#wicht the fairy

[songofsilentechoes]

Elmyra is carving a little hand sized figurine. it looks like a Korok. She speaks up as if knowing Wicht was there. "If you are curious about something, you might as well be curious inside away from the cold. How do you like your tea? Linkle made a small cup for when you visit. Probably bowl sized for you."

Wicht flitted from where she was hiding, looking somewhat sheepish.

"Some sugar would be nice." She says, regarding her tea preferences as she sits down on the table, watching the woman work.

"I've been...watching the village. Trying to get a feel for the people here." She admits.

[songofsilentechoes]

With that, Noelle nods and steps through the gate, ensuring she's fully on the other side before taking stock of her surroundings, as she didn't want to incur the dangers he mentioned by the gate shutting while she was partially through.

Once over there, she would adjust her cloak and begin to summon a small rift of her own. A purple fairy flits through. On closer examination, the sprite has darker purple hair than Noelle, and is wearing what appears to be an outfit befitting a witch, without the hat.

"You're not supposed to go to other realms without me!" The little creature scolds. "How am I supposed to do my job without you being there?"

"Sorry, Wicht. I'm going to be taking a brief stay in this realm. Would you be willing to fetch an overnight bag for me?"

The fairy huffs. "I'm not a dog. Why should I?"

"Because I'm sure Mister Rainald would be kind enough to give you some of our meal if you do."

The fairy glances at the mage, looking him up and down, before she lets out another little huff and slips through the rift after accepting a glass card from Noelle.

Some minutes later, she would return to Noelle, handing it back to her.

"Rain? I caught some fish and wanted to know if you wanted to cook with me. I know our last little bout was fun, but I think I can best you this time."

"Oooooh fish? Is it native from here or is it from another world? It's fine either way, but I would like to know if this is something you have a little more... familiarity with. After all, I encourage you trying to get an edge up on out-cooking me if you think it'll help," He'd smirk while he'd pull out his hairband to help push his hair back.

[mask131]

Green spring: Seelie and Unseelie

SEELIE AND UNSEELIE

Category: Scottish folklore

When people look up at fairies, usually one of the first thing they will stumble upon on the Internet is “Seelie Court and Unseelie Court”.

The Seelie and Unseelie Court (also known sometimes as simply “the Seelie fairies and the Unseelie fairies”) is a type of fairy division/fairy classification from Scottish folklore – and it is now one of the most famous classification of fairies in the modern world. According to this divide, the “Seelie” fairies are fairies that are generally benevolent towards humans: they return kindness, they can bring favors, they can ask for or give help, and if someone offends them they warn first before striking. These fairies are still dangerous, as all fairies are: like all fairies they are prone to revenge and mischief, but they are generally the “good guys” so to speak. In contrast, the “Unseelie” fairies are the malevolent and negative fairies, those that attack people without warning, and sometimes without reason, and ally themselves with witches and other dark entities of evil power. The “Unseelie” fairies include various negative entities of the folklores of the British isles: the baobhan sith taking the shape of a beautiful woman to lure and kill men, the redcaps who live in ruins and dye their hats with human blood, the nuckelavee who is a grotesque skinless centaur bringing disease and famine everywhere, the shellycoat who is a bogeyman of rivers, and the Sluagh (a host of malevolent fairies/angry ghosts/nocturnal spirits who you better not cross path with).

[Note that while the term “Court”, in modern fiction, has been reused numerous times with the modern meaning of “court” – having a queen and a king, and being made of nobility – the term seems originally to just be a word meaning a “host” or a “group” in general, since in Scottish folklore there is no talk of “Unseelie king or queen” for example.]

Now… all that being said, the divide of Seelie/Unseelie seems to be a latter addition or invention to the Scottish myth of the fairies. Before that, it seems there was just “Seelie” (it is clear that “Unseelie” was based on the word “seelie”): because “seelie” or “seely” was a term used in Scotland, but also in Northern England, to designate fairies as a whole. “Seelie” is a term that means “blessed”, “happy” or “lucky”, and it seems to have been used the same way fairies as a whole were called “good neighbors” or “the fair folk” – it was an euphemisms, or a counter-name, destined to flatter and please the supernatural beings, in hope of avoiding their wrath. It seems that originally “Seelie” was the name of all fairies as a whole, but then somehow the meaning got twisted into just meaning the good fairies, while a different name was created for the wicked fairies: “unseelie”, meaning “misfortunate, unhappy, cursed”. What is even more fascinating is that originally the term “seelie” was used alongside the word “wights”. “Seelie wights” – a word with an unclear meaning, but which was sometimes spelled “wichts”, leading to deformations as… “witch”. “Seelie witches”. The closeness of “Seelie” with “wights” and “witches” led in fact some scholars to wonder if the term “seelie” was actually used to designate fairies, or if it rather was used to designate a different type of supernatural being, different from fairies.

