#cornish deity

[thedansemacabres]

there truly is something to people looking at the Bucca and taking Gemma Gary’s book at face value and running with it in their practices without ever being able to place Kernow on a map.

[wolverinesorcery]

UNBLENDING CELTIC POLYTHEISTIC PRACTICES

Celtic Umbrella

This lesson is largely focusing on the insular Celtic nations & Brittany (Ireland/Eire, Scotland/Alba, Wales/Cymru, Cornwall/Kernow, Isle of Man/Mannin, & Brittany/Breizh) - traditionally regarded as 6 out of the 7 Celtic nations. Galicia/Galizia is the 7th, but because of a mix of the below + my own lack of knowledge, I won't be covering them.

The vast swath of Continental Celtic cultures are a different but equally complex topic thanks to extinction, revival, varying archaeological artefacts and the work of modern practioners to piece unknown parts back together.

This will serve as a quick 'n' dirty guide to the insular Celtic nations, Celtic as a label, blood percentages and ancestry, the whats and whys of "Celtic soup", and how to unblend practice.

The insular Celtic groups are split into two language groups: Brythonic languages and Gaelic languages.

Brythonic languages are Cymraeg/Welsh, Kernewek/Cornish, & Breton

Gaelic languages are Gàidhlig/Scottish, Gaeilge/Irish, & Gaelg/Manx.

The language split leads to certain folkloric and religious figures & elements being more common within the language group than without. All of these nations had historic cultural exchange and trade routes via the Celtic sea (and beyond). Despite this, it is still important to respect each as a home to distinct mythologies.

Pros/Cons of a broad Celtic umbrella

Pros

- Used within celtic nations to build solidarity - Relates to a set of cultures that have historic cultural exchange & broad shared experiences - A historic group category - Celtic nations’ culture is often protected under broad legislation that explicitly highlights its ‘Celtic-ness’.

Cons

- Can be used reductively (in academia & layman uses) - Often gives in to the dual threat of romanticisation/fetishisation & erasure - Conflates a lot of disparate practices under one banner - Can lead to centring ‘celtic american’ experiences. - Celtic as a broad ancestral category (along with associated symbols) has also been co-opted by white supremacist organisations.

In this I’m using ‘Celtic’ as a broad umbrella for the multiple pantheons! This isn’t ideal for specifics, but it is the fastest way to refer to the various pantheons of deities that’ll be referenced within this Q&A (& something that I use as a self identifier alongside Cornish).

What about blood % or ancestry?

A blood percentage or claimed Celtic ancestry is NOT a requirement to be a follower of any of the Celtic pantheons. The assumption that it does or is needed to disclose can feed easily into white supremacist narratives and rhetoric, along side the insidious implications that a white person in the USA with (perceived or real) Celtic ancestry is 'more celtic' than a person of colour living in a Celtic region (along with other romanticised notions of homogenously white cultures).

Along side this, a blood percentage or distant ancestry does not impart the culture and values of the Celtic region or it's recorded pagan practices by itself. Folk traditions are often passed down within families, but blood percentage is not a primary factor within this.

Connecting with ancestry is fine, good, and can be a fulfilling experience. It stops being beneficial when it leads to speaking over people with lived experiences & centres the USA-based published and authors - which can lead to blending/souping for reasons further on.

What is 'soup'?

Celtic soup is a semi-playful term coined by several polytheists (primarily aigeannagusacair on wordpress) to describe the phenomenon of conflating & combining all the separate pantheons and practices from the (mainly) insular Celtic nations into one singular practice - removing a lot of the regionalised folklore, associated mythos, & varying nuances of the nations that make up the soup.

Why does it happen?

The quick version of this is book trends and publishing meeting romanticisation and exotification of Celtic cultures (especially when mixed with pre-lapsarian views of the Nations). It's miles easier to sell a very generally titled book with a lot of Ireland and a little of everywhere else than it is to write, source and publish a separate book on each.

This is where centering American publishers and authors becomes an issue - the popular trend of USA-based pagan publications to conflate all celtic nations makes it hard to find information on, for example, Mannin practices because of the USA’s tendency to dominate media. Think of Llewellyn’s “Celtic Wisdom” series of books.

It has also been furthered by 'quick research guides'/TL;DR style posts based on the above (which have gained particular momentum on tumblr).

The things that have hindered the process in unblending/"de souping" is the difficulty in preserving independently published pamphlets/books from various nations (often more regionalised and immediately local than large, sweeping books generalising multiple practices) along with the difficulty of accessing historic resources via academic gatekeeping.

All of this has lead to a lack of awareness of the fact there is no, one, singular Celtic religion, practice or pantheon.

Why should I de-soup or unblend my practice?

Respecting the deities

It is, by and large, considered the bare minimum to understand and research a deity's origin and roots. The conflation of all insular Celtic deities under one singular unified pantheon can divorce them from their original cultures and contexts - the direct opposite to understanding and researching.

Folklore and myth surrounding various Celtic deities can be highly regionalised both in grounded reality and geomythically - these aren't interchangeable locations and are often highly symbolic within each nation.

Brú na Bóinne, an ancient burial mound in Ireland, as an entrance to the otherworld of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Carn Kenidjack & the Gump as a central site of Cornish folk entities feasts and parties, including Christianised elements of Bucca’s mythology.

The Mabinogion includes specific locations in Wales as well as broad Kingdoms - it’s implied that Annwn is somewhere within the historic kingdom of Dyfed, & two otherworldly feasts take place in Harlech & Ynys Gwales.

Conflating all celtic pantheons under one banner often leads to the prioritisation of the Irish pantheon, meaning all of the less ‘popular’ or recorded deities are sidelined and often left unresearched (which can lead to sources & resources falling into obscurity and becoming difficult to access).

Respecting the deities

Deities, spirits, entities, myth & folklore are often culturally significant both historically and to modern day people (just average folks along with practitoners/pagans/polytheists and organisations) located in the various Nations

A primary example is the initiatory Bardic orders of Wales and Cornwall.

Desouping/Unblending makes folklorist's lives easier as well as casual research less difficult to parse. The general books are a helpful jumping off point but when they constitute the bulk of writing on various Celtic polytheisms, they become a hinderance and a harm in the research process.

A lot of mythology outside of deities & polytheisms is also a victim of ‘souping' and is equally as culturally significant - Arthurian mythology is a feature of both Welsh and Cornish culture but is often applied liberally as an English mythology & and English figure.

Celtic nations being blended into one homogenous group is an easy way to erase cultural differences and remove agency from the people living in celtic nations. Cornwall is already considered by a large majority of people to be just an English county, and many areas of Wales are being renamed in English for the ease of English tourists.

How can I de-soup?

Chase down your sources' sources, and look for even more sources

Check your sources critically. Do they conflate all pantheons as one? Do they apply a collective label (the celts/celts/celt/celtic people) to modern day Celtic nations? How far back in history do they claim to reach?

Research the author, are they dubious in more ways than one? Have they written blog articles you can access to understand more of their viewpoints? Where are they located?

Find the people the author cites within their work - it can be time consuming but incredibly rewarding and can also give a good hint at the author's biases and research depth. You may even find useful further reading!

