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Fairy Facts & Worksheets

A fairy is a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans.

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A fairy is a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans.

See the fact file below for more information on the fairy or alternatively, you can download our 22-page Fairy worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ORIGINS OF FAIRIES

  • A fairy is a magical creature resembling a human. Beyond that, defining fairies is almost impossible because they come in all colors, sizes, and temperaments.
  • The word “fairy” is derived from the Latin word fata, meaning “fate”, and Old French faerie, meaning “enchantment”.
  • Their legend is as old as European civilization and is frequently mentioned in Celtic, Slavic, German, English, and French folklore.
  • In Ireland, there was fear of upsetting the fairies which they called the Little People, the Gentry, or the Neighbors.
  • Fairy paths were avoided and digging in fairy hills was forbidden. Some cottages even leave their front and back doors opened at night whenever it was deemed necessary to let the fairies pass through.
  • Christians in Europe refer them originally as former angels who fell from grace or were good, but not good enough to be allowed in Heaven.
  • In Scotland, the fairies do housework and odd jobs around the house. But those who became wicked were then named hobgoblin.
  • During the Victorian Era and onwards, fairies have become important characters in children’s fairy tales.

ROLES AND PERSONALITIES

  • Legends say that fairies are nature spirits. They are the caretakers of nature and live on earth, but not in the same dimension as ours.
  • Some also say they are spirits of the dead, such as the Banshees who usually only appear to foretell a tragedy.
  • In traditional stories and legends, fairies didn’t have wings, not everyone even looked the fairies we know now.
  • There are hundreds of different kinds of fairies. Some are tiny creatures, others grotesque, while some can fly. But in common, all can appear and disappear at will.
  • For example, Selkies were described as shape-shifting seal people, while Jack-o-Lantern is a dangerous fairy that haunts on marshy grounds. These are some of the dangerous fairies.
  • The good fairies guide travelers who are lost in the forest, help with household chores, and if they are fond of you, they might lead you to treasure, give you magical gifts, help you win your love, or cast a lucky charms.
  • The mischievous fairies find enjoyment in misleading travelers or luring them into exhausting dances that go for days. Sometimes, they provoke domestic animals such as pinching horses, stealing milk from cows, and playing cat-and-mouse with cats.

SOME COMMON TYPES OF FAIRIES

  • Salamanders – They are known as fire elementals who usually appear as fiery lizards in red and orange tones or as a classic fire fairy or even a ball of fire or light.
  • Nymphs – These are fairies originating from Greece. They can be tree nymphs, water nymphs, wood nymphs, etc. and exceptionally beautiful and harmless.
  • Kelpies – These are water fairies originating from Scottish and Irish legends. They eat deer off the shoreline as well as fairies and even humans.
  • Dryads – These fairies that live the life of the trees they are attached to. If the tree dies, they do too.
  • Devas – Persians and Greeks describe Devas as bright orbs of light in nature, especially in the woods. They are known to guide medical researchers seeking to use plants for their medicinal qualities.
  • Elves – Yes, they are fairies too! They originated from European mythologies which describe them with blonde hair and blue eyes, with features almost similar to humans but with more delicate features and magical powers.
  • Leprechauns – These are Irish fairies that appear as super small, aged men dressed in green or red. They are cobblers and bankers in the fairy world.
  • Kobolds – These are fairies that live in mines.
  • Changelings – They are fairy children who were swapped for a human child. They will grow up with human parents but won’t appear like a normal human child and possess unique abilities.
  • Merfolk – These are another type of water fairies more popularly known as the mermaids and mermen in pop culture. They are beautiful half-human half-fish creatures who live in seas and oceans.

LITERARY APPEARANCES

  • William Shakespeare plays with fairies in A Midsummer’s Night Dream, where he describes the fairies are beautiful dancers but are meddlesome creatures.
  • Scottish Novelist James. M. Barrie lost his older brother, David, when he was just 6 years old. This inspired him to write his most famous work about a free-spirited young boy who could fly, lived on a mystical island called Neverland, and never had to grow up; Peter Pan.
  • In Le Morte d’Arthur, Morgan, Guinevere, and Merlin are linked to the fairies. King Arthur was even crowned by fairies and was taken to the fairy realm of Avalon and buried under a fairy hill upon his death.
  • In the mid seventeenth century, stories involving fairies earned its own category name: Fairy Tales. How many fairy tales with fairies have you read so far?

Fairy Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the fairy across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Fairy worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about a fairy who is a mythical being of folklore and romance usually having magic powers and dwelling on earth in close relationship with humans.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Fairy Facts
  • They are Fairies!
  • What is a Fairy
  • Popular Fairies
  • The White Doe
  • Fairy in our Culture
  • A ‘Fairy’ Tale
  • Describe a Fairy
  • Fairy in a Poem
  • A Fairy Maze
  • Modern Fairy

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Link will appear as Fairy Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 9, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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