The Fae, the Sidhe, Aos Sí, the Good Neighbors. They are called many things but always out of respect by those that believe for they can cause great harm with their supernatural powers and streak of cruelty if they so choose.

There is much speculation to their origins but the version I know is that they were originally the Tuatha de Danann who won the land that is now known as Ireland from the Fir Bolg, the giant race and defended it from the Fomorians, a pirate race. They ruled for a time and many legends rose but eventually, the Milensans, humans, landed and won the land from them. 

The de Dananns retreated underground where, with their wizarding skills, they built their own dwellings. For a time, they may be revered as gods and goddesses and you can find their presence weaved into stories set in that era, from the legends of Cu Chulainn (whom I think of as the Celtic Hercules) and Fionn mac Cumhaill.

However with the onset of Christianity, belief for these pagan gods and goddesses waned and over time, they were reduced to no more than faeries. However, they are rumoured to always speak true and abhor lies although they are masters at twisting the truth to their own advantages. 

In past pop culture, the lies of Mary Baker depicted them as flower fairies and they were said to have grown diminutive in form due to the loss of power. However, recent depictions show them more as androgynous elves. Most notable beyond a plethora of novels and stories is the show Lost Girl.

Part of the mythos of the Sidhe is kidnapping humans to bring back to their dwellings for various reasons and roles such as nursemaids, sexual partners and servants. There is an entire heap of changeling myths where faeries snatch babies and replace them with ugly fae children. They value especially beauty and talent, enamoured with musicians. However, time moves differently in the fae realm and the humans returning would find that everything and everyone they knew had passed. That is one of the bases of the famous tale, Rip Van Winkle.

The Fae Effect uses the kidnapping myth as the start of Keenan’s adventure as Prince Aegnus lures her into the faery fort. Stay tuned. The Fae Effect releases in two days!