Blogpost #1 The Beginnings of Light

Faeries... Everyone has their own ideas, assumptions, connotations and beliefs in what a fairie is. It can be, based on our local folklore, a diwata, wherein fairies are seen as a beautiful, magical, enchanted, glowing supernatural beings, full of complexities and intricacies that defines them as amoral deities.

Sometimes, the terms are loosely based on any magical creature that protects our mother earth. Other times, fairies are defined as creatures who you have to gain favor from. We all can agree that fairies are someone or something that creates unexplained magic that either benefits us or causes our own misfortune.

During my childhood, I see fairies/diwatas as beneficial to us, humans. I always believed that they were some kind of super heroes that is looking after us. As a child, I also believed that fairies are the protectors of our nature. There's this one television series in GMA network entitled "Encantadia" that shows the four fairy protectors of the different elements, the earth, wind, water and fire.

I have read the article Fairies in Legend, Lore and Literature by Terrie Windling and it discusses the history of fairies through centuries. The different types of fairies, such as the good and the wicked ones, are also in this article.

According to the author, Terrie Windling "In the 15th century, an alchemist named Paracelus divided fairies into four elemental groups: sylphs (air), gnomes (earth), undines (water), and salamanders (fire). They are made of flesh and blood, he said, and procreate like human beings but are longer lived than man and do not possess immortal souls. In the 17th century, a Scottish minister named Robert Kirk wrote that fairies "are of a middle nature betwixt man and angel," with "light changeable bodies, like those called astral, somewhat of the nature of acondensed cloud, and best seen at twilight."

Knowing the opinions of two different persons, I was even more eager to know more about fairies. In just two different perspective, I gained quite a lot of knowledge about fairies. Based on the statement of Paracelus, fairies has been described just like us humans it is just that fairies lived longer. While, Robert Kirk supports my opinion above that fairies change their forms.

Another article that I can relate to the origin of Fairies is The top three origins of fairies by Bertena Varney. This contains the top three origins and explains further the meaning of the three, such as the dead, demoted angels from Christianity and Pagan deities.

The author, Bertena Varney, explains the origin of fairies being the demoted angels from Christianity. " There is a belief that the angels who didn't choose sides were locked out of heaven because they weren't loyal and they were locked out of hell because they were not bad enough. Thus they were stuck on earth and were called fairies. This also explains why many people believe that fairies are neither good or bad but just are."

When I read about the explanation of the demoted angels, I kind of believe in this origin. First, faries have wings just like the angels. Fairies are playful wherein, angels has been described as playful creatures also, specially to babies.

Being a christian in faith, I believe that faeries are just our own nature's reminder to us humans to take care of our mother nature. They exist, either from our own folklore or to others, as protectors of this world. They are angelic beings that helps us and guides us to a better path.

These are the things I believe in ever since I was a young girl, playing with all my fairy dolls.They are here. With us. Either through spirits. Or through our hearts.