Have you ever wondered what the

difference is between a fairy and a pixie?  Here is where you'll find out.   This page is a work in progress.  When I started, the plan was to keep it simple.  But that was then and this is now!

 

 

Fairies, Pixies, Sprites, and Elves

Fairies, Fay, Fae

First, the name is a combination of the words fae "friend" and eire "green." So Faerie means "Green Friend." The word could also be derived from fae, faie, fata (plural), the Fates. The original fairies, or faeries, were thought to bestow gifts upon newborn children, such as beauty, wealth and kindness. In later centuries they continued this original function, but expanded their activities into the meddling in human affairs.

Fairies can only be seen clearly by animals and seldom by humans, although if one is fortunate enough, one might catch a fleeting glimpse. There are some exceptions however. The first is when fairies use their power (called 'glamour') to enable a human to see them. Also, during a full moon on Midsummer Eve a mortal may witness fairy dances and celebrations. And last, by looking through a stone in which a hole has been made by tumbling in the waters of a brook; not found on a beach.Through this stone one can see fairies quite clearly.

Other synonyms for fairies are: the Little People, the Green Men, the Good Folk and the Lordly Ones.

 

Anjanas

Las Anjanas are faeries of Cantabria. They are small and kind females who sometimes appear to people as part human and part animal. Usually, it's as part bird or fish, but not always fifty-fifty. Good-willed and peaceful, they are found in woods near small streams and quiet places.

Plant Rhys Dwfen

The "children of Deep Rhys" are a tribe of fairies who inhabit a small land which is invisible because of a special herb that grows there. They are beautiful, less than average in height, and grateful to those who treat them fairly. They often visit markets in Cardigan where they pay such high prices for goods that ordinary buyers can not compete with them. When visiting the main land, they can assume human form.

Seelie Court

Court of the kind fairy host, usually seen around twilight in a long solemn procession. These fairies give gifts of corn and bread to help the poor. The opposite of the Seelie Court ("Blessed Court") is the evil Unseelie Court.

Unseelie Court

The evil counterpart of the Seelie Court is always unfavorable towards mankind. The part which flies through the sky at night is called the 'Horde'. Mortals who were unfortunate enough to cross the Horde's path are taken along for a hell-ride. These poor victims are beaten and pinched and forced to participate in the bizarre nocturnal activities of these creatures. The Unseelie Court ("Unholy Court") solely consists of fairy-like beings which are the most ugly and evil.

Sidhe

Sidhe literally means "people of the fairy hills". It is the Gaelic name for the fairies in both Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland.  These fairies are usually attracted to those who are beautiful as well as wealthy.

Tylwyth Teg

 

The Tylwyth Teg ("the fair people") are Welsh fairies who live in streams, lakes, or in the hollows of the hills. The females, y mamau (the mothers), links them to the pagan Celtic deities, the Matres. They are associated with the usual traditions of moonlight dance, the supernatural passage of time, the stealing of children, and the substitution of changelings. They are especially interested in children with golden hair.  They enrich their favorites with precious gifts, which disappear when the gifts are spoken of.

Zips

Small male faeries that are found in Mexico and Central America. Zips wear helmets and carry small spears, though they are very shy and tend to avoid humans. Zips care for and protect deer.

Elves

In Teutonic and Norse folklore elves were originally the spirits of the dead who brought fertility. Later they became supernatural beings, shaped as humans, who are either very beautiful (elves of light) or extremely ugly (dark / black elves). They were worshipped in waterfalls, trees, and mountains. The Danish believed elves to be beautiful, but thought they have hollow backs. Celtic elves were the size of humans.

The belief in elves, or supernatural and invisible beings, is universal. Especially on the British Isles the belief was very profound. There are many references to elves or faeries in stories from the 8th and 9th century including Huon de Bordeaux and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Brownies

Brownies were good-natured, invisible brown elves or household goblins from Scotland who live in farmhouses and other country dwellings  . While people are asleep, they perform their labors for them. They are protective creatures who become attached to a certain family. Even if the family should move to another continent, the brownies will follow them during their pilgrimage. They will disappear and and never return again they are treated badly or offered payment for their services or if.