- - - - - - - -

Today, the Seelie and Unseelie Court is such a widespread and popular division you find it everywhere in fictional works talking about fairies. In modern “fairy fiction”, these two courts were most notably popularized by two book series:

# The Dresden Files: In the worldbuilding of this snarky urban fantasy series (bordering on the cosmic horror), the fairies are divided into two nations each dominated by a different Court, the Seelie Court ruling over the summer season, and the Unseelie Court ruling over the winter season. Each Court is ruled by a triumvir of fairy queens who embody the “Maiden-Mother-Crone” trinity: a Lady, a Queen and a Mother. Titania is the queen of the “Summer Court”, while Mab is the queen of the “Winter Court”. The Dresden Files notably challenges the idea that the Seelie and Unseelie Court are based on morality: while it is the stereotype common in this world, in truth the Unseelie fairies are not “evil”, they are cold, ruthless, calculating beings of ice, death and darkness. Meanwhile the Seelie fairies are beings of life, light and warmth, yes, but they can be as chaotic and destructive as hot jungles or thunderstorms, and they are not fairies of “goodness”. “The Dresden Files” is notorious for bringing the whole idea of “Seelie/Unseelie=Winter/Summer” which wasn’t something before its release…

There was a concept of the fairy courts being associated with cold and heat before The Dresden Files though: it was the elf-courts in “The Discworld” series by Terry Pratchett (which was a main source of inspiration for The Dresden Files). In Pratchett’s world, the elves of the Discworld (a cross between a parody of the Tolkienesque elves and the “fair folk” of British legends played for full horror) are divided between a court centered around a Queen, who lives in perpetual frozen wastelands of endless winter, and a second one centered around a King, instead hiding in a very hot, very moist, warmth and humid underground realm of vapor and sweat.

# Another big influence on modern perception of the Unseelie and Seelie Court was “The Shadowhunter Chronicles”, where the fairies are also divided in two nations each ruled by one of these courts. No seasonal theme here – rather the Seelie Court is focused on appearing as beautiful, helpful and benevolent as possible, while still being deceptive and manipulatives, while the Unseelie Court is openly and proudly cruel, violent and monstrous. The Seelie Court is ruled by a Queen, while the Unseelie Court is under the domination of a King.

Interestingly, the same way “The Dresden Files” was inspired by “Discworld”, it seems the concept of “The Shadowhunter Chronicles” of the two courts being divided between beautiful subjects of a fairy queen and the monstrous subjects of a fairy king was inspired by an older work of the 80s: “Faerie Tale” by Raymond E. Feist, a horror novel based on fairy folklore. In it, we end up learning that somehow after the events described by William Shakespeare in his “Midsummer Night’s Dream” play, Titania and Oberon (or at least the beings Shakespeare described by this name) ended up splitting their fairyland into two distinct part, separated by a dusk-plunged, haunted, no-man’s land called the “Shadow Lands”. On one side is the Bright Lands, a fairyland of endless day where the sweet and kind Queen rules over pleasant, charming and joyful fae, who are benevolent and helpful towards humans, but still dangerous to live with due to their alien ways of thinking, strange customs and hazardous magical powers. On the other side, the King lives in the Dark Land, a realm of endless night where he rules over monstrous, grotesque, hateful and murderous fae who only wish to invade the human world and destroy mankind.

[songofsilentechoes]

"She didn't include me, either." Wicht says, annoyed.

[coinandcandle]

Scottish Rhyme about the Good Folk

Gin ye ca' me imp or elf, I rede ye look weel to yourself; Gin ye ca' me fairy, I'II work ye muckle tarrie; Gin guid neibour ye ca' me; Then guid neibour I will be; But gin ye ca' me seelie wicht, I'II be you freend baith day and nicht.

Popular Rhymes of Scottland by Robert Chambers

Modern English:

If you call me imp or elf, I’ll advise you to watch yourself; If you call me fairy, I’ll cause you much trouble; If good neighbor you call me; Then good neighbor I will be; But if you call me seelie wight, I’ll be your friend both day and night.

[songofsilentechoes]

The fairy sighs and goes to find a bucket instead. She was too small to get a kiddy pool, so this was going to have to be the slow way.

This was going to be a long and exhausting day.

GASP!

The bathroom! The tub! Danger! Bad place! Scary!

