Classification
Changelings: Changelings are a special topic. Fairies are known to target and take children to the Otherworld. They are known to value beauty in their targets, and particularly go after boys. If they cannot lure them in they may simply kidnap them. In Ireland it was sometimes custom to dress boys up as girls to make them less likely to be targeted. The Erl-King and the older Danish tale Elveskud reflect changeling myth.[4]
Fairy Societies
- Seelie Court
- Unseelie Court
- The Angirasah
- Fates: Moira, Rozhinitsy, Befind
- Ferrishyn
- Tuatha De Danaan
- Tylweth Teg
Fairy Races, Ethnicities and Types
- Abatwa
- Ballybogs
- Bean Fionn
- Bean Nighe
- Bean Sidhe
- Blue Men of the Minch
- Bogeymen
- Bokwus
- Brownies
- Cat Sith
- Coin-sìth (singular: Cù-sìth)
- Corn Spirits
- Corrigan (Brittany)
- Cururipur
- Dakinis (Tibetan: Khadomas)
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- Devas (Worldwide)
- Djinn (Arabia)
- Domovoi/Domovikha (Slavic regions)
- Dryads
- Duendes (Spain and Latin America)
- Duergar
- Dwarfs (Germany): Dwarfs are a more well-known race and are famed for their skill in mining and metalworking. Ancient Germany has the richest lore and includes their attribution to the crafting of Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Their knowledge and talent of stones, minerals, mining and smithing is considered unmatched. They typically stay underground and were discovered by miners, whom they helped out by signalling good seams and warning of dangers. Some dwarfs are known to spend summer as butterflies and return to mining in the winter. The Cornish knockers and Welsh coblynau are probably relatives to the ones in Germany.
- Giants
- Each-uisge
- Ekimmu
- Ekkekko
- Ellyllon (Wales, Cornwall; singular is ellyll): This can be a general name for the Tylwyth Teg. These people are a type of small elf, considered cheerful and benevolent. They are associated with forests and may encroach upon human settlements.[4] There are other accounts associating them more with inland lakes.[3]
- Elves
- Erotes
- Fauns
- Folletti
- Formorians
- Fossegrim
- Fuath (Scotland)
- Fylgiar
- Gans
- Ghillie Dhu (Scotland)
- Giane
- Gnomes (Worldwide)
- Goblins
- Gremlins
- Gruagach
- Gwragedd Annwn (Wales)
- Hags
- Hamadryad/Hamadryadniks
- Hobgoblins
- Hyldermoder
- Hyter Sprites
- Ieles
- Jimanines (Mexico, Central America): These beings are associated with Dia de los Muertos and resemble rotund children. They may have originated from Spain.[1]
- Kachinas (Arizona)
- Kappa (Japan)
- Kelpie (Scotland)
- Kitsune/Hulijing/Kumiho (China, Japan, Korea)
- Klabautermann (Baltic Sea, North Sea): Considered a type of kobold, klabautermänner are experts at sailing and ship maintenance. They are extremely industrious and are found performing hard manual duty to keep ships functioning, as well as keeping up morale with singing or perhaps pulling pranks on lazy sailors. [2] The most common depiction of them is a small fellow with a yellow shirt, woolen cap, tobacco pipe and sometimes a caulking hammer. Attaching a likeness of this to the mast is considered good luck. Having a klabautermann themselves on the ship is considered a great blessing, although sailors have made tales of them causing ruin to the crew whether justified or not.
- Knockers (Cornwall, Wales, United States):
- Kobolds
(Germany)
- Korrs/Korreds (Brittany)
- Kul
- Lauma
- Leanan Sidhe
- Leprechauns (Ireland)
- Linchetti
- Lunantisidhe
- Lutins (Brittany): Shapeshifters who are by default small and aged-looking, dressed in green. They tend to be solitary, making a home in a pond or lake and sometimes tricking people with their shapeshifting for their amusement. They are considered a foil to the Corrigans of the same area, as they are known to be much more lenient to humans.[4]
- Manitou
- Mazikeen
- Menehune (Kau'ai)
- Merpeople (Worldwide)
- Merrows
- Mimis
- Moors
- Moss People
- Nagas (India)
- Nekomata (Japan)
- Nicker
- Nunnehi
- Nymphs (Mediterranean region)
- Oreads: Nature spirits similar to dryads and nymphs specifically associated with mountains.[2]
- Pechs
- Penates/Lares (Italy)
- Peris
- Phookas
- Picts
- Pixies
- Red Caps
- Salamanders (Worldwide)
- Satyrs
- Selkies
- Sirens
- Spae Wives
- Sprites (Worldwide)
- Stromkarl
- Sylphs (Worldwide)
- Tengu
- Tokulush
- Torngak
- Troll
- Trows
- Undines (Worldwide)
- Yumboes
Prominent Fairies
General
- Baba Yaga
- La Befana
- The Blue Fairy
- Bone Goddess
- Cordelia
- Dana
- Epona
- Fenoderee
- Finbhearra
- Flora
- Goldemar
- The Green Man
- Gwydion
- Gwyn ap Nud
- Hinzelmann
- The Holly King
- Jack Frost
- Jimmy Squarefoot
- Lamia
- Lorelei
- Maeve
- Nemetoma
- The Oak King
- Oberon
- Oonagh
- Pan
- Puck
- Saci
- The Snow Queen
- Spring-Heeled Jack (?)
- Titania
- Wee Willy Winkie
Tuatha De Danaan
The Tuatha De Danaan are considered the "old gods" of Ireland and retreated to live with the Sidhe after the Milesians starting conquering Ireland. Some have become fairies. I am listing all of the ones I know of whether they are fae or not.
- Aengus
- Aine
- Aoi
- Badb
- Banba
- Bé Chuille
- Bile
- Boann
- Bres
- Brigid
- Clíodhna: Queen of the bean sidhe.
- Dagda
- Danu
- Dian Cecht
- Ernmas
- Fand
- Goibniu
- Lugh
- Macha
- Maeve: A warrior queen who is considered irresistable to men. She is one of the main figures in the Cattle Raid of Cooley.
- Manannán
- Nuada
- Morrigan
- Ogma
Sources
- 1: A Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Beings, by Cassandra Eason (2002)
- 2: The Book of Faeries, by Francis Melville (2002)
- 3: Fairies 101, by Doreen Virtue (2007)
- 4: A New Dictionary of Fairies, by Morgan Daimler (2020)