What are Fairies? Spirits, Angels, or Devils?
Fairies' True Identity
Proper fairies (with the exception of angels) are none of these things. They are beings who inhabit the Otherworld- a dimension of existence close to our own, which overlaps with ours from time to time and from place to place. For some people, the Otherworld, and its fairy denizens, is ever-present. Fairies are nature spirits, who tend growing things: they are the elemental entities of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth; they are the ancient goddesses and gods. Yes they may also be angels- spirit messengers bearing wisdom- and they can be creatures of mischief. Many are mighty and awesome; some are terrifying; plenty are helpful and playful; but all are fascinating.
Fairies demand (and deserve) respect. Learn their ways in order to experience the best of them.
The Case of the Cottingley Fairies
In 1917, Elsie Wright and her cousin Frances Griffiths claimed to have had encounters with fairies at their home in Cottingley, in the English county of Yorkshire. In 1920, the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published an article in the Strand Magazine concerning the photographs of fairies taken by the two girls. Many people, including some respected thinkers, believed in nature spirits; but, needless to say, there was scornful criticism from some skeptics.
No one was able to probe anything conclusively until the cousins--by this time old ladies-- owned up to having faked the four of the five photographs; and many people believe the other photo was also a fake. Late in life, Elsie stated that she never really believed in fairies. Frances, however, was a very efficient matron in a boys' school and had a reputation for total honesty; after she died her daughter described her as a woman who could never tell a lie.
A Question of Credibility
Stories of encounters with supernatural beings frequently present problems. In the first place, people often choose not to believe what they see, and would rather assume they have imagined it all than face the fact that their view of "reality" could be deeply flawed. Some may be tempted into faking proof, in order to gain respectability. And there is a certain kudos to Otherworldly encounters that may encourage dramatization. Because the subject is extremely confusing, people involved in fairy incidents have a tendency to behave irrationally and inconsistently. This is not really very surprising, as fairies are usually mischievous creatures and are likely to bring muddles in their wake!
The Cottingley encounter was documented in 1997 in The Case of the Cottingley Fairies by Joe Cooper and was turned into the film Fairy Story. But were there really fairies in the beck at Cottingley? If so, they should still be there, accessible to anyone with the innocent heart and clear eyes of a child.
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