25+ Types Of Fairies (Types Of Fae) From A-Z
BY TEAANDROSEMARY2
MARCH 8, 2021JULY
SPIRITS/WITCHCRAFT
When you first become interested in the fae, it can be a bit overwhelming. There are so many types of fairies and types of fae. Where to begin?
Today I’m going over the most well-known types of fairies. Keep in mind that I am not personally acquainted with every type of fae on this list because there are just so many!
I certainly believe that fairies exist, but there are some types that I haven’t encountered. Certain types of fairies are much more human-friendly than others.
Fairy, faerie, or fae is the general world for the fae folk, which includes many different types of fairies. Every type of fairy on this list is technically part of the fae folk but has a more specific name, too.
It’s sort of like calling yourself a human but also identifying yourself based on the country you’re a citizen of.
Because the fairy world is different from ours, not every type of fairy is so clearly defined. Their rules are different and they don’t always classify themselves in a way that’s easy for us to understand.
This is simply the best way we have to classify fairies. Plus, most fairies seem to call themselves by these names!
Many types of fairies consider themselves tied to one element. For example, pixies tend to be earth fairies, while salamanders tend to be fire fairies.
Some fairies can belong to more than one element, but this is rare. Fairies typically travel in groups according to the element they’re tied to.
Where Did Fairies (the Fae) Originate From?
There are many different legends that try to explain the origination of farieis.
One such legend says that fairies are simply nature spirits. They’re always present in the elements and are the caretakers of nature.
Another says that fairies are spirits of the dead, however this belief sprang up during Victorian times when “death” became a huge part of pop culture spirituality.
In general, most types of fae seem to exist near humans but are separate and distinct. They live on earth, in our world, but aren’t always in the same dimension/on the same plane.
Fairies are neither good nor bad. They all have individual personalities. However, working with fairies is pretty advanced and you do need to be careful.
You can learn from fairies and gain magickal powers, but you can also incur their wrath if they feel slighted or you can be tricked if you encounter a mischievous member of the fae.
It’s good to first learn about the different types of fairies and do a bit of research into the type you want to work with before beginning.
Types Of Fairies:
If you’re just starting to learn about the different types of fae and fairies then you can quickly feel overwhelmed. After all, there are way more types than I could even include on this list, with many different distinctions and classifications.
As a beginner, you should definitely learn about Brownies, Pixies, Elves, and Dryads, as well as the Seelie Court and Unseelie Court.
The first are the types of fae that you’re most likely to interact with. The courts generally run the “world” of fairy.
I included all of the types of fae that I know the most about, but as my knowledge expands, I will add more types of fairies to this list!
Brownies
Brownies are your typical household spirit. They originated in Scottish folklore, although they popped up in English and German folklore at times, too.
Originally, Brownies were known as helpers for farmers. They tended to do outdoor tasks during the night such as shoveling hay, feeding the sheep, etc.
Brownies are short (at about 3 feet tall) and have pointed ears, brown complexions, and brown working clothes. They’re super earthly! In fact, when they don’t have a family, they tend to live underground because they don’t have wings.
J.K. Rowling definitely got some inspiration for house elves from Brownies. They have a lot in common. However, Brownies are never slaves and can leave a family or property anytime.
Brownies are drawn towards the most deserving families. To them, this means the people who work the hardest and who most need extra help.
When Brownies stick with a family for a while and are generally happy, they will bring good luck to the household. They’re a kind of magical magnet for luck.
If you have a Brownie living with you, then you should keep your house nice and tidy. Brownies will help you with chores but want you to keep the living area clean, too.
Don’t forget to feed your Brownie or they will get angry! They love milk, cookies, or honey left out at night. They simply want to feel thought-of.
Brownies will make friends with your pets and love being in a household with animal friends.
The typical drawing of the Brownie in Scottish lore shows the fairy sleeping with the barn cat. Brownies will get angry if you mistreat your pets because they can form quite tight bonds with animals.
Although Brownies can come out at any time, they’re nocturnal and do most of their chores at night. They’re shy and hate being spied on while they’re cleaning.
If you want to attract a Brownie to your house, there are a few things you can do to “put out a signal.”
First of all, Brownies like rural areas. Living on a farm will make your home especially attractive to a Brownie, but more nature in general is always better.
It’s also good if you live in a home with lots of hiding places for the Brownie to go during the day. They love homes with chests, closets, and secret doors.
Brownies love cozy houses, so try to make your home as warm and happy as possible.
You can also put out a request for a Brownie (even verbally saying it or writing the request on a piece of paper and burning it works) and see if you attract an interested fairy.
However, be careful because Brownies can be fickle. If you upset them, you’ll find yourself in a bit of trouble. They will either take off, never to be seen again, or will cause problems in your home.