The little hairy brownies, with their flat faces and pinhole nostrils, are not very attractive, but their happy smiles and extrovert characters makes up for that. Children, due to their innocent nature, are able to see the brownies, but disbelieving adults will never get a glimpse of them. This however does not stop the brownies from helping adults in countless minor ways.

Xindhi

 

According to Albanian folklore, the Xindhi are elves or elfish creatures. Their approaching is accompanied by the creaking of a door or the flickering of a flame. The Xindhi are male spirits and the Xindha are  female spirits. They can sometimes be friendly and helpful, but more often they are cruel to people.

 

 

 

 

Pixies

 

In folklore, pixies (or piskies) are little people who believed to live on the downs and moors of Cornwall, England. According to one myth, pixies were originally Druids who resisted Christianity, and the more they resisted the smaller they grew. Yet another myth tells of a race of people who were not good enough for heaven, nor bad enough for hell and were doomed to wander the earth forever. They love to steal horses and ponies and make nocturnal rides on their backs over the heaths and moors, while entangling the manes of the animals. Even inside houses people are not safe to their tricks, such as throwing small objects at the inhabitants. Although pixies like to play, they are hard workers as well. They work on the fields the entire night for some bread and cheese.

Will-o'-the-wisps

Will-o'-the-wisps are the faint lights seen on marshes and bogs at night after sunset. Usually a soft bluish light, but can also be reddish or greenish in appearance. In folklore, they are thought to be imps or pixies leading victims to danger. Sometimes they are believed to be the spirits of stillborn children flitting between heaven and hell. It is also known Jack-O-lantern, Peg-a-Lantern, Friar's Lantern, Spunkie, Fox Fire, and Walking Fire.

 

 

 

 

 

Leprechauns Leprechauns are very small sprites who sometimes live in farmhouses or wine cellars. They're known to aid humans and perform small labors. Occasionally they ask humans for supplies and furniture, and in return they give objects which bring luck and fortune. Leprechauns are called fairy cobblers, for they make shoes for elves. Oddly enough, they always make only one shoe, never a pair. They are seen quite often by humans and are described as merry little fellows dressed in old-fashioned clothes; green, with a red cap, leather apron, and buckled shoes. When they finish their daily tasks, leprechauns like to construct a wild feast, during which time they are referred to as cluricauns. These often drunk cluricauns can then be seen riding in moonlight on the back of a dog or a sheep. According to popular belief, a leprechaun possesses a treasure which a human may obtain if he succeeds in capturing one, which is, of course, extremely difficult. Even after capture, a person may not take his eyes off of him for an instant, or he will vanish. Leprechauns are mainly found in Irish folklore.

Dwarfs, Gnomes, Imps, and Goblins

Dwarfs

Dwarfs are small humanoids, about half the size of a man, who live in caves, in holes under the ground, or sometimes in hollow trees. They can be hostile towards man, but can also perform small labors for them.

In fairy tales they are usually portrayed as short, stocky creatures with long beards. They can be found working in mines. Dwarves are exceptionally skilful with their hands and make the most beautiful  magical objects, which surpasses man-made objects by far.

Gnomes A race of small dwarf-like creatures that dwell in the earth. The name 'gnome' was given to them by the medieval scholar Paracelcus, in an attempt to describe the most important of the earth spirits. Gnomes live under the earth, where they guard treasures. According to Paracelcus, they move as easily through the earth as humans walk upon the ground. They cannot stand the light of the sun would turn them to stone. Some sources claim they spend the hours during daylight as a toad. They are related to goblins and dwarfs.

Goblins

Goblins are a more grotesque variety of gnomes. They are playful, but at other time they are evil and their tricks could seriously harm people. A goblin smile curdles the blood and a laugh sours the milk and causes fruit to fall from the trees. They pester humans in many ways, such as hiding objects, spilling over pails of milk and altering signposts.

