In looking for a Brythonic word of the day (something I’m going to try on a regular basis) yesterday, I ran across something I didn’t realize. But, first… in general, fairies have a negative place in the history of Christianity. They have often been considered demoted angels, or even demons. In fact, in Daemonologie (1597), King James I (yes, the same name behind the King James Bible) indicated “faries” were (per Wikipedia) “illusory spirits (demonic entities) that prophesied to, consorted with, and transported the individuals they served; in medieval times, a witch or sorcerer who had a pact with a familiar spirit might receive these services.”

Even so, there have been instances throughout history whereby faeries haven’t had such a bad rap among Christians. As early as 248 AD, in Contra Celsum, early Christian scholar Origen of Alexandria (c. 185 – c. 253) noted:

We indeed also maintain with regard not only to the fruits of the earth, but to every flowing stream and every breath of air that the ground brings forth those things which are said to grow up naturally — that the water springs in fountains, and refreshes the earth with running streams — that the air is kept pure, and supports the life of those who breathe it, only in consequence of the agency and control of certain beings whom we may call invisible husbandmen and guardians; but we deny that those invisible agents are demons.

Furthermore, even contemporary Christian theologians John Milbank and David Bentley Hart have spoken and written about the real existence of fairies. Give a look over at the sub-category “Christian belief in fairies” in the entry for “Fairy” in Wikipedia.

It’s not my intent to fill this blog with content heavy-laden with Wikipedia, but when it comes to an entry being too large for a Facebook post, I may do a micro-post, like this one. Further, after about ten months of silence in this blog, I’m going to give it another try. I initially struggled with where I wanted posts to go, but I think I’ve finally figured it out. Hope you follow along and enjoy!