Don’t try to pay your Brownie for anything or be too materialistic when it comes to them. They don’t want expensive items as gifts but simply enjoy thoughtful presents like the food they enjoy or comfy little areas set up for them in the home.
If you treat your Brownie well, they can be super loyal to your property or even your family. Some Brownies bond really tightly with their families, or even one member of the family, and feel quite the allegiance.
Although Brownies will sometimes be “in between” families, they’re very social and generally like living around people. These are some of the sweetest types of fairies who love being around humans!
Pixies
When you think of the different types of fairies, the image that pops into your head is probably a pixie, even if you don’t realize it.
Pixies are only about 4 inches tall and tend to live in the gardens and woods. They’re the types of fae that has the most contact with humans, so they tend to show up a lot in pop culture such as fairytales or Disney movies.
Although pixies are well-known in southwestern England’s folklore, they can live in any wooded area or garden. You can easily find pixies if you simply walk into the woods or a pretty patch of flowers! Pixies will go anywhere where there is nature.
In fact, if you want to work with the fae, you can quite easily attract pixies to almost any location.
Pixies do have wings, but they’re known as earth or nature fairies. They’re super tiny with human-like figures and delicate wings that move extremely fast, almost like a hummingbird.
Some Pixies dress only in green while others prefer other colors of nature, like blue or yellow.
Pixies will choose an area or community to live in, but these communities get torn up quite often to build homes and developments.
When this happens, the pixies in the area will be traumatized and go into hiding. However, they may not leave unless the area is totally decimated.
If you want to draw pixies into your yard, create woodsy areas or a pretty garden for them to live in. Pixies appreciate both shelter and nature, and they will always come check out a cute little fairy house!
Even though pixies tend to enjoy contact with humans, they’re very cunning and can delight in leading humans astray. They are your typical mischievous types of fairies. Of course, every pixie will be a bit different since they all have individual personalities.
Pixies don’t understand human desperation or pain. They play a lot of jokes for fun, but these jokes may not seem funny to people and can cause harm for humans.
They’re especially known to steal stuff from your home or take items and hide them somewhere else so you can’t find them.
However, as long as you treat pixies well and give them gifts that they approve of, they will probably respect you, too.
They enjoy tiny houses, nectar, and honey. Leave a small offering out for pixies if you’re interested in making contact!
Pixies especially love flowers, so planting blooms (especially those native to your area) will draw them towards your property.
You probably won’t be able to find a pixie community because they magically cloak these areas. They like to stay hidden, especially nowadays due to the devastation of nature. But, they will come to your area if you create a beautiful, natural spot!
When you’re giving gifts to pixies, consider what is natural to your region. They will especially enjoy things that grow naturally in your area. In return for your gifts, pixies will help your gardens flourish and grow.
Banshee
The Banshee only exists in Ireland and Scotland, typically on the Moors, and has the “cry of death.”
The Banshee is a female spirit/type of fairy that predicts death. Her cry is typically an omen.
She can appear in a lot of different forms. According to fairy-lore, she is known to appear either as a beautiful young woman, a stately matron, or an old, ugly hag.
The Banshee isn’t often seen with the physical eye but she is certainly heard. Her mourning cries are known to be extremely haunting.
The Banshee runs a comb through her long, silver hair while she cries. In fact, in some parts of Ireland, combs are thought to be bad luck simply because of the Banshee.
Some folks believe that there are many different Banshees in Ireland; a group of Banshees is very bad luck compared to a single fairy.
The Banshee usually doesn’t harm people she encounters, but her cry does predict death. However, when you hear her cry, she is simply predicting the death for someone in the area, not necessarily your own.
Leprechauns
Leprechauns are well-known types of fairies, but they’re also very real!
Fairy, faerie, or fae is the general world for the fae folk, which includes many different types of fairies. Every type of fairy on this list is technically part of the fae folk but has a more specific name, too.
It’s sort of like calling yourself a human but also identifying yourself based on the country you’re a citizen of.
Because the fairy world is different from ours, not every type of fairy is so clearly defined. Their rules are different and they don’t always classify themselves in a way that’s easy for us to understand.
This is simply the best way we have to classify fairies. Plus, most fairies seem to call themselves by these names!
Many types of fairies consider themselves tied to one element. For example, pixies tend to be earth fairies, while salamanders tend to be fire fairies.
Some fairies can belong to more than one element, but this is rare. Fairies typically travel in groups according to the element they’re tied to.
Leprechauns are well-known types of fairies, but they’re also very real!
Although Brownies will sometimes be “in between” families, they’re very social and generally like living around people. These are some of the sweetest types of fairies who love being around humans!
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