History Main / TheFairFolk

* ''Anime/SpiritedAway'' has all the usual elements; abductions, curses placed upon mortals who eat the food of spirits, evil beings who enslave mortals by stealing their names, that sort of thing.

** In more recent cosmology, the Seelie Court, ruled by Queen Titania, are often shown arrogant elitists who refuse to consider non-Fey people. The Unseelie Court, ruled by the Queen of Air and Darkness, are simply [[AlwaysChaoticEvil monstrous]].

** ''TabletopGame/{{Birthright}}'' had the splitting of [[DarkWorld Shadow World]] and the "normal" world, which also ripped all but one original Sie in two -- a Sidhe (elf) attuned to (and immortal in) the normal world, able to use wizardry and a Seelie attuned to (and immortal in) the Shadow World, able to use natural magic (druidism) and [[{{glamour}} Seeming]]. Now when an elf is born on Cerilia, a faerie just "appears" on the other side. So far no one has managed to find two counterparts and bring the pair together to see what happens. Though {{glamour}} isn't exclusive, they are much better at it than most other Shadow critters.

** In TabletopGame/{{Ravenloft}}, the Arak or "shadow fey" range from meddlesome to AlwaysChaoticEvil in temperament, and don't limit themselves to stealing infants: if you have a talent or skill that appeals to them, they can sever your shadow, reducing you to a soulless automaton going through the motions. Your shadow becomes a construct that'll compliantly work for them forever. Even Good-aligned Arak insist they're ''doing them a favor'' when they practice this technique on mortals.

** [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-4000 The nameless SCP in slot 4000]] is a forest inhabited by faeries (though the document doesn't call them that) with the unique property of having no names. Giving them (or the forest or the landmarks within) a name, or being named by a faery, is [[TheScottishTrope a ry bad idea]], with consequences up to and including [[GrandTheftMe having one's name stolen]] (hence why it's not called "SCP-4000"). Foundation members who interact with the faeries must follow a lengthy list of rules to avoid angering them, and even then some of the faeries seem to be innately hostile to humans. One of the faeries claims that [[spoiler:they are the survivors of the attempted genocide mentioned in Bright's Proposal. In their account, the faeries used to be allies and helped the Foundation fight the Factory, but the Foundation's predecessor betrayed them, killing many and somehow stealing their very names. This is why some faeries hate humans in general.]]

* The Fairy of the Desert in Creator/MadameDAulnoy's "Literature/TheYellowDwarf" could count as one of these -- she is a wise but malevolent being who looks more like a witch than a stereotypical fairy. She is allied with the Yellow Dwarf, and when Princess Toutebelle breaks her promise to marry the dwarf, the Fairy of the Desert and the Yellow Dwarf show up at her wedding to wreak havoc at the celebration.

** Witches and Wizards actually fit the definition quite closely: they're a parallel society of magical beings who live by different laws, and often different morals. As for their treatment of 'muggles' (non-magical humans), even the "nice" wizards treat 'muggles' with, at best, benevolent condescension, while others treat them with contempt, and others still treat them as little better than animals, and practically all of them regard 'muggles' with a mix of bewilderment and fear. They specialise in and conceal themselves with enchantments that manipulate the perceptions and alter the memories of those humans they encounter. Their court is under the earth, inaccessible to ordinary people. Reality around their older dwellings can be a bit strange -- Hogwarts, for instance, is an outright EldritchLocation. They whisk away children (magical children, admittedly) off to their world, from which they often never return -- and if they do, it is often very different to how they left. And the nastier examples of their kind toy with, torture, hunt, and kill 'muggles' for fun. Hell, Harry himself even fits as a variation on the changeling myth: an otherworldly child left with a human couple to raise, one they ''know'' isn't human, whom they simultaneously hate and fear, around whom increasingly weird things happen, and then who is eventually claimed by his people from their secret magical land.

* Myth/CelticMythology is the TropeCodifier and arguably the TropeMaker: fairies and spirits of dubious morality are absolutely rife throughout the various myths and legends of the British Isles.

