#Seelie court

[fairylandblog]

Seelie Court Short Video

[gooseontheinternet]

getting blocked by one of the biggest tumblr blogs these days is like a point of pride

(i said trump was the lesser evil against biden because i, a trans person, would love to not have to detransition or get my rights taken away) (i did not even say biden was a good person or that i support genocide)

[paranatura-verse]

Name: Léiothin Age: 398 Gender: Male Pronouns: He/Him Species: Sun elf Place of Origin: Seelie Court, Arcadia

The young prince of of the sun elves, born shortly after the end of the Elven Wars. He holds none of the prejudices some of the elders of his kingdom share, determined to establish peace between the two Elven kingdoms, as well as strengthen connections with the neighbouring kingdom of Rhyneris. Assigned as the diplomatic representative of the Seelie Court by his father, the king, Léiothin's first act was to request a moon elf join him as bodyguard and travelling companion, a request granted by General Thas. Although naïve and inexperienced regarding anything beyond the palace walls he is an incredibly compassionate being, willing to help anyone in need.

Name: Thas Age: 526 Gender: Female Pronouns: She/Her Species: Moon elf Place of Origin: Unseelie Court, Arcadia

Born during the Elven Wars, Thas was raised from a young age for combat. Although she was not eligible to fight until after the Wars ended she remained vigilant in her duties, quickly rising to the rank of general in the moon elf army. When Prince Léiothin of the sun elves requested a moon elf be appointed as his bodyguard, Thas volunteered for the position at the urging of her chieftain. Although she finds the prince's ignorance at the world frustrating at times, she admires his good intentions and takes her job seriously, often advising him on diplomatic strategies.

[khaleesiofalicante]

https://pin.it/2qmCyUT https://pin.it/1Nm7Xow Desi Seelie vibes

YES. YES. THIS IS SOOOO COOL.

[hecatesdelights]

Won't you dance with me in the pale Moonlight?

[mask131]

Green spring: Seelie and Unseelie

SEELIE AND UNSEELIE

Category: Scottish folklore

When people look up at fairies, usually one of the first thing they will stumble upon on the Internet is “Seelie Court and Unseelie Court”.

The Seelie and Unseelie Court (also known sometimes as simply “the Seelie fairies and the Unseelie fairies”) is a type of fairy division/fairy classification from Scottish folklore – and it is now one of the most famous classification of fairies in the modern world. According to this divide, the “Seelie” fairies are fairies that are generally benevolent towards humans: they return kindness, they can bring favors, they can ask for or give help, and if someone offends them they warn first before striking. These fairies are still dangerous, as all fairies are: like all fairies they are prone to revenge and mischief, but they are generally the “good guys” so to speak. In contrast, the “Unseelie” fairies are the malevolent and negative fairies, those that attack people without warning, and sometimes without reason, and ally themselves with witches and other dark entities of evil power. The “Unseelie” fairies include various negative entities of the folklores of the British isles: the baobhan sith taking the shape of a beautiful woman to lure and kill men, the redcaps who live in ruins and dye their hats with human blood, the nuckelavee who is a grotesque skinless centaur bringing disease and famine everywhere, the shellycoat who is a bogeyman of rivers, and the Sluagh (a host of malevolent fairies/angry ghosts/nocturnal spirits who you better not cross path with).

[Note that while the term “Court”, in modern fiction, has been reused numerous times with the modern meaning of “court” – having a queen and a king, and being made of nobility – the term seems originally to just be a word meaning a “host” or a “group” in general, since in Scottish folklore there is no talk of “Unseelie king or queen” for example.]

Now… all that being said, the divide of Seelie/Unseelie seems to be a latter addition or invention to the Scottish myth of the fairies. Before that, it seems there was just “Seelie” (it is clear that “Unseelie” was based on the word “seelie”): because “seelie” or “seely” was a term used in Scotland, but also in Northern England, to designate fairies as a whole. “Seelie” is a term that means “blessed”, “happy” or “lucky”, and it seems to have been used the same way fairies as a whole were called “good neighbors” or “the fair folk” – it was an euphemisms, or a counter-name, destined to flatter and please the supernatural beings, in hope of avoiding their wrath. It seems that originally “Seelie” was the name of all fairies as a whole, but then somehow the meaning got twisted into just meaning the good fairies, while a different name was created for the wicked fairies: “unseelie”, meaning “misfortunate, unhappy, cursed”. What is even more fascinating is that originally the term “seelie” was used alongside the word “wights”. “Seelie wights” – a word with an unclear meaning, but which was sometimes spelled “wichts”, leading to deformations as… “witch”. “Seelie witches”. The closeness of “Seelie” with “wights” and “witches” led in fact some scholars to wonder if the term “seelie” was actually used to designate fairies, or if it rather was used to designate a different type of supernatural being, different from fairies.