Find primary sources (or as close too), or translations of the originating folklore, e.g The Mabinogion. Going to the source of a pantheon’s mythos and folklore can be helpful in discerning where soup begins in more recent books as well as gaining insight into deities' actions and relationships.

Ask lots of questions

Question every source! Question every person telling you things that don't define what pantheon or region they’re talking about! Write all your questions down and search for answers! Talk to other polytheists that follow specific Celtic pantheons, find where your practices naturally overlap and where they have been forced into one practice by authors!

Be honest with yourself

There’s no foul in spreading your worship over several pantheons that fall under the celtic umbrella! A lot of polytheists worship multiple pantheons! But be aware of the potential for soup, and make sure you’re not exclusively reading and working from/with sources that conflate all practices as one.

If you approach any Celtic polytheistic path with the attitude of blood percentage or 'ancestral right', stop and think critically about why you want to follow a Celtic polytheistic path. Is it because it's the most obviously 'open' path to follow? Is it a desire to experience what other folks experience? Being critical, turning inward, and really looking at yourself is important. Originally posted in the Raven's Keep discord server

[adventure-showdown]

What is your favourite Doctor Who story?

Spearhead from Space tied with the Ark in Space, and The Mind of Evil tied with Frontier in Space. Everything from day 4 has been given a second chance across two tiebreak groups

ROUND 2 MASTERPOST

synopses and propaganda under the cut

The Highlanders

Synopsis

The time travellers arrive in Scotland just after the Battle of Culloden. The Second Doctor gains the trust of a small band of fleeing Jacobites by offering to tend to their wounded Laird, Colin McLaren. While Polly and the Laird's daughter, Kirsty, are away fetching water, he and the others are all captured by Redcoat troops commanded by Lieutenant Algernon Ffinch.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Faceless Ones

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives at Gatwick Airport in July 1966. A great many young people have vanished, including Ben and Polly. With the help of Samantha Briggs, the sister of one of the missing youths, the Second Doctor and Jamie must uncover the plot of the Chameleons.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Tomb of the Cybermen

Synopsis

The TARDIS arrives on the planet Telos, where an Earth archaeological expedition led by Professor Parry is trying to uncover the lost tombs of the Cybermen. With a lot of help from the Doctor, the archaeologists enter the tombs. There, one of the party, Klieg, reveals himself and his business partner, Kaftan, to be planning to revive the Cybermen.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Spearhead from Space

Synopsis

Forbidden to continue travelling the universe by his own people, the Time Lords, and exiled to Earth in the late 20th century, the newly regenerated Doctor arrives in Oxley Woods accompanied by a shower of mysterious meteorites. Investigating the occurrence is the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce (UNIT for short), an organisation which had previously been associated with the Doctor during the Cybermen's invasion.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Ambassadors of Death

Synopsis

The Third Doctor joins UNIT's investigation of the mystery surrounding Mars Probe 7. Space Control, headed by Professor Ralph Cornish, has had no contact with the astronauts on board since it started back from Mars seven months ago. Now the Recovery 7 rescue mission has run into similar difficulties.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Frontier in Space

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Jo are caught in the escalating tension between planets Earth and Draconia and discover that the Master and the Daleks are secretly working to provoke the two into all-out war.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

Invasion of the Dinosaurs

Synopsis

The Third Doctor and Sarah arrive in 1970s London to find it has been evacuated because dinosaurs have appeared mysteriously. As the line between friends and enemies wavers, the Doctor soon discovers the dinosaurs are being brought to London via a time machine to further a plan to revert Earth back to a pre-technological "Golden Age"...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Monster of Peladon

Synopsis

The Doctor returns to Peladon, fifty years after his last visit, to find Queen Thalira, daughter of the late King Peladon, on the throne. A tense labour dispute between the Pel nobility and miners is worsened when apparitions of their deity Aggedor attack and kill several miners. The Galactic Federation desperately needs trisilicate for its war against Galaxy 5 and sends in brutal Ice Warrior troopers to ensure production. The Doctor soon discovers a devious plot at the heart of Aggedor's appearances...

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

The Seeds of Doom

Synopsis

The TARDIS lands in a space museum on Earth in the late 21st century, where the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe learn that contact has been lost between Earth and the Moon. In this era, instant travel — T-Mat — has revolutionised the Earth. Its people have lost interest in space travel. The Doctor and his companions travel to the Moon in an old-style rocket and reach the Moonbase, control centre for T-Mat, only to find a squad of Ice Warriors have commandeered the base and plan to use the T-Mat network to their advantage.

Propaganda no propaganda submitted

[elvenking42]

100 New Things I Checked Out in 2023

It's the end of the year and I wanna make a list of media I checked out. Movies, shows, books, songs, etc. I like getting to talk about all this stuff! If you wanna know what something made the list, just ask! I'd love to talk more about it!

Tyrellosolo New Years art

Wingspan (2019) 

INU-OH (2021)

Two Earthlings - John Brosio 

Zip Gun Bop - Royal Crown Revue

Super Mario Brothers: Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach (1986)

Forest (2017) 

Fantastic Planet (1973)

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) 

Bei Mir Bist du schon - Ella Fitzgerald

Connordraws I Sing to my Cat

Contact (1978)

Donks (2023)

Dynasty AMV

Eddie burback- The Deceptive World of Ghost Kitchens

Ice Merchants (2022)

 Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021) 

Womanizer - Britney spears

The Super Mario Bros Movie (2023) 

MilleBourne (1954) 

The Birds (1963)

RRR (2022)

 Pigdemonart - Bowuigi Comics

Everydaylouie 's 3d blender work

Guide to Heraldry - Ottfried Neubecker (1980)

Buss Down Wig - Baddie Brooks

Genius Party Anthology (2007)

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023)

Pretty fly (for a white guy) - The Offspring

Millennium Actress (2001)

God's Alternative Medicine - Knowing Better

On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes - Alexandra Horowitz (2013)

Blackberry (2023)

The Flintstones (DC Comic) (2016)

Maintenance Phase Podcast

The Bus - Paul Kirchner (1987)

Nimona (2023)

Black book of hours

Nintendo World Universal

Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Daydream - Timeshare 94

Jerma House Flipper invitational

Pokemon Sleep (2023)

Atlantic Oscillations (disco dub) - Quantic

Barbie (2023)

Don't You Want My Love - Moodymann

Good Omens S2 (2023)

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007) 

Even Flow - Pearl Jam

Host Club 'Ai Honten' - Tokyo, Japan (1971-2020)

TMNT Mutant Mayhem (2023)

No Diggity - Black Street

Expansions 12" Mix - Scott Grooves

Planet of the Bass - DJ Crazy Times

I Love Hue (year)

Canisalbus: body heat

Horny '98 Radio Edit) - Mousse T

We Love Katamari + Royal Reverie (2023) 

Music theory and White Supremacy - Adam Neely

Rope (1948) 

 Sanctus-ingenium: who are you loyal to, who are you lying to? 

Rhythm Nation - Janet Jackson

Joseph Melhuish - "Some Dogs"

Jacob Geller- How Can We Bear To Throw Anything Away?

