This guideline for interacting with Fae characters at Faire is a combination of useable suggestions and support derived from research. The actual suggestions for actors are shown in bold font. The minimal support included here is for education purposes, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. There is such a huge body of literature, both scholarly and artistic, on Celtic Faery lore and history; we suggest some research on the part of actors who wish to interact with the Fae in more detail. A bibliography is included for just that purpose.

  I relied heavily on the 1911 work of American Scholar, W.Y. Evans-Wentz for this protocol. His book The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries (which earned him a Doctorate of Letters from the University of Rennes, Brittany, 1907, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Oxford University in 1910) is a comprehensive study of the Celtic belief in Fae throughout the British Isles, including numerous personal interviews, analyses of theories that explain or disprove the activities of faeries, and a review of Fae belief as presented in historical literature. According to Evans-Wentz:

 “… there seems never to have been an uncivilized tribe, race, or nation of civilized men who have not had some form of belief in an unseen world, peopled by unseen beings. In religions, mythologies, and the Fairy-Faith, too, we behold the attempts which have been made by different peoples to explain in terms of human experience this unseen world, its inhabitants, its laws, and man’s relation to it. The Ancients called its inhabitants gods, genii, daemons and shades; Christianity knows them as angels, saints, demons, and souls of the dead; to uncivilized tribes they are gods, demons, and spirits of ancestors; and the Celts think of them as gods, and as fairies of many kinds” (Introduction, xii).

 Throughout history, and even into the modern age, it seems everyone in the Celtic world believed in faeries, along with a wide variety of other mythical creatures, whether they “saw” them or not. Historical references from all over Europe abound with tales and stories of people’s interaction with Fae. It is thought that the faery belief in Wales, Scotland and Ireland was stronger and persisted longer because during the Roman invasions of the British Isles, many Celts were pushed to the more rural, outlying areas of the countryside. The old ways were kept there and passed down…

 According to most, Fae were amoral and unpredictable “like a wind that can change from a gentle breeze to a gale” (Eason) or “giver’s of fortune with one hand and misery with the other” (Purkiss). While it is understood that faeries were not always, or even often, nice to mankind, the gifts of the faeries were much desired. People believed that they needed to appease the faeries so they might receive a faery gift, at best, or at least, not fall victim to the darker side of the Fae nature. It was also known that the source of a faery gift needed to remain secret or the gift was lost (Eason, Purkiss). Numerous examples of how folks would appease and entreat the faeries exist in historical literature. Here are some methods to bring the faery blessings:

• “A [Welsh] servant-maid who knows her business leaves a vessel full of water for them, and takes care that the house is neat and tidy, and then probably finds in the morning some fairy gift left to her, whereas if the house be untidy and the water dirty, they will pinch her in her sleep, and leave her black and blue” (Evans-Wentz).

• “I believe the Tylwyth Teg were generally looked upon as kind and good-natured, though revengeful if not well treated. And they were believed to have plenty of money at their command, which they could bestow on people whom they liked” J.M. Jones, Professor of Welsh, (quoted in Evans-Wentz).

• “They [the fairies] often came to houses after the family were abed; and if milk was left for them, they would leave money in return; but if not treated kindly they were revengeful” J.C. Davies, Welsh Folk-Lorist, (quoted in Evans-Wentz).

• “Whatever milk falls on the ground in milking a cow is taken by the fairies, for fairies need a little milk. Also, after churning, the knife which is run through the butter in drying must not be scraped clean, for what sticks to it belongs to the fairies” An Irish Priest (quoted in Evans-Wentz). 

• “… Spill milk on the ground for the good people; and pots of potatoes would be put out for the good people at night” Owen Morgan, Irish Farmer, (quoted in Evans-Wentz).

