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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Fairies were angels?

Well, at least that's one theory of where fairies come from. 

In Archon, Tileaf the oak fairy is a fallen angel who, along with other angels in the past who thought similarly, decided to live on Earth in symbiosis with nature rather than in the false peace of Heaven. (Don't worry, kiddos.  This isn't really a spoiler, per say).

Many people have been asking me about this idea and where I got it from, and unfortunately there are a few people who became confused by it--perhaps because it is a concept that isn't used often in fantasy novels.  But the nerdy angel/fairy scholar that I am, I had to use it.  It just fit perfectly with the book.

Don't believe me that it's a legitimate "theory"?  Here's a snippet from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy#Demoted_angels:

Demoted angels
A third belief held that they were a class of "demoted" angels.[22] One popular story held that when the angels revolted, God ordered the gates shut; those still in heaven remained angels, those in hell became devils, and those caught in between became fairies.[23] Others held that they had been thrown out of heaven, not being good enough, but they were not evil enough for hell.[24] This may explain the tradition that they had to pay a "teind" or tithe to Hell. As fallen angels, though not quite devils, they could be seen as subject of the Devil.[25] For a similar concept in Persian mythology, see Peri.

Fascinating, right?

So the opposition to this idea --rare that it might be--is rather strange.  I don't often take the time to address misconceptions about Archon, but this one was so odd, I couldn't really help it.

Well, in either case, I think it would make an excellent spin-off story.  Do you think that fairies being linked to angels is unusual? 

Or have we all become a little too used to what fairies are and aren't supposed to be?

3 comments:

  1. Oh wow! I really like that idea: faeries are fallen angels. It makes sense. I don't know if I have ever heard that theory before. Thanks for posting the Wikipedia article.
    Also, as I was reading your comments, I couldn't help but think of something I read a long time ago, and I thought you might enjoy it. Back when I was in high school (years and years ago), I came across a quote from Tori Amos: "What are angels but ghosts in drag."
    How about THAT theory? :)

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  2. Oh Tina I love that quote! Very Interesting indeed.

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  3. Sorry for the delay everyone. Blogger changed its format and I finally figured out how to comment again. lol Anyway, I love your quote Tina! Very cool! Also, hello, Angela! Glad you like the quote as well . . . It definitely sparks my creativity . . . ;-)

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