larger being then a fairy although not always. Sometimes they are sculpted to be about the same size and sometimes they have the name elf despite that they look like a male fairy. Then you have the enormous elf category...the Christmas Elf. Some can be as big as four feet high. Some are merely human children wishing they were an Elf and then we have th Ogre/Elf cross known as Will Ferrell. Seems to me that all woodland elves carry very sharp weapons. In my own opinion...they don't seem to be extremely magical unless they work for Santa or are in a Hollywood Movie. If so...why would they need the weapons in the first place?? Oh and I don't think the majority of elves have wings...just saying.
The only thing I see as a major thing all these aforementioned characters have in common is the pointed ears. There has to be some cross breeding going on there. So does that mean that we have even more designer creatures out there?? Fairves?? Elmps??Pixnies?? Think of the possibilities!! Oh MY!
In all seriousness, I think they are all wonderful creatures and I love to see the imagination that people use on their sculpts. I will even go as far as to say that I do believe in fairies and I think I have been blessed to see a few in my time in our mountains. I'm not so sure that they look like we think they do or how they have been portrayed over the years. But there is some sort of magic afoot in them thar mountains!! That's for sure. You can even feel when you are close to them. That feeling was described to me by a dear friend...and I have felt that magic. I have seen a tree in the middle of nothing but pine trees look like an old wise twisted Oak on one side...something a troll would live in for sure...and turn around to look at it from the back and suddenly not see the tree at all or even be able to pick it out from the rest. And I was not alone in this "sighting". Hopefully this summer I will get to go back to that special spot. I would love to camp quietly up there and just watch the surroundings. Especially if my best friend can go with me.
By the way. I know all about cross breeding with elves. I did it. But my boyfriend won't let me post pictures of his ears. *sigh*
Maybe my next blog post will be about pregnant mermaids....but maybe its not a good thing to get me going on that. :)....heehee!