The baby blocks immediately flee! No tub! No scary water! No get sucked down drain and disappear forever!

@songofsilentechoes

[songofsilentechoes]

Are baby blocks! Are very worried! Ice! falling from sky! Bad! worried! Have checked on friends pebble and guinea pig, do seem okay! But friend fairy! what if is cold and helpless???

The baby blocks might be dragging the fairy into the nest. Very silly.

Wicht's wings flutter as she's dragged away by the poros, clawing at the floor, but powerless to resist being pulled into the nest.

Soon, she's enveloped in the warmth and snuggles...which isn't really the worst fate, but it certainly wasn't what she was expecting for that evening.

[lailoken]

There is an old Scottish rhyme on the Fae that I wanted to very briefly highlight here. It describes the taboo of true names, where the Gloaming Folk are concerned, and the importance of using Noa-Names when making reference to Them. It is transcribed by Robert Chambers in his 1890 ‘Popular Rhymes of Scotland’ as follows:

“Gin ye ca' me imp or elf,

I rede ye look weel to yourself;

Gin ye ca' me fairy,

I'll work ye muckle tarrie;

Gin gude neibour ye ca' me,

Then gude neibour I will be;

But gin ye call' me seelie wicht,

I'll be your freend baith day and nicht.”

If you call me 'Good Neighbor,'

Based on what I know about Scots, and the Faerie Faith of the day, a fairly straightforward translation of the meaning behind these verses into English could read as:

“If you call me 'Imp' or 'Elf,'

I warn you to watch yourself;

If you call me 'Faery,'

I will work you much trouble;

If 'Good Neighbor' you call me,

Then good neighbor will I be;

But if you call me 'Blessed Wight,'

I'll be your friend both day and night."

A folkloric specimen such as this one does a great job concisely underscoring the importance of such epithets when dealing with the denizens of Faerie, as well as offering a couple titles that help to exemplify such epithets.

[carasidhe]

"Gin ye ca' me imp or elf,

I rede ye look weel to yourself;

Gin ye ca' me fairy,

I'll work ye muckle tarrie;

Gind guid neibour ye ca' me,

Then guid neibour I will be;

But gin ye ca' me seelie wicht,

I'll be your freend baith day and nicht."

- Chambers, Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusements of Scotland, 1842

(If you call me imp or elf,

I counsel you, look well to yourself;

If you call me fairy,

I'll work you great misery;

If you good neighbor call me

Then good neighbor I will be;

But if you call me Seelie wight

I'll be your friend both day and night)

[princess-of-the-corner]

you know what kelpies are? its a celtic waterhorse fairy that eat humans and that can take the form of a human. and i got the ideal for a au where juleka and luka half kelpies wicht is unknow do them. their father ( who was a kelpie hemself) disappared the day juleka was born. for years they dont know about their supernaturel side until they are attacking by a fairy who they first mistake for a akuma. during the battle they turn into a horse and after they defeat the fairy they are like wtf.

I know what Kelpies are and that one fuckign comic about them haunts me.

But now I'm just imagining them turning into a horse at random and everyone being all "what the FUCK????"

[songofsilentechoes]

Gasp! No! Mama! Is not friend guinea pig's fault! Is baby blocks! Are trying to help friend guinea pig feel more at home!

Might need fairy to translate.

Wicht thinks about translating this, but decides instead to push an empty box close to the cage, and directs Noelle to put the woodchips in there. A second next for baby blocks closer to friend guinea pig.

[songofsilentechoes]

"I know what it sounds like." Noelle replied, seeming to pick up on his concerns. "And it does sound troubling when I say it out loud. But I assure you, she's not a cursed weapon. The enchantment on her is to prevent the evil that returns regularly in her hold realm from using her to their ends while she waits for her chosen hero to return. Evidently, the hero reincarnates to appear during times of crisis in their realm."

"It's...like a particularly rough, but distinct handshake? She knows her master. I'm not supposed to be able to wield her, but she permitted it briefly, as best as she could, and healed me after."

Wicht snorts. "You're lucky you weren't killed, although I guess that's what I'm supposed to prevent. And that guy's not the hero either. He couldn't wield her."

"Oh hush, Wicht. If Miss Fi allowed me to do so briefly, a warrior of his fortitude should be able to manage for twice as long. I'd just ask for permission first...and to steel yourself. She takes the act of being wielded with the seriousness of a blood pact."

"She's very knowledgeable on the history of her homeland, having lived for so long. And her singing voice is beautiful. She even taught me a few songs, although one I probably shouldn't sing. Songs seems to hold some power in that realm." Something seemed to click in the mage's head. Perhaps this was something for her to look into at some point.