- - - - - - - -

Today, the Seelie and Unseelie Court is such a widespread and popular division you find it everywhere in fictional works talking about fairies. In modern “fairy fiction”, these two courts were most notably popularized by two book series:

# The Dresden Files: In the worldbuilding of this snarky urban fantasy series (bordering on the cosmic horror), the fairies are divided into two nations each dominated by a different Court, the Seelie Court ruling over the summer season, and the Unseelie Court ruling over the winter season. Each Court is ruled by a triumvir of fairy queens who embody the “Maiden-Mother-Crone” trinity: a Lady, a Queen and a Mother. Titania is the queen of the “Summer Court”, while Mab is the queen of the “Winter Court”. The Dresden Files notably challenges the idea that the Seelie and Unseelie Court are based on morality: while it is the stereotype common in this world, in truth the Unseelie fairies are not “evil”, they are cold, ruthless, calculating beings of ice, death and darkness. Meanwhile the Seelie fairies are beings of life, light and warmth, yes, but they can be as chaotic and destructive as hot jungles or thunderstorms, and they are not fairies of “goodness”. “The Dresden Files” is notorious for bringing the whole idea of “Seelie/Unseelie=Winter/Summer” which wasn’t something before its release…

There was a concept of the fairy courts being associated with cold and heat before The Dresden Files though: it was the elf-courts in “The Discworld” series by Terry Pratchett (which was a main source of inspiration for The Dresden Files). In Pratchett’s world, the elves of the Discworld (a cross between a parody of the Tolkienesque elves and the “fair folk” of British legends played for full horror) are divided between a court centered around a Queen, who lives in perpetual frozen wastelands of endless winter, and a second one centered around a King, instead hiding in a very hot, very moist, warmth and humid underground realm of vapor and sweat.

# Another big influence on modern perception of the Unseelie and Seelie Court was “The Shadowhunter Chronicles”, where the fairies are also divided in two nations each ruled by one of these courts. No seasonal theme here – rather the Seelie Court is focused on appearing as beautiful, helpful and benevolent as possible, while still being deceptive and manipulatives, while the Unseelie Court is openly and proudly cruel, violent and monstrous. The Seelie Court is ruled by a Queen, while the Unseelie Court is under the domination of a King.

Interestingly, the same way “The Dresden Files” was inspired by “Discworld”, it seems the concept of “The Shadowhunter Chronicles” of the two courts being divided between beautiful subjects of a fairy queen and the monstrous subjects of a fairy king was inspired by an older work of the 80s: “Faerie Tale” by Raymond E. Feist, a horror novel based on fairy folklore. In it, we end up learning that somehow after the events described by William Shakespeare in his “Midsummer Night’s Dream” play, Titania and Oberon (or at least the beings Shakespeare described by this name) ended up splitting their fairyland into two distinct part, separated by a dusk-plunged, haunted, no-man’s land called the “Shadow Lands”. On one side is the Bright Lands, a fairyland of endless day where the sweet and kind Queen rules over pleasant, charming and joyful fae, who are benevolent and helpful towards humans, but still dangerous to live with due to their alien ways of thinking, strange customs and hazardous magical powers. On the other side, the King lives in the Dark Land, a realm of endless night where he rules over monstrous, grotesque, hateful and murderous fae who only wish to invade the human world and destroy mankind.

[madamrynodm]

Practicing some worldbuilding for a custom D&D project. I'm testing out putting the Fae Courts on moving cities that orbit the Faewild. The Faewild changes from Seelie to Unseelie with the movements of the sun and moon. They're not sentient, more like giant constructs that walk eternally

[goldensunstreakerrp]

Seelie Prince Yeosang

Yeosang is a timid bht pretty Fae and third to the Seelie throne. Known for his talent to create light and ability with a sword, he isn't a main character. Preferring to stay in the background as much as possible. A pacifist, who faints at the sight of blood. He prefers to only fight if he needs too and spend time reading at the pond or tending to his bountiful garden.

[thevoidscreamer]

11 November 2020

Today I met a purple treey

Whose whispering leaves called out to me

Upon embrace she spoke gently

Of fondness and familiarity

Above my head on autumn sky

Her baring branches sprawled up high

Some dazzling purple caught my eye

And down to the earth that sprig did fly

I left a treasure at her base

In taht brilliant seelie place

To appreciate her healing grace

And commemorate that holy space

LETTERCAST

[beedreamscape]

Given how lady Elmenore becomes the 'Unforgiving' in Exu Prime, I'd imagined she lost many fey out in the material planes during the time of Calamity, not to mention the ones that came back ridden with grief for what they left behind, and it messed with her head. Wanting to leave the Feywild is not something she accepts in her court as easily as she did ages before.

[fairylandblog]

Seelie Court and Unseelie Court

Within the magical world of folklore and mythology, especially in Scottish and Irish customs, two opposing faerie or supernatural court groupings are known as the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. These courts are more than just collections of ethereal beings; they represent the good and evil energies that coexist in the faerie realm and represent the dualism aspect of fairy lore.