To make clear that a fellow guild wishes the faeries to enter their encampment with a blessing during Faire, a vessel of clean water should be placed at the encampment entrance. It wouldn’t hurt to have some flowers around the vessel or a small sign saying “For the Faeries” so our members are sure of the invitation. If “treated kindly” with some small morsel of food, milk or libation, the faeries may be enticed to leave a gift! Actors can choose to “see” the faeries, or not, according to their character portrayal. Children at Faire will almost always see us, and will always be gifted and treated well by our members. Unless they are accustomed to interacting with the Fae, adults who “see” the faeries are often in a state of enchantment, shock, duress or, even, inebriation.  We encourage positive interaction, so here is some information and suggestions for greeting and speaking with the Fae:

On Speaking With The Fae: 

According to Cassandra Eason in A Complete Guide to Faeries and Magical Creatures: 

“The word “fairy” or “faerie” comes from the ancient French faes, derived from the Latin fata [fates]… “Faerie” “fairy” or “fayerie” originally meant a state of enchantment or glamour, the power of illusion, reflecting the power of beings who might bring blessings or curses, and an ambivalence towards such beings. It was fear of angering the fairy folk by speaking their name that led to their being given a variety of euphemisms that might, by a process of magic, attract only their benevolence” (16). 

Diane Purkiss, in At the bottom of the garden: A dark history of fairies, hobgoblins, and other troublesome things, states that even to say the word “fairy” was believed to cost the speaker a year of life.  It was believed that calling the faeries names such as the Good People in Ireland, Good Neighbors in Scotland, the Fair Ones (Tylweth Teg) or Mother’s Blessing (Bendith Y Mamau) in Wales, reminded the Fae of their better nature and brought their blessings over their curses (Evan-Wentz, Eason). Great care was taken not to offend the faery folk, because they were thought to cause every disaster from milk curdling and crop failure to the death of stock, or even that of children.  

A person living anywhere in the British Isles would not utter the word “faery” for fear of angering the Fae. Instead, they would use such euphemisms as their culture had devised. For example 

Welsh would call the faeries Y Tylweth Teg (I’m not positive of the Welsh pronunciation, but it may be ee teel-ooeth teg). Translated in English it would be “The Fair Ones”. 

Brits would say “The Little Folk” or “The Good Folk” or “The Forest Folk” 

Irish would say “The Good People” or “The Sidhe” pronounced shee. 

Scots would say “Good Neighbors”. 

If faeries are perceived nearby, it would be appropriate to say something like, “Good morrow to the Good Folk, if any be near”.  

According to the Rev. Robert Kirk, who wrote about being “taken” by the faeries in Scotland in 1692, a member of the Fae would most likely greet you as “Newcomer” because the faeries were a much older race, although “human” and “mortal” may also be used at Faire.

On Being “Taken” By The Fairies:  

In every Celtic culture there are stories of people being “taken” by the faeries. A universal story is that of the Changeling, where the Fae take a healthy child and leave a sickly one in its place. Another version of this story is that a log or block of wood, enchanted to look like the child, is left in the place of the taken babe.  

Basically, the populace would blame the illness or death of any child on the faeries’ will; either the family displeased the Fae, the ill or weakened child was a changeling, or the faeries simply acted on a whim as they are wont to do. 

As far as the “taking” of adults goes, there are relatively few stories of women being “taken” by faery creatures, although some Fae, such as the Satyr would certainly interact with many a young maid. Most of the stories involving human women state that the interaction occurred in the human world, with the male Fae “visiting” the woman where she lives. More often, the old stories tell of faerie women who fall in love with young human men and entice them into the Faery Realm. Much of the time, the young men did return to their own world – whether by will or release is not clear – and they spoke of being gone only a short time with the Fae, yet find that much time has passed in their own world. Often the young men “taken” and returned, eventually disappear entirely. 

League members will not be portraying the story of the Changeling by taking any children at Faire. Although historically correct, we would rather focus on the more positive, playful, and sometimes mischievous, side of Fae-human interactions. We would, however, consider re-enacting this aspect of Celtic history by leaving the “enchanted” block of wood with a household willing to portray the family of a changeling.  

If you wish to show a historically accurate method to prevent your children from being “taken” by faeries, you can give them something of iron to wear around their necks or carry in their pockets. You can also weave Common bindweed (convolvulus: also known as field morning glory – these white, pink-veined morning glory-like flowers on a long vine with heart shaped leaves can be found alongside many roadways in California) into a wreath for the head, a necklace or a garland to hang on cribs. 

