Making Fairies a Legitimate Race

my personal idea is that you should start by calling them something other than fairies, perhaps "sprites", because when we hear the word fairies we immediately think of certain things. this is also true of the word "sprite" but they dont have such "childish" connotations. not that childish is bad, but it maybe why your thinking of them as silly when you write.

 

I'd probably do something like make them 3 or 4 feet tall to put them on a more even footing with the other races (it's hard to be intimidated by someone you can stomp) and give them neutral-colored or translucent wings to make them seem a bit less... frilly. Another option is simply to make them more magically powerful than any of the other races. They have to have some kind of advantage or else people won't have a reason to take them seriously.

 

Size isn't everything =P An organized group of diminutive but powerful magical beings could be dangerous indeed, especially if they're used to functioning close to, or in the midst of, the human world. In this case aesthetic does play an important role - even if their general appearance is harmless, a few tiny details would be enough to unsettle the reader and make them question just how cute these little creatures are. Pointed teeth, for instance, or moth-like wings with creepy markings. After that, it mostly depends on how you characterize them via dialogue etc.

 

Look up the acctual mythology of these guys. If you read up on them you will never say they are not ligit!

Some of them are down right scarey! Like slasher movie scarey.

*joke for ya*

Q) Why do women make bad carpenters?

A) Because they have been lied to about how big six inches is their whole lives!

 

The mythology is a must. Irish, Scottish, British, Welsh and other parts of the world.

You could make them more diverse in size, shape, form, culture, magic. There are thousands of amazing faeries. Some are very creepy.

Take a look at these links:

Faeries classification

Basic information on types:

Types of Faeries

Types of Faeries

I used to have a beautiful, comprehensive list. I do have a book somewhere. I can't find the site anymore, which is very frustrating! There are many examples of faeries which aren't exactly 'pleasant' or stereotypical. Once you know a little about the various types, you could then perhaps go on to flesh out your own species.

The Fir Darrig and the Urisk are two of my favourite faeries. They are certainly not 'pretty'. I must note that there are various interpretations of various types of faerie as well.

 

This is a good book to get you started http://www.amazon.com/Demons-Fairies-Fallen-Subversive-Spirits/dp/080506270X

after reading this you won't say fairies are not ligit. It also gives you a good variety of races within the fairy kingdom.
Most def a MUST read if you plan on using a type of Fairy aside from Tinkerbell.

 

Consider this:

Fairies traditionally have the ability to become invisible, and they can fly.

A three inch faerie could conceivably carry a razor sharp blade of one inch.

Your jugular is less than a quarter of an inch below the surface of your neck, as are many vital veins.

How safe would you feel around a swarm of angry Faeries?

I thought all of this out a long while back when I considered writing a story about the scarier side of faeries. Hmm I may just have to revisit that idea sometime now that I've taken up writing more seriously he he he.

 

I do love me some freaky fairies. I called the bad ones Faeries in my work.

 

Are vampires really a race? Or werewolves? Or orcs?

These are creatures. So are fairies.

Definition of "race": Each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics.

Are those creatures humankind?

The debate is certainly good fantasy fodder.

 

I beg to differ

Race:
Noun:
1. a group of persons related by common descent or heredity.


2. a population so related.


Where as your definition refers only to Anthropology.

 

Let the semantic arguments begin!!

I suppose I should say that I'm new to "fantasy"- fantasy.

I come from science fiction (bah! boo! hiss!), and things like anthropology inform my work.

I totally dig what you are saying, Blue Lotus. I think "race" gets confusing around here sometimes though

 

I would usualy agree however, this is not an argument of semantics. That is the definition of the word. No hair splitting of any type.

Race - definition of Race by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. Most English words have more than one meaning. Some of them you may not have ever heard of.

 

You are correct, certainly.

 

Magic: The Gathering has got some pretty well developed fairies.