The most charitable-minded faeries live in the Seelie Court, sometimes known as the "Blessed Court." This court's name, which comes from the Old English word for "happy" or "blessed," often connotes favorability toward people. It encompasses a range of beings, including pixies, sprites, and elves, who are all renowned for their beauty and typically amicable relationships with people. Even though they may get into mischief, it's usually innocent mischief meant to teach a lesson or moral. These faeries are active at dusk and on particular celebration days, such as Midsummer's Eve. They are frequently portrayed as forces of good and protectors of the natural world, who could assist people in need, but only under certain restrictions centered around reverence for the natural and mystical realms.

The faeries of the Unseelie Court, in contrast, are less amiable and more hostile toward mankind. Being "unhappy" or "unlucky," the phrase "unseelie" refers to a group of darker spirits and animals, including bogies, bogarts, and redcaps, who are infamous for their evil activities, such as painting their hats with human blood. These faeries, who represent the darkest facets of the faerie realm, are frequently hideous and terrible. They play an antagonistic role in folklore, harming or deceiving mankind. The Unseelie Court, which stands for natural disasters and the dangerous unknown, is not time-bound like the Seelie Court. It can arise at any moment, usually during stormy or dark evenings.

Both courts have had a profound impact on Western media and literature, inspiring a wide range of fantasy-themed works. Writers such as J.K. Rowling and William Shakespeare have incorporated Seelie and Unseelie folklore into their works, demonstrating the timeless appeal of these legendary creatures. The way these courts are portrayed reflects complicated human emotions and moral quandaries, providing a rich examination of issues like good vs. evil and order versus chaos.

As such, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts are significant figures in Celtic mythology, symbolizing the range of characteristics that faeries may display. Their tales pique readers' interest and offer deeper understandings of both the human condition and the age-old conflict between good and evil, in addition to being entertaining.

[letters-to-serafina]

return to the feywild

prompt from the DM:

When you get back to the Feywild it's as if no time has passed at all. It must have been mere moments since you first tripped through the portal in the Feywild, because your older brothers are still frolicking in that same field you left them in. After spending some time there with your family and explaining your adventures, you actually recognize some of the locations in the Feywild as being strange mirrors of places you've been to in the Material Plane. However, the Feywild versions are so much more grandiose and breathtaking. 

Many years pass, and eventually your family realize that some ancient structures are crumbling to dust seemingly overnight. You recognize the common link, they're all mirrors of locations from the material realm. When the Seelie Court asked for volunteers to investigate in the Material Plane, you remembered your promise to that soldier (Sildar) to help find that one dwarf (Gundren) all those years ago, and you volunteered, wondering if it's not too late to hit two birds with one stone. 

[luc3]

The Three "Bottleneck" Fairies / Les Trois Fées du Goulet.

Testimonies collected in the surroundings of the "Lac du Bourget", Southern Alps (Savoy) by C.Joisten and his collaborators.

Three wild women, or fairies, lived in a rocky excavation, called the "fairy bottleneck", opposite to the former house of M., in the hamlet of "la Muraille", and overlooking the railway line, 200 m below. (…)

Although being of a higher intelligence than them, the fairies needed the villagers, to live. They went down to get supplies in the small village where they were given bacon, milk, water, vegetables ;...

A fairy, who had been very badly received by an inhabitant of the village, pinched the nose of her little girl who, since then, had a damaged nose. "You could just see two holes, as if a canker had eaten it" . (…)

As a sign of gratitude, the three fairies caused a spring to gush out, it was called the spring of the "Barboillon". It's a spring with a high flow of temperate water (17°C), which, since its capture, has supplied the entire town with water. (…)

In spring, at the time of sowing, one saw on certain days, very early in the morning, the fairies who came out of her house and who, advancing to the edge of the rock which overhung the village, began to say aloud in looking at the sky : “Today, nice weather to sow corn! — Today, nice weather for sowing the beans! — Today, nice weather for planting potatoes! And so on for all the "vegetables", as well as in autumn for wheat. All who were lucky enough to hear their words, and who put them to good use, had abundant harvests.

[bubblyernie]

Designs I've made for the fey court, Titania, Oberon and the Queen of Air and Darkness! Design notes are on patreon, prints are on redbubble! 

art tag // commission info // patreon // redbubble

[disorentedfae]

Much love for the fairest of the Fae!!! May you be blessed with luring people in to your blessed fairy circle!!!

And lure then I shall!!

[mendokayalways]

WAIT WAIT WAIT IN EXU CALAMITY, THE MATRIARCH OF THE SEELIE COURT OPENED GATES ALL AROUND EXANDRIA FOR HER CHILDREN TO RETURN. WHAT IF BIRDIE AND OLLIE WERE IN AEOR?? WHAT IF THEY TOOK THE EXIT THAT LOQUATIOUS DENIED?? WHAT IF THEY WENT HOME HAD FEARNE RAISED HER INTO HER 20s LEFT HER WITH HER GRANDMOTHER AFTER THE CALAMITY ENDED AND WENT BACK TO EXPLORE EXANDRIA???

WHAT IF WHAT IF WHAT IF