The Banshee is an omen of death. Found in Irish myth, she is said to wail or scream when certain people are about to die. Often depicted as an old woman, or a ghostly looking maiden, she is sometimes seen combing her hair.
She is said to only wail for Irish families who originated in Ireland often those with names starting with O' or Mac. She does not cause death, she only warns that it is coming. The Banshee has been depicted in many books and movies and is probably one of the more famous examples of the Fae.
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1) Tell us about your Fae characters. My two primary fae characters make an appearance in the third book in The Purple Door District series called A Game of Fae. Fae in this urban fantasy setting come from a realm called the Veil and can travel between earth and the Veil through magical tears. They use magic called Ather, which originated in the Veil and can sometimes conflict with earth’s magic called Ether. Kafeada is a plant fae who spends most of her time on earth with her wife, a wind magus named Evelyn. She works as a parahuman mortuary cosmetologist, using her Ather magic to take care of the bodies of people who have died in supernatural or very violent ways. She periodically returns to the Veil to replenish her Ather magic, but otherwise, she stays on earth with Evelyn. To fit in better (since fae/parahumans aren’t completely known in society), she casts a glamour on herself to take on a human appearance. My second fae is named Vesp and is described as a dream/nightmare fae. She’s been banished from the Veil and forced to live on earth. Unfortunately, without an ability to return to the Veil, it’s common for fae to grow sick mentally/physically if their bodies aren’t compatible with earth’s magic. Because of this, Vesp has to get creative with her powers. She manipulates people’s dreams and causes them to be good or bad. She draws energy from the dreams, and the emotions connected to them, to help her survive. She’s one of the main antagonists in book three. 2) Do they have any unique powers? Each fae has a unique ability typically connected with the elements (ie. fire, water, plant, air magic). Some are considered more chaos fae, like Vesp, who can create nightmares or make people live out their worst fears. Fae also can’t really be killed. If they lose all their magic, or their bodies are damaged beyond repair, they poof into balls of light. These lights travel back to the life tree in the Veil where they’re reborn. Sometimes they’re reborn with their memories intact. Other times, they are reborn into a new being without memories and with entirely new powers. Because of this, many fae don’t understand the concept of death. Kafeada learned about it after her many years on earth and found it so fascinating she decided to work in the funeral business. 3) Seelie or unseelie? Both! Kafeada, I’d consider a seelie, while Vesp definitely leans more on the unseelie side. I think I prefer unseelie overall though, especially with how mischievous they can be! 4) What is your favorite Fae story or legend? I really love the stories of Morgan Le Fay in Arthurian legends when she’s depicted as a fae or fairy queen. Erin Casey (she/her) is an urban fantasy writer and author of The Purple Door District series. She’s a Founder of The Writers’ Rooms, a literary non-profit corporation that focuses on providing a free, safe environment to all writers no matter their income, skillset, race, and gender. An advocate for mental health, she openly talks about her struggles with depression/anxiety/ADHD/CPTSD/eating disorder on her social media platforms and supports the LGBTQIA+ community. To learn more about her and her organization, visit the link below.
If you are a fan of Fae books you have no doubt heard the terms Seelie and Unseelie. But what do they mean? In Scottish folklore, Seelie means light fairy and Unseelie means dark fairy. The Seelie Fae were said to work with humans and help them. The word Seelie means happy or peace in Gaelic. Certain types of Fae are said to reside in the Seelie world including brownies and elves.
The Unseelie Fae are said to be the bad or evil fairies and they include redcaps, hags and those who were wicked in life. They tend to attack humans or cause chaos. The concept of Seelie and Unseelie is quite common in a lot of Fae based books and in role playing games. The Fae are varied, magical and there are so many tales and stories to take from that you can create entire worlds based around them. Did you know that during Beltane (May 1st) the veil between our world and the Fae world is at its thinnest? Many people will decorate their garden, put out offerings and take walks in nature during this time. It may be the 21st Century, but Fae lore is still fascinating to us. What is your favorite type of Fae? 1) Tell us about your Fae characters. My fae characters are fairytale inspired, loosely following the story of Rumpelstiltskin. The main character Rumpel is a female elderfae who is in love with a human. The elderfae are rumored to steal away young girls and children, trading for bargains and favors. To know the true name of an elderfae is to have them under your control, so no one except the mother of an elderfae knows their true name. 2) Do they have any unique powers? By bargaining with humans an elderfae can increase their powers which are based on will. They can imagine what they want their power to do and it will but the more the bargain with humans the stronger their power is 3) Seelie or unseelie? This concept does not come into these stories – so neither 4) What is your favorite Fae story or legend? That fae cannot lie and stories of fae changelings. The tale of Rumpelstiltskin involves bargaining for the future queen’s oldest child. I wove this concept into my story with a jarring twist on the original fairytale and combined this with fae legends – making deals with the fae, knowing their true name and the fae living in another realm. Liz Cain is an urban fantasy writer and NHS frontline staff. She was born in East Yorkshire in the UK and grew up near the sea with her parents and two sisters. She moved to the midlands, which was much too far south for her, graduating from Leicester University with a degree in Physics and going on to complete an MSc in Medical and Radiation Physics. She has worked in the NHS since 2008 as a Nuclear Medicine Clinical Scientist, helping with cancer treatment and diagnosis.
Liz has loved reading her whole life, growing up with Anne McCaffrey, Mary Stewart, and Terry Goodkind. Becoming an author happened by chance when she jumped at the opportunity to help a friend tell a story that deserved to be told. It inspired her to follow her lifelong dream and now she has published books with her coauthor Anne K. Whelan in the fantasy romance and paranormal romance genre, finally taking that last step and publishing by herself in 2023. While working she finds herself weaving intricate tales in her head which one day she had to write down. Leprechauns are said to be little men or Fae, who are mischevious by nature. They are famous for hiding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and feature in many stories. They often show a leprechaun being captured and their captor will release them if they give them the gold.
Generally their tricks are harmless enough which would make them Seelie Fae. Though some authors believe them to be more neutral than good or bad. Often depicted as having a beard, red hair and wearing green, they are particularly popular around St. Patrick's Day. During the month of April we will be featuring articles and authors who write about the Fae. As it is spring time, I believe it is the perfect time to include the Fae on my blog. Being from Ireland, the Fae feature heavily in our myths and legends. Some you may be familiar with are the banshee, leprechauns, puca and changelings. But there are so many different legends and stories from all around the world. We will feature a few across the month.
To kick things off, you can click the link below to receive a FREE Fae story called Runaway. It features a Fae prince who runs from his home after tragedy strikes. You can receive the free book by signing up to our newsletter which offers deals, free books and recommendations to both authors and readers each month. It goes out on the 1st of the month and you can unsubscribe at any time. Happy Spring! |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” Archives
December 2024
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