Fairies in Photographs

[Fire spirit]

http://news.inq7.net/lifestyle/index...id=12237&col=3

Are fairy creatures simply folk tales told by superstitious rural people, without any objective reality? Do we have physical proof of their existence? Though fairies come in many sizes and shapes, we shall confine our meaning of the term to their usual or more common appearance as small beautiful female creatures with gossamer wings and flowing--often sparkling--transparent clothing. The most remarkable and controversial photographic documentation of fairies were those taken by Frances Griffiths, 10, and her cousin Elsie Wright, 13, in the Yorkshire Village of Cottingley in 1917. At the back of Elsie's house was a beautiful glen, a wild and secluded valley bordered by a stream.It was here that the two girls saw fairies which became their friends. When the girls told Elsie's parents that there were friendly fairies in their backyard, the adults did not believe the youngsters. The girls told them they would prove the fairies' existence.Arthur Wright lent them his camera and the girls took pictures of each other in the glen.

[Odin Biggles]

There was the very famous fairy pictures shot in the twenties later proved to be fake,there was even a film made about it.

Ive heard stories that fairies are angels, that they are the souls of humans among others.

All the faked apparitions have certainly put a damper on the subject.

[Fire spirit]

I certainly agree with you that faked fairy pictures have ruined things. If it wasn't for that people may regard fairies more seriously. At one time fairy lore was a serious subject. The same thing happens with fake UFO photographs, it only serves to make the real thing look ridiculous. Although UFO's are overwhelmingly real, the sceptics and debunkers refer to the fakes as evident that UFO's are in the imagination only. I personally believe fairies can't be photographed accurately enough and they will appear as a minaiture glow of light. It's possible that Orb photos are such beings?

[Oskorei]

Its too bad that the photos were'nt on that page, it would have been interesting to see them

The fact that fairies (and strikingly similar beings) have been reported from all parts of the world since the dawn of mankind, makes one suspect that there is some truth behind it.

[Wuotans Krieger]

I believe fairies to be a post christianisation version of the elf that was known to inhabit the heathen Germanic world.
It is interesting that in the C21st century that we should be debating the existence of something that our ancestors accepted as an everyday reality.

[Fire spirit]

co

Its too bad that the photos were'nt on that page, it would have been interesting to see them

The fact that fairies (and strikingly similar beings) have been reported from all parts of the world since the dawn of mankind, makes one suspect that there is some truth behind it.

http://www.cottingley.net/fairies.shtml

http://www.randi.org/library/cottingley

http://anomalyinfo.com/articles/sa00017.shtml

[Vestmannr]

Faeries are simply the Celtic cultural counterpart of the Elves, which were based much upon Germanic ideas of the Celts in pre-historical times (and the Fair Folk upon Celtic ideas about one's dead ancestors.) The Christians never attacked the idea of the faeries or elves, they are part of the local Christian culture and accepted for what they were. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, "God is the Lord, of angels, men, and elves." Or the pious Irish Catholic woman who was once asked "Do you believe in the faeries?", to which she replied "No, but they're there!" I'm as pious and committed Orthodox as they come - our Russian clergy and laity have their own versions they know to exist in their lands, and I know the Little People (seen them all my life). No conflict, no problem.

[Wuotans Krieger]

co
http://www.cottingley.net/fairies.shtml

http://www.randi.org/library/cottingley

http://anomalyinfo.com/articles/sa00017.shtml

Thank you for that!

[Wuotans Krieger]

Faeries are simply the Celtic cultural counterpart of the Elves, which were based much upon Germanic ideas of the Celts in pre-historical times (and the Fair Folk upon Celtic ideas about one's dead ancestors.) The Christians never attacked the idea of the faeries or elves, they are part of the local Christian culture and accepted for what they were. As J.R.R. Tolkien said, "God is the Lord, of angels, men, and elves." Or the pious Irish Catholic woman who was once asked "Do you believe in the faeries?", to which she replied "No, but they're there!" I'm as pious and committed Orthodox as they come - our Russian clergy and laity have their own versions they know to exist in their lands, and I know the Little People (seen them all my life). No conflict, no problem.

The lasting legacy of fairies et al is there despite not because of the church. If it had had its way this legacy would have been extinguished too.

[Vestmannr]

The lasting legacy of fairies et al is there despite not because of the church. If it had had its way this legacy would have been extinguished too.

No, the Church had its way and didn't extinguish them. The idea was 'saining', which is why each local part of the Church looked like its local culture - it didn't replace, it made holy what was already there and showed how it all belonged to the same ancestral religion: worship of the Creator. The lasting legacy of faerie et al is that they are there because God created them, and the Church recognized that. Nowhere is there any canon law denouncing faeries - only the one Irish Canon excommunicating anyone who believed/taught that witches had power (over Christians.)