“It is a grim irony the more we lose our connection to the primal, natural state–often described as “animalistic”–we actually lose more and more of our own humanity. To be grounded in the earth gives us the means to grow towards the sky. Yet part of our fall into civilization has meant losing those psychic roots that are in and of the trees. The folk beliefs our ancestors held about Faerie may be a reflection of the ways in which we are violating the sacred trust of our origin. These beliefs and stories, seemingly absurd, are mirrors to ourselves, where we came from. What Faerie rejects, perhaps, is what at least some part of our psyche, the wild part of us, longs to be free from as well. Understanding the folk beliefs of Faeries can give us insight into how humans understand our own liminal state between the animal and the angel, which, in essence, is what a Faerie is.”

The above passage comes a wonderful essay by Natalie Bantz found in the journal, Metapsychosis. The essay is titled “Keeping Faerie Close: Folk Belief as Collective Memory.” I really, really enjoyed reading it.

…

Painting above: “The Fairy Feller’s Master Stroke” by Richard Dadd

Tags:anamismFaerieFairyfantasyMetapsychosisNatalie BantznaturalismRomanticism