While we won’t be taking any children, we will actively seek adult actors at Faire who wish to be “taken” by the Fae. To indicate that you would not object to being “taken” for a while, you should acknowledge the spoken desire of a faery to “take” you while making direct eye contact with said faery. You should play as if you are under some enchantment or slightly drunk, although we’re not going to carry you, so schnokered is out of the question. Should the faery wish to seize you, she or he will wrap your wrist with a golden cord. At this point, much ado will be made of your capture by the faeries and you will be led away to the Nether Realm. Be thee ware the faery food. It is said that should you partake of any food or drink in the faery realm, you will be forever trapped there. If, by chance or by choice, you find your release after eating or drinking in the faery realm, you will always remain “touched” by the faeries and never again be at your ease in your own world, either plagued with visions of, or with longings for, the faery world. 

On Capturing Fae: 

Most often, faeries were feared, and the Fae seen as an unavoidable aspect of life that needed to be appeased. Only a fool, or a very foolhardy person, would try to catch a fairy. Purkiss states that “to catch a fairy is unlucky”, although most stories agree that the temporary holding of Leprechauns or Jinn could result in a person gaining a number of wishes. 

Sometimes, female fairies could be entrapped into marriage with humans, but usually with a condition or promise attached. There is one reoccurring Welsh tale that tells of a farmer who caught a faery. She agreed to live with him on the condition that he never touch her with iron. One day, when the pair go into field to round up a loose horse, the farmer throws a bridle and accidentally touches his faery-wife with the bit. She instantly disappears, freed from her compact to live with the man.  

We discourage the practice of capturing faeries at Faire for two reasons: 1) It is not shown to be a historically accurate desire or practice for most Renaissance characters, and 2) There exists the high probability of damage to our costumes when being caught by careless actors. It should be recognized that League members put tremendous effort into their costumes, especially the wings, and that wings are very fragile. If you portray a reckless, foolhardy character that would attempt to capture a fairy, some of our members may be agreeable to acting out such a scenario with you, with advance notice and preparation. An impromptu capture during Faire will be considered a hostile action against our members and will most likely be met with strong resistance. 

To conclude, it is said that art imitates life. While we have attempted to use historical references for our art of re-enactment, no discussion of the Fae during the Renaissance period could be complete without mention of the great bards of the age. While all know of Shakespeare’s work regarding the faeries, and most would recognize Edmund Spenser’s The Fairy Queen, there are the works of many other poets to explore. Further reading for those who enjoy poetry is shown in the bibliography.

Bibliography 

The best way to get a sense of how the folks of the Renaissance era may have felt about faeries is to actually visit the places where the belief in the Fae still exists. There are some wonderful texts and tours that combine faery history with trips to the sites mentioned in the lore. But since we can’t all pick up and go off to the UK, here is some suggested reading to develop an understanding of the Celtic belief in Faery beings. Keep in mind, this is just a small portion of the vast body of historical and literal work regarding the faeries, but it’s a good start. 

Internet Sacred Text Archive. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/index.htm Anything and everything you want to know about Celtic history, including Faery Faith. Site has scanned versions of full-text, original works. The best place to start exploring. 

The Faery Bibliography http://www.geocities.com/hairy_meg/fbib/theses.html

A listing of scholarly theses and dissertations

The Faery Bibliography http://www.geocities.com/hairy_meg/fbib/lore.html#general

A very extensive list of books on the lore and theory of Faeries

The Faery Bibliography http://www.geocities.com/hairy_meg/fbib/stories.html

A listing of folklore references

Eason, Cassandra. 2002. A Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Creatures

Evans-Wentz, W.Y. 1911. The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries

Franklin, Anna. 2002. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Faeries

 Kirk, Robert, Rev. 1692. The Secret Lives of Elves & Faeries

Purkiss, Diane. 2000. At the Bottom of the Garden: A dark history of Fairies, Hobgoblins, and other Troublesome Things

Sikes, Wirt. 2001. British Goblins: Welsh folk-lore, fairy mythology, legends and traditions http://www.blackmask.com/books28c/britgob.htm

Styles, Showell. 1979. Welsh Walks and Legends