"When the first baby laughed for the first time, his laugh broke into a million pieces, and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies."
J.M. Barrie in The Little White Bird
Do you believe in Fairies? They really are the most beautiful creatures and despite sightings of them, stories, poems and more- in many cultures across the world no one has ever been able to catch one. In Celtic Societies (Scottish, Irish and Welsh) Fairy's were considered to be a race of diminutive humans that lived in barrows, mounds and hills but they could also be spiritual beings from the Otherworld.
Hawthorne Trees in the British Isles were thought to mark the doorways to the Otherworld (the home of the fairies) and it is considered exceptionally bad luck to ever cut down a Hawthorne Tree, except when it is in bloom (image below). When the flowers blossom it signifies the beginning of Summer in Britain and branches are cut from the tree to decorate homes.
Do you remember the famous DeLorean car that was used in the Back To The Future movies with Michael J. Fox? The company which made the car (the DeLorean Motor Company) was based in Ireland but they eventually went bust in 1982 after many problems. While it would be normal for any business to deal with a fair amount of problems, this company seemed to have unusually bad luck - anything that could go wrong, did!
Many would simply write this off to coincidence, but the truth is that they had done something truly unspeakable. When they bought land in Ireland to build the production plant there had been many Hawthorne Trees growing there - all of which had been chopped down to make way for the construction. It is still believed today that this had angered the fairies who then created havoc where ever possible in response to the destruction of their sacred tree. The company owners must have felt desperate enough about their situation as they eventually replanted some similar trees on the property with much ceremony as a way to appease the fairies. Alas, it was too little too late and production stopped and the company closed down.
This doesn't really prove the existence of Fairy's even if it is quite an interesting story. Perhaps one of the most convincing pieces of evidence are the Cottingley Fairies - a tale so spectacular that it captured the attention of many when it happened and was later made into a movie, Fairytale: A True Story.
This exceptional tale is of two girls living in England during the first world war who took photo's of, what they claimed, were real fairies.
Think about it: could two young girls in those early day's of photography have the skills necessary to fake such photographs? Even experts were hard pressed to prove them fake. The idea that the girls were able to fake them was very remote, and to this day there are many who still believe they captured the first definitive proof that fairies are real.
Whether you believe they are real or not, you can't help but be captivated by the idea of these beautiful winged creatures who can slip into the Otherworld, a kingdom filled with celebration and happiness. Next time you find yourself out in nature, perhaps sitting under a tree on a warm spring day, take a moment to sit as still as you can and who knows? Perhaps you might catch a small glimpse of a tiny creature flying between the flowers and the toadstools!
We found this video of a very special place, called The Sulina Fairy Sanctuary which is a home for fairy's in Africa. This just goes to show that there are still plenty of people who believe in these creatures and will even open their home to them.
So how can you get the fairies to visit you? They love gifts of cake and sweets and they love a garden that is filled with birds, flowers and other wildlife. Having a water-feature or bird bath is another great thing to help attract fairies to your garden and home. But the most important thing of all is to believe that...
Fairies are Real