Novov - Interactive Art Museum

Thefaiao - Ganondorf practicing piano commission

Russian picture book illustrations by E.Bulatov and O.Vasilev

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time (1998) 

Bacardi Raising Spirits ad

Curse of Strahd (2016)

Black Magic Woman - Santana

OFMD S2 (2023)

Dynasty AMV

The Owl and the Pussycat - Scott Gustafson

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Soylent Green (1973)

Christian Riese Lassen's digital gallery

Oye Como Va - Santana

Guardian deity, Thunder God, Wind god - Mori Yoshitoshi

Phantom of the Paradise (1974) 

 Scavengers Reign (2023)

 WRTV Sonic Forum Simulator

A Little Night Music

Monkey Gone to Heaven - Pixies

Mike's Mic - Scooby Doo 2002

Wasteland Weekend - People Make Games

Lethal Company (2023)

Closer to Fine - Indigo Girls

Don't Speak - No Doubt

George Sherwood Hunter "Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village"

Plagiarism and You(Tube) - Hbomberguy

Rainbow War (1985) 

Ezlo-x’s Lost Family LoZ Fancomic 

Ocarina of Time manga (2012)

Suolaxier's fursuits

Doctor who: Wild Blue Yonder (2023)

How Do You Smoke a Weed? - Owlin (year)

Mario Wonder (2023)

A Tiger in the Land of Dreams - Tiger Tateishi (1984)

[divinecomedyproductions]

RWBY AU: Looking for talent for a think tank!

"Moved with music--measureless the waves'  Joy and jubilee. It is JOVE's orbit,

Filled and festal, faster turning  With arc ampler.

From the Isles of Tin  Tyrian traders, in trouble steering 

Came with his cargoes; the Cornish treasure  That his ray ripens.

Of wrath ended  And woes mended, of winter passed  And guilt forgiven, and good fortune 

Jove is master; and of jocund revel,  Laughter of ladies. The lion-hearted,  The myriad-minded, men like the gods,  Helps and heroes, helms of nations  Just and gentle, are Jove's children,  Work his wonders.

On his white forehead  Calm and kingly, no care darkens 

Nor wrath wrinkles: but righteous power  And leisure and largess their loose splendours  Have wrapped around him--a rich mantle  Of ease and empire." - CS Lewis, The Planets

Once there was a world by the name of Omnibus. Created by the supreme deity The Author Allfather through the mysterious entity The Storyteller who brought in people from The Other World to inhabit and are whom the humans and Faunus are descended.

Omnibus was composed of four holy and mighty kingdoms, ruled by The Storyteller's Patron Saints whose reign protected the people, human and faunus alike, with their mighty armies and hunters from barbarian hordes, and the hordes of The Grimm who were the blight of the world and extensions of the will of the fallen being Grimmel The Black and his fellow fallen angels

In the dreadful world-shattering war of Ragnarök, the glorious age of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, and the days of Romance, Heroism Adventure, and Eucatastrophe came to a tragic end.

Now all that remains is the world that is Remnant

But there is a prophecy made by Ozma The First Time Wizard before his death, that one day the bloodlines of the original Patron Saints and the families betrothed to them will return to take up these powers, rally armies of the righteous, vanquish the darkness and restore the holy kingdoms and Omnibus and reign over them once more.

Sinners will become Saints

Curses will be broken

Legends shall be restored and new Legends will be born

And what was a Remnant, Shall Be Whole Again.

But until then, the Hunters lead a struggling battle against the Grimm while the modern kingdoms suffer under corruption of all kinds, both to the benefit of darker forces who have horrifying intentions for the world.

Cue Ruby Rose and her older half-sister Yang Xiao Long, they are about to enter Beacon Academy after being approved by the eccentric Professor Ozpin Pine along with the heiress Weiss Schnee and the introverted faunus Blake Belladonna forming team RWBY

Ozpin has also enrolled a few other students and transferred others.

The former forming team JNPR, and the latter being Team SSSN of Haven Academy

Ozpin seems to have his eye on all of them, but what for?

Inspired by CS Lewis's works, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Ransom Trilogy,

The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and That Hideous Strength in particular, as well as the book Planet Narnia by Michael Ward(which I highly recommend to all Narnians)

This reimagined RWBY AU takes the world of Remnant, puts it into the Narnia multiverse, new directions with it's ideas and concepts to tell a different story

A story of faith, hope, courage, re-enchantment, the passing of the sorrowful winter and the coming of the joyous summer.

I'm working on this project, and as I have many ideas and a big picture, I am stumped. So I'm opening a think tank!

Looking for writers

editors

Artists(character, vehicle, background, and architecture designs, concepts, scenes, weapons, etc.)

The format will be a visual format, and audio drama with static images akin to Fixing RWBY by Celtic Pheonix, something akin to a visual novel if that's a good comparison

This project is rated PG-13 for It will have intense violence, brief strong language, partial nudity, and mild drug and alcohol use.

All who apply will be given access to my discord.

Audition for me either with the link if you have a CastingCallClub Account or DM me here on Tumblr!

[arthurgernow]

REX BELLUM, ARTHUR GERNOW

[ID: A looping gif of waves at sea. before the viewer are smaller, daker blue waves, while behind lighter blue waves with white crests crash against once another. The scene is peaceful, yet chaotic.]

To the once and future king. Arthur, the vicious in battle and kind pagan warlord.

Dydh Da and welcome to my devotional blog to Arthur 'paganus' as I call him; essentially worshipping the religious pagan version of Arthur. Let this be a collection and discussion of essays, devotional works, personal experiences, Arthur in myth, and Arthur's various manifestations in Brythonic and greater Celtic cultures. This will largely be a focus on Kernow, as I am part Cornish, but I will include other regions featuring him such Wales, Yorkshire, Brittany, and more.

Along with this menagerie, veneration of brythonic deities and brythonic polytheism. This blog includes both Arthur the hero and Arthur as a deity, an in-between, and Arthur as a faery.

May the dead king of war rest in his grave, let us carve a future for ourselves that he will never have to return to fight for. Dead men should rest, but let it be known for him to inspire, and for our darkest hour, he shall return.

ko-fi | links directory | blog submissions | morgan's carrd.co

[honoringthor]

Maponos “great son” 🎼🗡️🎶🎵

He was a young deity from Northern Britain though there’s evidence of him in Gaul. The Romans syncretic with Apollo. In iconography he’s depicted with a harp.

So maybe Maponos is a god of and healing, music?

Mabon ap Modron “son of mother”🗡️⛓️‍💥🎵🐕🏹

In the Mabinogi, Mabon appears in Culwch and Olwen where he is rescued by king Arthur and his knights. He’d been kidnapped when he was 3nights old and kept in Gloucester. His rescue was part of a series of “impossible “ tasks. They had to get him because he was the only one who could keep up with the hunting dog, Drudwyn who was the only one who could track the wild boar, Twrch Trwyth. 🐗

He appears to have joined King Arthur’s war band as referenced in the poem Pa Gur and The Dream of Rhonabwy.

There’s also a Mabon fab Mellt who “stained the grass with blood”.