** County Durham and Tyne-and-Wear boast the tale of Literature/{{the Lambton Worm}} (think "serpentine river dragon stuck in a well -- carved into Lambton Hill"). No, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent the massive worm with great googly eyes]] ''probably'' isn't fey (maybe; it could be -- or some other polymorphed, bound and geased innocent guarding the water, well and/or hill), but the mysterious, exposition-rich [[TreacherousAdvisor old man/ men and/or woman]] (it varies according to the version) by the river who (repeatedly) sets the plot rolling [[{{Railroading}} along rails]] by prodding Sir John into foolhardy acts of certain, very blood-drenched (and eventually, but inevitably, ''cursed'') doom under the banner of heroic, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor dragon-slaying derring-do that will be immortalised in song]]? Could very well be a single, somewhat cleaned-up powrie (or some cousin, a witch/warlock or a devil) taking advantage of the sinning, unsanctified, thus ''unprotected'' and headstrong [[VillainProtagonist John]]... and his entire line of male descendants. At least until either they or the curse finally stutter out. All this is presumably done for the giggles as much as the guaranteed sustenance for decades after indirectly offing a possible rival. Moral of the story? Go to church, triple-check your information sources, and ask yourself if you're ''really'' hero material rather than, say, a patsy.

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'' showcases this spectacularly with the sixth Lostbelt “Avalon Le Fay”, and AlternateUniverse with fairies and other Phantasmals replacing humans as the dominant species in a Mystery-dominated Britain, to the point that the entire place is a [[CrapsaccharineWorld Crapsaccharine]] WorldOfJerkass. The Fae come in almost any shape, from [[OurElvesAreDifferent Elves]] to [[OurGoblinsAreDifferent Goblins]] to more stereotypical pixies. In theory, they're described as being "Pure and Innocent" and most of them appear civilized, but in practice this makes them ''extremely'' dangerous because conventional morality is something [[BlueAndOrangeMorality beyond their understanding]], while their innocence and impulsive nature makes them TheUnfettered when it comes to getting what they want. It doesn't matter what you've done for them in the past or how friendly you've been, if they want to hurt you, they ''will'', without understanding why they might be wrong.
** For example, the fairies keep humans around because the Fae’s own CreativeSterility means that humans are the only ones that can produce culture, while also treating them as [[ToServeMan livestock]] for the fairies who are not above eating them. This is best evident in the first chapter of the Lostbelt alone, where the fairies of Cornwall wanted to ''eat'' the main protagonist and their party of Tristan and Altria Caster, and even killed one of their own when he wanted to befriend them instead of eat them.
** Additionally, the entire state of the Lostbelt is their fault. [[spoiler:The [[FounderOfTheKingdom original Six Fairies]] of Lostbelt Britain were once tasked to forge a superweapon that could protect the Earth from potential spacebound threats. In Proper Human History, they were diligent enough to forge the blade that became known as Excalibur, allowing [[PrecursorHero a human]] to use it to destroy the rampaging Sefar when she invaded in 14,000 BC. In the Lostbelt, these fairies neglected to forge Excalibur in favour of taking a nap, allowing Sefar to rampage unimpeded until [[ApocalypseHow the entire Earth was wiped clean]], leaving nothing behind but endless ocean. When Cernunnos, the SoleSurvivor of Sefar's rampage, took pity on them and provided them a safe haven despite being tasked by Avalon with punishing them for their dereliction of duty, [[UngratefulBastard they repaid him by poisoning him to death, using his body to build the southern half of Fae Britain, while cursing his priestess with immortality and tearing her apart to clone a new humanity from as a fresh food source.]] All this while having the sheer nerve to instead [[NeverMyFault blame Cernunnos and the priestess]] for not forcing ''them'' to do the job ''they'd'' slacked off on in the first place.]]
** The Fae in the Lostbelt are under the iron-heeled dictatorship of Morgan le Fay, who [[spoiler: actually started out as a hero of the Fairies, going under the name of [[FolkHero Aesc the Saviour]] in her youth, but [[JadeColoredGlasses grew disillusioned]] after the Fae’s own ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, TheUnfettered, UngratefulBastard and ChaoticStupid tendencies caused them to betray and kill her time and again because they despise the idea of being ruled over, even if the lack of leadership would lead them to [[InYourNatureToDestroyYourselves drive themselves to extinction]], with them only surviving for any length of time thanks to their BizarreAlienReproduction.]] All in all, a vast majority of the fairies in the British Lostbelt are not good creatures at all, and the ones who ''are'' have a habit of getting [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished used, betrayed, and killed by their fellows]] in some form.

** The Nøkk (or Nyx) was a Scandinavian water spirit who could appear as a beautiful man or white horse, but who's real form resembled a bundle of twigs floating in the water. He would use his supernatural charm to lure people into the water to drown them, but lost power over the victim if they shouted his name. Fossekallen was similar, but only appeared as a man, and would use his fiddle to charm people instead. He also lived in waterfalls (Foss in Norwegian). Some lucky humans could learn from him, and become almost supernaturally good at playing the fiddle.