Goblins originated in France and spread rapidly all over Europe. They have no homes and live in mossy clefts in rocks and roots of ancient trees, although they never stay very long in the same place.

Nunus

 

They are little creatures or dwarfs that live in a rock of two holes. They are helpful and kind to anyone who passes them; they even offer them to live in their rock.

 

 

Imps

A more popular name for this entity is genie. Historically the imp was thought to be a small demon kept in a bottle or ring. When released or awaken the entity served its master in magical, alchemical, or healing purposes. Supposedly there are both good and bad imps. Magicians evoke them in rituals of ceremonial magic and command them with incantations, words and names of power. During the trails of the witch-hunts in the Middle Ages imps became confused with familiars and both terms were used interchangeably in the trails. Supposedly witches sent imps to do evil deeds against innocence people, in return the witched allowed the imps to suckle their blood through their fingers or from other places on their bodies. Witch-hunters thus searched witches' bodies for evidence of warts, discolored skin and unnatural lumps that could have served as teats or paps.

Trenti

 

An imp or spirit of moss. He is difficult to see because he is covered by moss, mushrooms, leaves and fern, and you can only distinguish his green eyes in contrast to his black face. He dwells only in the poor remnants of forest that are rid of humans. In summer, he sleeps under trees, in winter he prefers shelter. His constant jokes can be very annoying. It is said he likes to ambush walkers to frighten them, but his favorite joke is pulling maid's skirts. Although he is a jokester, the trenti is never evil.

 

 

Other Spirits and Creatures

Banshee

Banshee is the common name for the Irish Bean Sidhe. In Scotland the banshee is known as Bean Nighe or Caoineag and, although seldom seen, she is often heard in the hills and glens, by lakes or running water.  

In Irish folklore, the Bean Sidhe is a spirit or fairy who presage a death by wailing.  She visits a household and by wailing she warns them that a member of their family is about to die. If a Banshee is caught, she must tell the name of the doomed. When multiple Banshees wail together, it will herald the death of someone very great or holy.

The Bean Nighe is the Scottish version of the Irish Banshee. She wanders near deserted streams where she washes the blood from the grave-clothes of those who are about to die. It is said that Bean Nighe are the spirits of women who died giving birth and are doomed to do this work until the day their lives would have normally ended.

 

Dana o'Shee

The Jack In the Green

 

He is a creature from Britain and is a woodland spirit. The Jack In the Green's purpose is to guard the woodlands and the green woods of Britain.

Sluagh

 

A "flock" of evil spirits who fly in groups like birds. 

In Irish legends, they are the souls of dead sinners and they try to take other souls with them. They  fly from the west and therefore, when someone is dying, people keep the west-side windows closed. This way, the soul of the deceased can not be intercepted before it reaches heaven. Sluag was the Pictish/Scottish fairy of the Highlands and Host of the Unforgiven Dead.

Sylph

An immortal yet soulless elemental being that inhabits the air. They are first mentioned by the medieval physician Paracelsus.

Tiddy Ones

 

These are usually groups of influential spirits, rather than individuals. They are usually helpful and were often invoked to withdraw flood waters. However, if they are hurt (physically or emotionally), they can cast pestilence on cattle and children.

Trolls

Trolls are ugly, malicious creatures and the enemies of man. They are bigger and stronger than humans, and leave their caves only after dark to hunt. If they are exposed to sunlight they will instantly turn to stone. Trolls are very fond of human flesh. In later myths they are roughly the size of humans or elves, and thought to be the owners of buried treasures. They are sometimes, although very rarely, portrayed as friendly, less ugly creatures.

Undine

According to Teutonic folklore, undines are female water-spirits who like to associate with humans. They often join villagers in their dances and merry-making. An undine was created without a soul, but if she married a mortal and bore him a child she obtained a soul and with all it's pains and penalties.

Thanks to Encyclopedia Mythica for all of the info!