Some think he may be inspiration for the Irish Aengus Mac Og. ❤️

There’s a female(or male) Cornish Saint Mabon/Mabyn/Mabena who is the patron saint of St Mabyn.

🎵🎶🏹🐗

In modern times many people call the fall equinox “Mabon”. Aidan Kelly chose the name Mabon for the fall equinox in the 70s. (Don’t know if anybody was using it before that). I guess he wanted to use a Celtic legend similar to Greek myth. He seemed to think the legend of Mabon was like the story of Persephone, Because they both got kidnapped? Far as I can tell that’s pretty much it. Mabon doesn’t seem to have any connection the harvest.

That said, I still tend to use Mabon as the name of the fall equinox too. I think it’s because I studied Wicca before anything else.

🍁🌾🍂🌽

Sources…..

Wikipedia

Maponos

Mabon ap Modron

[vi-sigoth]

Loved your response to the anon asking about leaving Christianity for Paganism. Quick question - if you’re an American of mixed European heritage, how do you choose which Paganism to follow?

Thank you, and great question!

Well, truth is, the people of Europe have mixed, intermingled, and intermarried for thousands upon thousands of years. The Norse and Islander Celts intermarried. An Irish surname on my father’s side is actually a Norse name—so some Norwegian, in all likelyhood, came to the west of Ireland a very long time ago, married an Irish women, and their children kept marrying Irish spouses (this is just my guess, since I have no detectable Scandinavian DNA) On the Continent, you have the mixing of Gauls and Germans, Gauls and Romans, Germans and Romans, Germans and Slavs, Slavs and Balts, Greeks and Romans, you get the picture. If people lived next to each other, there was cultural exchange through proximity and intermarriage. This resulted in a lot of gods that were quite similar to each other in aspect, but went by different names (Juno and Hera, for instance).

My thoughts on this are thus: try to find out what your heritage is as best you can, and go towards that. If you are descended from a certain people, you have every right to worship those gods, period, the end. And that includes gods from different tribes of people. My own faith is mixed Germanic and Celt, as I am nearly entirely English, Cornish, and Irish by heritage. I celebrate Anglo-Saxon and Irish holidays. Most folkish pagans have absolutely nothing against a “mixed practice” so to speak, as long as you aren’t just picking some deity at random because you think it’s cool.

[templeofthehorn]

Awen

Awen is a Welsh, Cornish and Breton word for "inspiration" (and typically poetic inspiration).

Awen derives from the Indo-European root *-uel, meaning 'to blow', and has the same root as the word awel meaning 'breeze' in Welsh and 'wind' or 'gale' in Cornish.

The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD) describe the three lines as rays emanating from three points of light, with those points representing the triple aspect of deity and, also, the points at which the sun rises on the equinoxes and solstices – known as the Triad of the Sunrises. The emblem as used by the OBOD is surrounded by three circles representing the three circles of creation.

[seewetter]

Mythic Creatures by Culture & Region

Part 3: Europe (Basque, Rome, Viking, Great Britain)

This list documents mythological and folkloric creatures of Ancient Europe, the British Isles and Scandinavia as found on Wikipedia.

European creatures from Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Greece etc. will be listed in a separate post. The same goes for Biblical creatures or creatures from Abrahamic religions and Goetia literature. The full list of creatures is here.

Basque

Basque people live in what is today northern Spain. Their language is the only surviving language in Europe that isn't part of the Indo-European family tree, likely because the Basques live in secluded mountain areas. I have listed some deities alongside creatures, but this is a full list of Wikipedia's Basque creatures, not a full list of Wikipedia's gods/goddesses/deities for Basque culture.

Aatxe; Aide air goddess; Akerbeltz; Amalur; Basajaun; Eate (Basque god); Egoi; Eki (Basque goddess); Fountain Women; Gaizkiñ; Gaueko; Herensuge; Ilargi; Inguma; Iratxo ; Iratxoak; Jentil; Lamignak; Mairu; Minairó also Catalan; Odei; Olentzero; Orko; San Martin Txiki; Tartalo

Proto-Indo-European

Proto-Indo-European (or PIE) is the reconstructed ancestor to all major European languages, excluding Basque and languages from later diasporas.

Dʰéǵʰōm; Proto-Indo-European Myth; Double-headed eagle maybe not PIE but Bronze Age

Roman

Abarimon (Pliny the Elder, whose source is supposedly a land surveyor of Alexander the Great); Aborigines_Roman myth\; Achlis (Pliny the Elder); Caligo, see Achlys; Aegipan (Pliny the Elder locates them in Libya); Albruna Germanic seeress attested by Tacitus; Amazons, Amazons (List); Anguiped also Greek and Iranian.; Antichthones; Astomi Pliny the Elder; Aura; Bonnacon Pliny the Elder; Caca; Caeneus; Caladrius; Calingae Pliny the Elder; Camilla; Catoblepas Pliny the Elder; Cimbrian seeresses mentioned by Strabo; Crocotta Strabo and Pliny the Elder; Cupid; Di Penates; Echeneis Pliny the Elder; Ethiopian pegasus Pliny the Elder; Faun, Faunus ; Faunae, Fauni; Faustulus; Forest Bull Pliny the Elder; Fraus; Genius; Genius loci; Gorgades; Hellusians Tacitus claims they live beyond the Finns; Hircocervus; Hooded Spirits; Hydrus Pliny the Elder; Ichneumon Pliny the Elder; Ichthyophagoi; Indus worm; Iphis; Kings of Alba Longa; Lampedo Amazon; Lares; Lares Familiares; Lemures; Mandi; Manes; Manticore; Monoceros Pliny the Elder; Monopod; Odontotyrannus; Orcus; Pandi; Phoenix; Phthisis; Pyrausta Pliny the Elder; Querquetulanae; Remora; Salamander; Seps; Silvanus; Strix; Syrbotae Pliny the Elder; Tarand; Theow Pliny the Elder; Unicorn; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Yale