"How have you been, Akio? Feels like I haven't seen you at port in awhile. Did you get pulled into a grand adventure?"

Standing tall as he looked over at other ships arriving at the port, Akio looked back at Noelle as she gathered his attention. He has changed a little bit since last time, longer hair, slightly worn jacket, but his bright smile and eyes were the same as always.

"Ah! Nell! It has been a while since we have last seen each other." Fully turning to face her, he kept his familiar smile as he continued. "Oh yeah, you won't believe half the things I got into while out in my last adventure. Are you familiar with fairies by chance?" That question alone was clearly the start of a great tale.

@songofsilentechoes

[carasidhe]

In the last 12 hours I've seen someone post asking about how the 'summer and winter courts' connect to 'ancient Celtic' beliefs and the wheel of the year, and someone else asking if the Dagda belongs to the Seelie or Unseelie.

To quote an old movie: "You're killing me smalls."

I have no idea why the sudden upsurge in interest about the Scottish fairy courts but the cliff notes:

- despite what urban fantasy asserts they are *not* universal concepts across Celtic fairylore; they are Scottish specific

- there is no Irish equivalent. Period. No, really.

- Seelie began, likely around teh 15th century, as a euphemism for all fairies, ie 'seelie wicht' [blessed being] or seelie court [blessed company/group]. - --

- Unseelie is actually a relatively new term only being found since about the mid 19th century. It's also not ubiquitous even across Scotland, being a Scots term. In Gaidhlig you'd probably say Fuath for the same sorts of beings.

- We actually don't know for sure who the Seelie Queen is because she's never named

- folk tradition says that the Unseelie queen is Nicnevin

- The current wider trend (which I encourage) is to move away from using the Scots terms and instead use summer and winter courts. This also has its problems, some significant, but at least people aren't using words they don't understand.

- the internet is largely a trash fire as a source for any info about this subject because RPGs and fiction have taken the terms and run with them

- no, the code of the unseelie court is not "change is good; glamour is free; honour is a lie; passion before duty". That's from the game Changeling by White Wolf.

- ditto the seelie code being "death before dishonor; love conquers all; beauty is life; never forget a debt." Same source.

- there is no third unaffiliated court *in folklore* called the wild fae. That's from the Dresden Files afaik

- 4 seasonal courts comes from modern fiction (several series now use that model)

- multiple complex courts named after seasons/directions/times of day or night come from both gaming and fiction (particularly Sarah J Maas).

If you like the fictional stuff, use it in your spirituality, or have had spiritual experiences backing up those idea that's peachy just be clear on the sources ie modern inspiration or personal gnosis. There's nothing wrong with adapting new understandings and working with those - I do it myself - but we can't label these things 'Scottish' or 'Celtic' or sell them as older folklore. Its misleading and actively harmful to the existing folklore and beliefs.

thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[linklewinklewoman]

Name: Wicht

Age: Sometime after the first incarnation of Hylia

Do you like to cuddle?: Sort of? Don't crush me.

Can we make-out?: Sure

A night in or dinner out?: Let's go out somewhere!

Ice cream or chocolate covered strawberries?: Strawberries? Well, ice cream is tasty too...why not both?

What makes you a good Valentine?: Because I'm an amazing, helpful and useful fairy!

Would you cook for me?: I can try. Hylians have big appetites.

Would you let me cook for you?: Sure? I wonder what you would make for me...

Linkle grinned at Wicht. "I had no idea you felt that way. It was very bold of you to send this. Why not give it a shot? We'll spend the day together~"

[songofsilentechoes]

The fairy giggled at the kiss, doing a little twirl after. "A fine hello, indeed." She says with a smile whilst hovering in a flirty pose.

Wicht quietly follows Linkle around. When she thinks her guard is down...she flits close and tries to sneak a little kiss on her cheek.

Linkle had noticed Wicht, but let her do her thing anyway. It was nice seeing Wicht being playful, having fun. She giggled at the kiss. "Oh? Quite a hello there. Perhaps I should give one in return?" And she did, carefully on top her head.

[songofsilentechoes]

GASP! Medicines??? MAMA IS SICK???

FRIEND FAIRY! FRIEND GUINEA PIG! MAMA! SICK! BAD!

MUST GO ON JOURNEY! FIND THE RING ONE AND PUT INTO VOLCANO! MUST FIND APPLE PRINCE! MUST FIND DIAMONDS IN SPACE!

Wicht yawns. "No no. What she needs is snuggles. What will happen to her if we go off on adventures? She needs you hear to snuggle her better."