** Ireland's local {{psychopomp}}s, the [[OurBansheesAreLouder banshee]] (more strictly bean sidhe) and dullahan, were faeries. At least the banshee was only interested in warning whatever clan she was associated with that one of their own would soon die. The dullahan? ''He actively chases you down.'' So, you have a HeadlessHorseman, probably riding a Headless ''[[HellishHorse Horse]]'', carrying his necrotic head under one arm and using the other to snap a human spine as a whip, dousing any would-be spies with blood (which marks ''them'' as next to die), and whose mere presence ''[[YouWillNotEvadeMe makes every gate and door unlock, unbar, and open on their own]]'', seeking you out. Hope you have some gold handy (a gold pin is enough), because that's the ''only'' thing that will save you (they're terrified of the stuff).

** County Durham and Tyne-and-Wear boast the tale of Literature/{{the Lambton Worm}} (think "serpentine river dragon stuck in a well -- carved into Lambton Hill"). No, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent the massive worm with great googly eyes]] ''probably'' isn't fey (maybe; it could be -- or some other polymorphed, bound and geased innocent guarding the water, well and/or hill), but the mysterious, exposition-rich [[TreacherousAdvisor old man/ men and/or woman]] (it varies according to the version) by the river who (repeatedly) sets the plot rolling [[{{Railroading}} along rails]] by prodding Sir John into foolhardy acts of certain, very blood-drenched (and eventually, but inevitably, ''cursed'') doom under the banner of heroic, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor dragon-slaying daring-do that will be immortalised in song]]? Could very well be a single, somewhat cleaned-up powrie (or some cousin, a witch/warlock or a devil) taking advantage of the sinning, unsanctified, thus ''unprotected'' and headstrong [[VillainProtagonist John]]... and his entire line of male descendants. At least until either they or the curse finally stutter out. All this is presumably done for the giggles as much as the guaranteed sustenance for decades after indirectly offing a possible rival. Moral of the story? Go to church, triple-check your information sources, and ask yourself if you're ''really'' hero material rather than, say, a patsy.

* ''VideoGame/StarControlIITheUrQuanMasters'' portrays the Arilou Lalee'lay as patronizing LittleGreenMen who were behind the myths of The Fair Folk, and fit the trope as enigmatic allies with "plans" for humanity.

* ''VideoGame/CoffeeTalk'': * TheFairFolk: In the late 50's, "fairies" were an umbrella term for any beings that didn't fit any of the racial categories at the time, meaning that any sentient being that was "incomprehensible", such as ghosts, was lumped with them. As the anti-racism movement progressed, the list of beings classified as "fairies" became shorter as more of them became legally recognized, until only the "true" fairies are left. [[spoiler:It's revealed that the Gnomes of Gnome Noms were behind the car vandalism in Episode 2. They vandalized cars over a broken promise to keep the dead hawthorn tree because that was the "body" of their friend, the fairy vendor who was killed by a drunk driver in 1959.]]

* The Fall's "Elves", although [[InnerMonologue it's all]] [[WordSaladLyrics very hard]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs to follow...]]

** Among the Winter Court... well, sure, the Leanansidhe wants to turn her poor beleaguered godson into a dog, but that's because as far as she's concerned he'd be much safer and happier as one of her hounds than he is at the moment. ([[HurtingHero She might have]] [[IronWoobie a valid]] [[BeingGoodSucks point there]]) And Maeve once [[spoiler:ordered monsters to attack Chicago]] as part of a BatmanGambit because she was worried that [[spoiler:the Faerie Courts hadn't moved against the Red Court because of Mab's bizarre behavior]], leading to a chain of events that saved a significant portion of the White Council. As Harry says in ''Changes,'' "Even in Winter, the cold isn’t always bitter, and not every day is cruel."

* Myth/CelticMythology: fairies and spirits of dubious morality are absolutely rife throughout the various myths and legends of the British Isles.

* Myth/CelticMythology:

* A lot of classic Scottish fairy tales have these, but just as easily have helpful fairies. They're probably most frequently seen in stories involving Changelings, but are seen as being somewhat interchangeable with trolls.