Etruscan

Charun; Orcus; Tuchulcha; Vanth; Vegoia

Britain

Apple Tree Man; Ascapart giant from chivalric romance dating to 1300s; Asrai Cheshire and Shropshire; Barghest north England; Beast of Dean; Beithir; Billy Blind England and Scottish Lowlands; Black Annis; Black Dog; Black Shuck; Bluecap; Blunderbore; Bogeyman; Boggart; Bogle Northumbrian; Brag Northumbrian; British Wild Cats; Brown Man of the Muirs anglo-scottish border; Brownie ; Brownies; Bucca Cornish; Bugbear; Burryman; Butter Sprite; Calygreyhound; Cat-sìth; Cauld Lad of Hylton; Inspiration/Directories/Bestiary (Myth and Legend)/A-Z/Changeling|Changeling; Christchurch Dragon; Cirein-cròin; Cock Lane Ghost; Cockatrice (explicitly British); Cofgod; Colbrand (giant); Colt pixie; Cormoran (giant); Dando's Dogs; Drummer of Tedworth; Dun Cow; Dunnie Northumbrian; Elder Mother; English Fairies; Ettin; Fairy story (Northumbria); Fetch; Finfolk Orkney; Girt Dog of Ennerdale; Goram and Vincent (giants); Grendel; Grendel's Mother; Grimalkin; Grindylow; Gytrash; Habetrot (Northumbrian?? border counties between England and Scottish Lowlands); Hob; Hobbididance; Hobgoblin ; Hobgoblins; Imp; Jack and the Beanstalk; Jack Frost; Jack in the Green; Jack o' Legs; Jack o' the bowl; Jack the Giant Killer; Jack-In-Irons; Joan-in-the-Wad; Kilmoulis Anglo-Scottish border; Knocker; Knucker; Korred; Krabat; Lambton Worm; Lantern Man; Lazy Laurence; Lubberfiend; Martlet; Mary Lakeland (accused witch); Mermaid of Zennor; Morgan le Fay; Morgawr; Nanny Rutt; Nelly Longarms; Nuckelavee Orkney; Nuggle Shetland; Pantheon_the_creature; Peg Powler; Penhill Giant; Pictish Beast Picts; Pillywiggin; Pixie; Portunes; Púca; Puck; Puck_Shakespeare; Queen of Elphame (Northumbrian?? border counties between England and Scottish Lowlands); Redcap English-Scottish border; Screaming skull; Sea Mither Orkney; Sebile; Sheela na Gig; Shug Monkey; Simonside Dwarfs; Sockburn Worm; Spriggan ; Spriggans; Sprite ; Sprites; Stoor worm; Sweet William's Ghost; Tangie Orkney and Shetland; The Black Dog of Newgate; The Elder Mother also Scandinavian; The Hedley Kow Northumberland; The King of the Cats; The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh Northumbrian; The Queen of Elfan's Nourice; Thunderdell Cornish; Tiddalik; Tom Hickathrift; Tooth Fairy; Tree Elves; Trow; Unicorn; Wight; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; William of Lindholme; Worm of Linton; Wyvern; Yallery Brown

Isle of Man

Adene, elves?; Arkan sonney "lucky piggy"; Ben-Varrey see "Mermaid"; Buggane; Cailleach; Fenodyree; Glashan; Glashtyn; Jimmy Squarefoot; Moddey Dhoo; Mooinjer Veggey; Sleigh Beggey; Tree Elves; Water Bull

Irish

Abarta either Tuatha or Fomorian (depends on account); Abcán the poet and musician of the Tuatha, a dwarf (in stature?); Abhartach; Aes Sidhe; Aibell, an elf queen (banshee, ruler of a fairy mound); Aillen, the "burner" a monstrous Tuatha; Aos Sí; Badb; Balor; Bánánach; Banshee; Baobhan Sith; Biróg a lheannan sidhe; Bodach also Scottish; Bran and Sceólang; Brendan the Navigator; Cailleach; Carman; Cas Corach; Cat-sìth also Scottish; Cathbad; Cethlenn; Cichol Gricenchos; Clíodhna; Clurican; Conand; Crom Cruach; Cù-sìth; Dobhar-chú; Donn Cúailnge; Dullahan; Each-uisge; Echtra; Elatha; Ellén Trechend; Enbarr; Ethniu; Failinis; Fear Doirich; Fear gorta; Finvarra; Fionn mac Cumhaill; Fionnuala; Fir Bolg; Fir Darrig; Fomorian; Gancanagh; Garb mac Stairn; Glas Gaibhnenn; Immram; Irish Mythic Creatures; Iubdan; Joint-eater; Kelpie; Leprechaun; Les Lavandières; Lhiannan-Sidhe; Liban; Inspiration/Directories/Bestiary (Myth and Legend)/A-Z/Manannán mac Lir|Manannán mac Lir; Medb (Queen Maeve); Merrow ; Merrows; Mongfind; Muckie; Mug Ruith; Nel; Niamh; Oilliphéist; Onchú; Pillywiggin; Púca; Sadhbh; Salmon of Knowledge; Scáthach; Selkie; Sengann; Seonaidh; Sheela na Gig; Sidhe; Sìth also Scottish; Sluagh also Scottish; Sovereignty goddess; Sreng; Swan Maiden; Tethra; The Morrígan; The Voyage of Bran; The Voyage of Máel Dúin; The Voyage of the Uí Chorra; Tlachtga; Tuatha dé Danaan; Werewolf; Werewolves of Ossory; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Wyvern allegedly Irish; Cymidei Cymeinfoll

Scotland

Am Fear Liath Mòr; Red Cap; Bauchan; Bean-nighe; Beast of Beinn a' Bheithir; Betram de Shotts; Biasd Bheulach; Billy Blind lowlands and England; Blue Men of the Minch; Bodach also Irish; Boobrie west coast Scottish lochs; Broichan wizard of Pictland (north Scotland); Brown Man of the Muirs anglo-scottish border; Brownie ; Brownies; Cailleach; Cain bairns; Ceasg; Cù-sìth; Each-uisge; Fachan; Fuath; Ghillie Dhu; Gigelorum; Glaistig; Gormshuil Mhòr na Maighe; Kelpie also Irish; Lavellan; Les Lavandières; Ly Erg; Maggy Moulach; Morag; Muc-sheilch; Nicnevin; Pech; Red Cap; Seelie; Shellycoat; Sìth also Irish; Sithchean Hebrides; Sluagh; Spey-wife; Tam Lin; The Green Man of Knowledge; Water Bull; Water Horse; Wild Haggis; Wirry-cow; Wulver

Welsh

Adar Llwch Gwin; Adar Rhiannon birds from Mabinogi and Welsh Arthurian tales; Aderyn y corff, corpse bird, portent of death; Afanc; Arawn; Bendith y Mamau see Tylwyth Teg; Blodeuwedd; Brenin Llwyd; Bres Tuatha; Buwch Frech; Bwciod; Cath Palug; Ceffyl Dŵr; Coblynau; Cŵn Annwn; Cyhyraeth; Cymidei Cymeinfoll; Cythraul; Dormarch; Gwagged Annwn or Gwragedd Annwn; Gwrgi Garwlwyd; Gwyllgi; Gwyllion; Gwyn ap Nudd; Henwen; Idris Gawr; Jack o' Kent; Les Lavandières; Llamhigyn Y Dwr; Maelor Gawr; March Malaen; Mari Lwyd; Morgen; Sleigh Beggey also Manx; Swan Maiden; Twrch Trwyth; Tylwyth Teg; Welsh Dragon; Welsh Giant; White dragon; Wild Hunt; Wyvern; Y Ladi Wen; Ysbaddaden; Ysgithyrwyn

Scandinavian (Viking, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland)

