faerielands

Foreword - By Way of Introduction

(from Faeries by Brian Froud & Alan Lee
Written by Betty Ballantine)
(because I can't write a word more accurate and true.)

We say "by way of" because there really is no introduction to the world of Faerie.  That is, no one can really introduce you to Faeries (This is an old-fashioned idea, probably rooted in the wealth of questionable fiction about these ubiquitous creatures).

The fact is, they will either accept you as a part of their world, or they won't.  It's up to them.  Sometimes no amount of mooning around in misty forest glades or the bottom of the garden (erroneously said to be a favorite haunt of Faeries) will bring about anything other than a general sense of damp.

And here we must make one thing very clear.  The real Faerie experience is very different from the general view of Faerie built up by clouds of sentimental fiction with legions of inevitable happily-ever-after endings.  The world of "Once Upon a Time-" delightful as it is and as highly as we value it, is not the real world of Faerie.  Faerie represents Power, magical power, incomprehensible to humans, and hence, inimical.  It must always be remembered that though the world of Faerie is to a large extent dependent on humans, Faeries are alien creatures with values and ethics far removed from mankind: they do not think, and most notably, they do not feel, the way that humans do.

This is precisely the core of much of their envy of mortals and is the source of a good deal of the trouble they cause, for Faeries are themselves creatures of the raw stuff of life and are ceaselessly attracted to all forms of creativity and particularly to moments of high emotion in which they seek to be participants.  Lovers, poets, artists, writers, sculptors, weavers, musicians and the like - all the arts indeed, acknowledge a debt to an unidentifiable, invisible, capricious, sensitive, delicate, elusive and powerful force which is called "inspiration" or "Muse" and is generally irresistible when present.  It is no coincidence that these are also the chief characteristics of Faerie.  Hence Faerie should be held as infinitely valuable.

Faerie is a world of dark enchantments, of captivating beauty, of enormous ugliness, of callous superficiality, of humor, mischief, joy and inspiration, of terror, laughter, love and tragedy.  It is far richer than fiction would generally lead one to believe and, beyond that, it is a world to enter with extreme caution, for of all things that Faeries resent the most it is curious humans blundering about their private domains like so many ill-mannered tourists.  So go softly - where the rewards are enchanting, the dangers are real.

But the time is getting short for the taking of such delicious risks - Faerie contact with humans, dependent as it is on the natural world of humans, is shrinking with our own shrinking habitat.  It is time - and beyond - to distinguish the accumulated superstitions and conjectural fictions about Faerie from it's reality, to study the world of Faerie with, we hope, kindly objectivity and a proper enjoyment of it's true value to man.

faerielands is an attempt to bring together artists and writers focusing on the world of Faerie.  If you are interested in having your work become part of faerielands (anything related to Faeries of any type, also Goddess art is accepted), please contact us.

Faerielands is back up and running after a year's absence.  (Sorry, my 'puter broke down).
We are not currently accepting submissions.
love ty

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