* Púca/ Pooka of Irish mythology. In the original mythology Púca were sociopathic shape-shifters, whose favoured form was a [[HellishHorse huge, black demonic horse]] with [[SupernaturalGoldEyes glowing yellow eyes]] and whose other forms always had dark colourations/clothing and were suitably wrong, who only behaved themselves one night of the year (the first of November, when they are tired after running riot at Samhain/Halloween), and couldn’t enter any dwelling uninvited or stand the touch of iron, but could stand outside your home and destroy your crops if you angered them and refused to come out and face them. When not riding along the hills and woodlands terrifying honest travelers, they blighted any crops left un-harvested after a certain amount to time. Or they demanded a share of all crops, newly made beer, or newly gathered milk, and if they didn't get it they’d trample fields, sour beer, render cattle barren (or [[ShapeshiftingSquick used their shape-shifting ability to impregnate them with mutated offspring]]). In their horse form, they lured young men who were [[ScareEmStraight drunk on pilgrimage or profaning the Sabbath]] into trying to [[TooDumbToLive ride them out of machismo]], at which point the Púca horse vanishes and the young man is either never seen again or changed forever, and tried to lure solitary milkmaids or other naive, lonely maids to an [[MarsNeedsWomen undisclosed fate in fairyland]].
* Ireland's local {{psychopomp}}s, the [[OurBansheesAreLouder banshee]] (more strictly bean sidhe) and dullahan, were faeries. At least the banshee was only interested in warning whatever clan she was associated with that one of their own would soon die. The dullahan? ''He actively chases you down.'' So, you have a HeadlessHorseman, probably riding a Headless ''[[HellishHorse Horse]]'', carrying his necrotic head under one arm and using the other to snap a human spine as a whip, dousing any would-be spies with blood (which marks ''them'' as next to die), and whose mere presence ''[[YouWillNotEvadeMe makes every gate and door unlock, unbar, and open on their own]]'', seeking you out. Hope you have some gold handy (a gold pin is enough), because that's the ''only'' thing that will save you (they're terrified of the stuff).
** There was also a folkloric tradition that certain banshees were ghosts. This is because in the actual folklore, the line between the Fair Folk and ghosts was not so clear-cut as you might think it would be.
** Another notable Irish fairy is the Gancanagh. A handsome and vain male, the Gancanagh is your basic [[TheCasanova Casanova]] who goes around seducing human women, and carries around a pipe, which can be a big clue as to his identity. However, it is said to be extremely unlucky to meet him, and the women he seduces will fight to the death for his affection.
* The Tylwyth Teg of Welsh-Celtic folklore spent most of their time cheerfully kidnapping human children, presumably by way of recreational activity. According to ancient folk wisdom, the best way of killing a changeling child was to pop it in the oven.
* The Nuckelavee of the Orkney Islands was an EldritchAbomination of the purest sort. Visually similar to the Irish dullahan, this sea-fairy resembled either a centaur or a horse and rider fused together, looked as if it had been flayed alive (like the Colossal Titan in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''), had black blood coursing through distended yellow veins, fins for feet, one eye and a perpetually gaping mouth, was enraged by the scent of drying kelp (among other things), and rampaged across the land, killing crops, infecting livestock and eating people. Its one consistent weakness was [[CannotCrossRunningWater an aversion to fresh water]].

* The Redcap/Powrie. A [[AxCrazy maliciously murderous]] fae who lived along the old Scots-English Border, he amused himself by randomly murdering people, sometimes [[ImAHumanitarian devouring]] them, and all just so he could dip his hat in their blood. On the other hand, powries ''needed'' to keep their caps blood-suffused, lest they die. Which possibly excuses or at least explains the actions, but not the glee they take in them...
** County Durham and Tyne-and-Wear boast the tale of Literature/{{the Lambton Worm}} (think "serpentine river dragon stuck in a well -- carved into Lambton Hill"). No, [[OurDragonsAreDifferent the massive worm with great googly eyes]] ''probably'' isn't fey (maybe; it could be -- or some other polymorphed, bound and geased innocent guarding the water, well and/or hill), but the mysterious, exposition-rich [[TreacherousAdvisor old man/ men and/or woman]] (it varies according to the version) by the river who (repeatedly) sets the plot rolling [[{{Railroading}} along rails]] by prodding Sir John into foolhardy acts of certain, very blood-drenched (and eventually, but inevitably, ''cursed'') doom under the banner of heroic, [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor dragon-slaying daring-do that will be immortalised in song]]? Could very well be a single, somewhat cleaned-up powrie (or some cousin, a witch/warlock or a devil) taking advantage of the sinning, unsanctified, thus ''unprotected'' and headstrong [[VillainProtagonist John]]... and his entire line of male descendants. At least until either they or the curse finally stutter out. All this is presumably done for the giggles as much as the guaranteed sustenance for decades after indirectly offing a possible rival. Moral of the story? Go to church, triple-check your information sources, and ask yourself if you're ''really'' hero material rather than, say, a patsy.
* The caoineag is a Scottish version of the banshee. The problem? She also has a bit of the dullahan's philosophy -- meaning she sometimes seeks out and kills people [[ForTheEvulz on her own initiative.]]