Æsir; Æsir–Vanir War; Alberich in Thidrekssaga written in 1250 in Norway, possibly based on a Plattdeutsch original (also appears in German Nibelungenlied from 1200 in Passau, Bavaria and Ortnit from 1230s Germany, Strassburg; Álfablót sacrifice to elves; Alvaldi jotun; Askafroa German "Eschenfrau"; Bergsrå; Berserker; Bøyg; Brokkr dwarf; Brunnmigi; Bysen; Church grim; Dagr; Death; Deildegast; Di sma undar jordi; Disir; Dökkálfar; Draugr; Dvalinn; Dwarf ; Dwarfs, Dwarves; Eikþyrnir; Einherjar; Elder Mother; Elli; Endill jotun; Fenrir; Fin; Fjölvar; Fjörgyn and Fjörgynn; Fossegrim; Fylgiar; Gangr; Garmr; Gjenganger; Glenr; Gríðr; Grýla and Leppalúði; Gulon; Hábrók; Hafgufa; Half-elf; Hamingja; Hati Hróðvitnisson; Helhest; Hervör alvitr; Hildr; Hlaðguðr svanhvít; Hljod; Hlökk; Hræsvelgr; Hrímgerðr; Hrímgrímnir; Hroðr; Hrymr; Hulder; Huldufólk; Humli; Hyrrokkin; Iði; Ím (joetunn); Járnsaxa; Jörmungandr; Jötunn; Katie Woodencloak; Kraken; Lagarfljótsormur; Landdisir; Landvættir; Leikn; Ljósálfar; Lyngbakr; Marmennill; Móðguðr; Mögþrasir; Mound Folk; Myling; Nafnaþulur; Níðhöggr; Niß Puck; Nisse; Norns; Norse_Nude_Snake_Witch; Nótt; Nykken; Odin; Púca; Rå; Rådande; Ratatoskr; Sæhrímnir; Selkolla; Selma; Sjörå; Skogsrå; Sköll; Skrat; Skuld (half-elf princess); Skvader; Slattenpatte; Sleipnir; Storsjöodjuret; Sumarr and Vetr; Surtr; Svaðilfari; Svartálfar; Swan Maiden; The Elder Mother also English; The Giant Who Had No Heart in His Body; Tilberi; Tooth Fairy; Tree Elves; Troll; Troll Cat; Vættir; Valkyrie; Valravn; Vanir; Vardøger; Veðrfölnir; Viðfinnr; Vittra; Vǫrðr; Vörnir (joetunn); Vosud; Werewolf; Wight; Wild Hunt; Wild Man, Wild Woman ; Wild Men, Wild Women; Worm of Linton; Wurm; Ysätters-Kajsa; Yule cat; Þorbjörg lítilvölva; Þorgerðr Hölgabrúðr and Irpa; Þrívaldi; Þuríðr Sundafyllir

Note: Although most European lore is easily implemented into art and fiction without causing lasting cultural damage, there may be some European cultures (from Basque to Welsh) whose cultures have been subject to cultural suppression. Notify me if there are mistakes or if I need to add disclaimers or revisions concerning these creatures.

[thedansemacabres]

while it is completely true that Ancient Rome is Italian heritage, I think people—especially in cultus deorum—forget how far Roman religion actually spread. I’m not sure if this is a conversation broader paganism can have without flattening it—to deny Italy Ancient Rome is often a marker of fascists, and also we can acknowledge how far Rome, Greece, etc., spread.

for example, to my knowledge I have no Italian ancestry. But Rome colonised the land that would become Cornwall and Slovakia. Thus, some of my ancestors probably did worship Roman deities in some form, despite it not being the cultural heritage—we don’t claim Rome wholesale as cultural heritage, but we do have Romano-Celtic culture that inhabits the cultural sphere. I following the Roman gods is technically in line with my ancestors, despite I being both Slovak & Cornish European heritage wise.

That’s one reason the whole “gods of my ancestors thing” doesn’t completely work—you never, ever know your ancestors from 2000 years ago. I have cultural gods like Morena, but Mars is just as a part of my “bloodline” as she is. We tend to associate x ancient culture with y country, and in many cases there is a direct cultural link, but it’s always more complicated than Italian = Roman as one example.

[sag-dab-sar]

I feel like just with any other tradition it's decided by historical precedent and especially the People, (if its based in ethnic supremacy its another story but ignoring that for now)

As an example, Mari faith. It survived Christianization to a high degree, was influenced but not replaced by it, was syncretized with it, or are practiced side by side. While there is a neo-pagan like revival I feel as if the Mari people get the final say. Same with Udmurt faith, while not as well preserved as Mari, it still heavily exists among their communities; it never died. It also has a neo-pagan like revival that exists but I believe Udmurt people get the final say. These faiths were persecuted by the Russian Empire, USSR state atheism, and now a further push of Russification in the Russian Federation.

Both of these are European. Both are living cultures and living folk traditions. I don't have the answer as to whether they are closed or opened. It might be extremely difficult to discuss the topic with an Udmurt person or Mari person without knowing Russian. I could be wrong on that last part and simply have not come across them online yet to discuss their culture. However, I'd encourage people who want to participate in those folk religions/cultures that have no ancestral ties: talk to the people. If you REALLY want to participate make an effort to talk to them.

Compare this to Greece. The ancient religion was open— we know this as a fact (Exhibit A: Alexander The Great. Exhibit B: interpretatio Graeca. Exhibit C: Serapis). I've discussed with many Greeks that modern Hellenic Polytheistic/Pagan Religion is open, if you respect Greek culture and are aware that Greeks still exist. That Hellenic Religion never vanished completely, it is still apart of Greek culture. I have also discussed this with a Hellenic Polytheist organization from Greece who said that it is open. (As opposed to a very ethno-nationalistic form of "Greece is for Greeks" type organization that attempts to talk for all Hellenic polytheists that live in Greece.) As a Greek American I have literally no issue with non-Greek people being Hellenic Polytheists: except when I see them forgetting Greek people still exist or completely disregarding culture as if it doesn't matter. (Literally saw a non-Greek Canadian claim Hellenic Polytheism wasn't Greeks' heritage and they had no claim to "Hellene" because they "gave it up" when they became Christian wtf)

Another example is Celtic Polytheism: Irish, Cornish, Manx, Breton, Scottish, and Welsh are all different cultures— "Celtic Nations". I have seen quite a lot of people from these cultures being frustrated about how all deities, traditions, stories are melded into a pan-Celtic pantheon & tradition without even an attempt to learn the separations. Refusal or lack of interest in learning differences in festivals, cultures, histories, or languages. I've never seen them call it closed, only that they want the different nations/cultures to be respected and at least have an understanding that differences exist. Also that the languages, cultures, and people still exist.

I don't have personal experience reading a lot of Slavic Polytheist opinions on here. But there are MANY ethnicities/nations that are "Slavic" and I imagine, just like Celts, they would prefer their differences be recognized and respected.

In addition, immigration within Europe from an ethnicities' traditional homeland to another location within Europe (including unfortunate forced relocation). They may have brought their folk traditions with them, adopted the surrounding culture's ones, or mixed them! AND the many immigrants who came from outside Europe. They may have also brought their own traditions with them, adopted the ones in the place they settled in, or have mixed them together.

Not only that, ethnicity & nationality, is much more than blood. Culture, upbringing, language(s), location, music, cuisine, traditional dress, history, religion etc etc etc is often considered what defines the ethnicity, culture, and its folk traditions; more so than blood or skin tone. This would include ethnic & local folk religions and traditions. I'll use myself as an example, (other then ethnic supremacists), I've known many Greeks, both in the diaspora and in Greece, that consider me a Greek American due to my upbringing and passed on heritage, not because of my adoptive mother's blood/genetics.