* One of the monsters in ''WesternAnimation/ExtremeGhostbusters'' is an evil leprechaun who actually says the page quote to the heroes.

* The [[spoiler:trolls]] in ''{{Film/Absentia}}'' are mostly [[EldritchAbomination unseen things lurking in an extradimensional space between walls]], but possess unmistakable shades of this. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality They enjoy making deals and are insistent on paying what they owe, even if the other party doesn't want it.]] They seem reluctant to attack anyone who makes a deal with them, but [[spoiler: they also attract attention to others around you.]]

* The [[spoiler:troll]] in ''{{Film/Absentia}}'' is mostly an [[EldritchAbomination extradimensional horror]], but it has definite shades of this. [[BlueAndOrangeMorality It enjoys making deals and is insistent on paying what it owes, even if the other party doesn't want it.]] It seems reluctant to attack anyone who makes a deal with it, but [[spoiler: it also attracts attention to others around you.]]

''Fanfic/SevenFavoursForHarryPotter'' heavily features Fae characters, presenting a world where the wizarding world and the Fae have a sort of uneasy truce between them. At the beginning of the fic, Hagrid bargains with Lady Vidia of the Spring Court for seven favours to be granted to Harry. Not surprisingly, this has a lot of unexpected consequences.

TheWildHunt is an often-overlapping trope. {{Youkai}} are a rough Japanese equivalent while in the Middle East, [[OurGeniesAreDifferent the Djinn]] carry many of the qualities associated with the Fair Folk. TheGreys is a more modern trope with [[JustForFun/SciFiCounterpart many similarities]]. [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]] -- when not TheLegionsOfHell — are often also portrayed this way (and sometimes there is rather little distinction). JerkassGods are very similar, if typically a few steps higher in terms of power and awe. An extreme example may be a HumanoidAbomination.

** The Fae in the Lostbelt are under the iron-heeled dictatorship of Morgan le Fay, who [[spoiler: actually started out as a hero of the Fairies, going under the name of [[FolkHero Tonelico The Saviour]] in her youth, but [[JadeColoredGlasses grew disillusioned]] after the Fae’s own ChronicBackstabbingDisorder, TheUnfettered, UngratefulBastard and ChaoticStupid tendencies caused them to betray and kill her time and again because they despise the idea of being ruled over, even if the lack of leadership would lead them to [[InYourNatureToDestroyYourselves drive themselves to extinction]], with them only surviving for any length of time thanks to their BizarreAlienReproduction.]] All in all, a vast majority of the fairies in the British Lostbelt are not good creatures at all, and the ones who ''are'' have a habit of getting [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished used, betrayed, and killed by their fellows]] in some form.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The so-called "fairies" of Dressrosa who go around stealing people's valuables are actually [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent a race of small dwarves called the Tontatta]], who are unimaginably strong for their size and are so fast they are effectively invisible to most people. The reason they are called fairies dates back to ancient times when the original Royal Family of Dressrossa, the Donquixote Family, enslaved the entire Tontatta tribe. When the Donquixote family left Dressrosa to become World Nobles, they were replaced by a new royal family the Riku Family. The original King Riku felt pity and guilt for the enslavement of the Tontatta and immediately freed them, telling them that they can take whatever they want from the kingdom as compensation for their treatment while he took responsibility. Thus, beginning their habit of stealing from the people which the Riku family attributed to the work of magical fairies.

* ''Manga/OnePiece'': The so-called "fairies" of Dressrosa who go around stealing people's valuables are actually [[OurDwarvesAreDifferent a race of dwarves called the Tontatta]], who are unimaginably strong for their size and are so fast they are effectively invisible to most people. The reason they are called fairies dates back to ancient times when the original Royal Family of Dressrossa, the Donquixote Family, enslaved the entire Tontatta tribe. When the Donquixote family left Dressrosa to become World Nobles, they were replaced by a new royal family the Riku Family. The original King Riku felt pity and guilt for the enslavement of the Tontatta and immediately freed them, telling them that they can take whatever they want from the kingdom as compensation for their treatment while he took responsibility. Thus, beginning their habit of stealing from the people which the Riku family attributed to the work of magical fairies.

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', the so-called "fairies" of Dressrosa go around stealing people's valuables and causing property damage in urban areas. They are actually a race of little people called the Tontatta, who do their best never to be seen, and the {{Living Toy}}s who also inhabit Dressrosa created and perpetuated the belief of the fairies. Their intentions are to [[spoiler:observe and gather supplies needed to fight Don Quixote Doflamingo, the dictator of Dressrosa, and the Tontatta and Toys are allied with each other. The Tontatta provide the military might while the Toys manipulate the public image of their actions.]]