I could go on and on. The number of "Sovereign Nation States" in Europe in no way shape or form reflects the diversity of ethnicities in Europe— have you ever heard of the Karelians, Wallons, Rusyns, Sorbs (Lusatians), Izhorians, Sami, Faroe Islanders etc?

I think its a silly question because its so broad— Ask. The. People.

Europe is extremely ethnically, racially, and linguistically diverse. More than we give it credit for.

---

I have a whole draft about "dead religion" appropriation and open/closed that would seem excellent here but I've been too worried & scared to edit and post.

-Dyslexia: did my best to audio proof read for once-

What’s your stance on white Americans appropriating local European folk traditions? Does this count as cultural appropriation? Or is it Volkist to say so?

Your question appears to frame Europeans as if they're all white and culturally monolithic/interchangeable.

[pysksos]

with straw and sea campion pelt, Gwydn rises from a winter of rest, hounds sent to slumber, fauns springing forth, the heralds of a new summertide

[wolverinesorcery]

Bucca and Their incredible Pantomime Dame energy

[jafarkree]

Introducing Quacklore.

Once upon a time…

 ...there was a person who we shall call Gallus. Gallus, as most of us do, liked to tell stories. Unlike most of us, though, Gallus was blessed with a family that leant itself to such things, and the internet forum in which to tell them- Tumblr, to be exact. For example, one year, Gallus’s family gathered for their annual harvest ceremony. The harvest ceremony was traditionally something of a raucous affair, known not just for its plethora of frankly disturbing food, but also for throwing together people with different political opinions, who tended to loudly voice dubious concerns with absolute conviction. One aunt in particular was well known for this, having in a past gathering mistaken a turkey stuffed with a Cornish hen for a pregnant turkey. Against all known logic, this isn’t an uncommon reaction to birds stuffed with other birds. However, she was convinced that the fully dead, fully cooked, and oviparous in life bird had been given an abortion by the assembled diners. For which, surely, she would be damned if she partook. In one fateful year, there was no turducken, but someone let the younger generation loose with a wide variety of tools, angst, and the fall harvest. In the tradition of harvest celebrations everywhere, they made an idol. Not just any idol, mind you. They made Slagthor the Annihilator.

Slagthor was a glorious sight to behold, if Gallus is to be believed- composed almost entirely of gourds, vaguely turkey-shaped, stuffed with firecrackers by an entrepreneurial cousin while nobody was looking, and blown to smithereens after dinner. Unfortunately, due to this, Slagthor’s original visage was never captured. However, his somewhat less pristine reincarnation in ice is available from a subsequent year. Sadly, although the reincarnation of Slagthor has become something of a tradition in the Gallus household, and a tradition for the fandom thereof, it is not the right season for pyrotechnic gamebirds. I would not dare to offend the spirit of Slagthor so. Besides, there’s been a drought for thirty years and there’s a fire ban in place- though I am a devoted subject, I see no point in being arrested for arson. What it is nearly time for is Easter. Of course, Gallus has Easter lore to match their harvest traditions. You see, in 1969, Gallus’s father nearly got banned from the catholic church for spearing a Jesus made of challah bread. Challah bread being, of course, far tastier and easier to shape into an edible deity than your standard church wafer, and Easter Mass being something of a big deal worth being excommunicated over. In order to make a proper reenactment, Jesus was anatomically correct and life sized, of course. And filled with raspberry jam. After a dramatic whipping, crucifying, and puncturing of the doughy savior, he was then devoured by the congregation. 

In my neck of the woods, spring is also time for the annual duck race. Ducks are the ideal iconography for this town, being representative of Easter, yet nondenominational enough to be relatively inoffensive. One would assume that rabbits would be the chosen species, but rabbits are alarmingly incapable of floating properly when thrown into the glaciermelt river that runs through the middle of town. For about a week, the entire town dedicates itself to utter quackery- Duck themed decorations and foods abound. This culminates in the duck race, where literal thousands of rubber ducks, sponsored by spectators, are released into the river to compete for prizes. There are, in that moment, more ducks on the river than people that actually live in the town. And so I present to you an idol, in true traditional form, that I have created to represent the cryptid lore of the Midwest: Quacklore, The Ungrateful. Xe is the first of xis name. @gallusrostromegalus

[the-fae-folk]

Hello! Do you have any tips for when it comes to writing stories about the fae? Are there things to keep in mind and things to avoid? I have a story in mind, but am a little nervous to get started. Since you have a lot more experience, I wondering if you could please help?

CAWRK!

Hah hah! I do have some tips.

Let's start with things to keep in mind when you're writing Fae.

1. The Fae we know and love are really more of a mixing pot. They draw from a myriad of European Cultures and multiple different time periods. The notable ones are Brythonic (Bretons, Welsh, Cornish), Gaelic (Irish, Scots, Manx). Also important to note are the Germanic Peoples and their mythologies (Norse Mythology, Anglo-Saxon Mythology, and Continental Germanic Mythology), as well as influences from Slavic Fairy Tales and Folk Beliefs.

In addition to other European or other Cultures that might have gone unmentioned, there are some historians, such as Barthélemy d'Herbelot, who believed that fairies were adopted from, or at least heavily influenced by, the Peris of Persian Mythology.

And even with the slow borrowing of ideas over the centuries of passing around Folklore and Fairy Tales, our idea of what the Fae are keeps being added to or changed. The English Middle Ages had its influences on them, and the Victorian Era British brought about massive changes to how they were viewed.

Literature over time has played its part in evolving how we depict them, and Modern Fantasy Literature has produced countless changes, likely even more than the Victorian Era.

2. There's actually very little about Faerie Folklore that is consistent across all of it's varied and tangled forms. We tend to assume Faeries are all Elf-Like and pointy eared, immortal royals because those were some of the most influential interpretations that our Modern Fantasy has carried to us. But research even a little about the Folk and you’ll instantly start coming up with all sorts of contradictions, even between people in the same cultural area over time. While there are a number of ideas of what Faeries are, from both ancient times and modern, we’re not even sure of that. Some believed them ghosts of the dead, or higher spirits, elemental spirits, fallen angels, demons, demoted pagan deities, remnant memories of prehistoric humanoid peoples (this theory is considered outdated), or even beings wholly different from humanity and possibly from another world. 3. There’s no particular reason Faeries need to be depicted as human-like in appearance. It is true that at times the term Fairy has been applied specifically to various groups of magical creatures with a human appearance, magical powers, and a mischievous nature. But it has also been used as an umbrella term for almost any magical creature. Many of them are vaguely humanoid such as gnomes, goblins, imps, trolls, brownies, etc. And sometimes there are beings who are not even remotely humanoid that are slipped under the umbrella of Faerie. Such examples as metaphysical beings or living elemental forces, the Cat-sìth, Cù-sìth, will-o’-the-wisps, the questing beast, or even occasionally dragons. Something that adds to this inclusion is the fact that the word Faerie, as it changed and moved about, came to mean many different things. Latin “Fāta” meaning the goddess of fate, to the Old French "Faerie" which meant not only the realm of enchantment, magic, or dream associated with the Fae, but also the occult, the collective canon of magical or mythological beings, beasts, or creatures, or anything that is the product of enchantment or illusion. From there it moved into the Middle English Fairye (faierie, ffayery, fayre, ffeyrye, faerie, feyrye, fairi, fairie) where it was to mean enchantment, illusion, dream at first. Then it expanded again to cover the inhabitants of fairyland as a collective. When they are humanoid, the appearance of the Fae can be as varied as humanity and likely more so. When they are not, they could be in any shape or form. Not everything has to be elfin, slender, white, and pointy eared. And this isn't even counting the countless stories depicting them as having some shapeshifting abilities. 4. Faeries are given many traits by many different stories. Immortality, a trickster nature, an aversion to iron, an inability to lie. But not all of these traits came from the same places or time periods. Indeed there are many stories both old and new that depict Faeries of various kinds perfectly well with only one, two, or even none of them.

5. Classification. A lot of people like to split the Fae into courts and various other groups and types. But it’s impossible to fully classify fairies, there’s just too much in folklore to properly sift through it all in a single lifetime, or even several lifetimes. But categorizing does serve a practical purpose, it helps to separate elements and groups from one another, and to understand underlying distinctions that ancient people would have just known but we have no contextual knowledge for. But many folklorists actually caution against over-categorization. Folk beliefs tended to be fluid and ever changing, leading to many names and types of beings that were inconsistent or having multiple names for the same type of being. Folklorists trying to stick to strict definitions are doomed to frustration. Even our delightful fairy courts, such as the seelie and unseelie, are really much less distinct that we like to think. Groups of faeries changed from tale to tale, and even from one version of a tale to another. Alright. Before I get too carried away, let’s look at the few things you might want to avoid or watch out for.

1. Despite the word Faerie being used as a way to refer to all the magical creatures and beings that those people would have known, be warned that trying to pluck mythical creatures and races from other cultures or religions and include them under the banner of Fae is not generally a good idea, even for a work of fiction. Best stick to stuff already connected to Faeries in one way or another from European Folklore. Or you might borrow some of the newly invented races from Modern Fantasy (such as Tolkien’s Orcs, or the later Dungeons and Dragons version of Orcs). Or if you’re feeling creative you can create your own entirely new and unique Fae creature.

2. Faerie Folklore, stories, fairy tales, and myths are unfortunately home to a lot of truly nasty things. Enslaving humans or Fae, kidnapping, rape, child murder, murder, permanent transformation into inanimate objects, racism, and much else. And while these do not make up the body of the story, they are there and consequently at least one or another will appear in most adaptations of the Fae. This in itself isn’t a bad thing, as those are legitimate motifs and themes that can be explored well in a narrative. But just because the characters might do something horrific, doesn’t mean you have to frame it as a normal or acceptable thing. Be very careful when exploring such themes as these in your work, do your research, and if you feel like you cannot discuss a disturbing theme such as this in a way that does it justice, that’s okay. You don’t have to include that just because it was in folklore. There’s a lot of folklore that doesn’t have it, there’s plenty to draw from about the Fae that isn’t awful. While I generally encourage instances of Blue and Orange Morality when it comes to the Fae, whether disturbing or light-hearted, If you find that you’re not comfortable with the elements of your own story… please don’t force yourself to write those in.

3. Don’t worry about making your Faeries historically accurate. You could try to copy one specific European Culture’s version of the Fae and only that one. But it’s inevitable that it’s not going to be completely right, or anywhere close. Studying the Faerie Folklore from even one Culture is the work of lifetimes. Your best bet is to take the folklore as inspiration, bits and pieces from here and there as you need them.

4. Always do your research, and make sure your sources are trustworthy. In addition to just plain old misinformation, there is a lot of folklore from these old European Cultures that has been appropriated and twisted, or misrepresented, or purposefully removed from context and time in some way in order to promote or justify racist ideologies, harmful or toxic behavior, to purposefully cause conflict and divide people, or even just to cause confusion.

My point is that you should be very careful about what you actually believe when it comes to researching folklore of any kind, Fae included. Can its sources verify the information solidly? Does it even have sources? Is the place you got it known for its reliability in information of this kind? If your source is somewhere on a social media site then it's a definite no. A blogging site, like Tumblr? Then you should know that blog posts are not considered verifiable sources, though there is some acceptance for those that fuel further research. Alright. I’ll leave it there. Now some quick tips for you.

1. Think about what style and atmosphere you want for your story. If you want the Fae to seem a certain way, or to feel close to a particular version, you need to find out what it is that makes them feel that way in the original and try to learn the writing technique.

2. The point is to tell a story, a narrative. You cannot include everything. You cannot represent everything people associate with the Fae. If you have some problematic theme from folklore you want to explore, or some social issue you’re planning on talking about in fiction form, fine. But stick to one or two. Not all of them. To tell an effective story you must narrow the focus so you and your audience don’t lose track of the central ideas.

3. It’s tempting to spend all your time building a huge complex culture for your story. I’m definitely guilty of that one. World-building is addictive. But set reasonable limitations for yourself.

4. Do spend some time considering who the Fae are. If they’re immortal, that will affect their whole culture, from what they eat or if they eat at all, to how they dress, what their art is like, and how they might think. People often forget that the Fae are supposed to be Other, not just magical nature humans with fancy gowns and a lot of lawyer talk. They are alien, different, strange. Their culture, their biology, their needs. 5. If you want to make a cliched Fae people in fancy courts who are averse to cold iron and cannot lie but deceive and dissemble with every breath… go for it. There’s nothing wrong with that. Cliches are cliche for a reason, they work. There would even be advantages to using this common depiction of the Folk, because many people are already familiar with it, you can spend more time in your story focusing on other themes or ideas, using the well known Fae traits to draw your reader’s expectations to where you want them.

6. Verse and rhyme are important tools you can use. Fae are often depicted singing or speaking in riddles and rhymes. Take a look at some writers who use a lot of poetry in their stories. Tolkien and Brian Jacques are some that spring immediately to mind, though there are many more. Keep in mind that if your poems or verse doesn’t add to or match the flow of your story and have purpose in forming your narrative, then it will likely just break the reader's immersion instead.

7. With the Fae a common theme is that beauty doesn’t equate good, and ugliness doesn’t equate evil. But beauty as a theme with Faeries is quite old and has taken a lot of different forms. Beauty of the ethereal or the divine, of the otherworldly and alien. The extraordinary beauty found in the natural and ordinary that we are blind to every day. The alluring beauty of illusions. Beauty is a very subjective thing, and so thus it is an excellent tool to use in exploring Fae narratives where it can be shaped in countless ways to do different things in the narrative.

8. Point of view is also very important to how you’re going to frame your faerie people. If your story is set from the viewpoint of someone who knows nothing about Fae then their understanding of these magical persons will be very different from the viewpoint of someone who goes into this adventure already having some working knowledge of them. Or you could depict the Faerie from the eyes of one of their own, and a faerie would see their own people in a very different way than a human would, for good or ill.

9. I cannot stress enough the importance and effectiveness of WHIMSY as a narrative technique when writing about distantly metaphysical or surreal subjects such as the Fae. Balanced well with the aspects of your work that are more grounded, it can help the flow of your writing immensely and aid in keeping your reader engaged and immersed.