Real Gothic Fairies

Real gothic fairies, who dwell in the Kingdom of Faerie, may not be what you expect. Mortals have their own version. And, in fact, the word gothic is strictly human, and does not exist in Faerie. But there is a type of fae that your gothic fairy concept is based on. A very special type of fairy.
Long ago around the year 1525 in mortal time, there lived an Italian gentleman named Giovanni Francesco Straparola, collector of tales of the terrible and fantastic. Far and wide he traveled, and wandered into a certain area of Germany within the Black Forest. There lay crumbling ruins of an old tribe who had known of the fae folk. And thus a portal had been created, a place by a secret pool where the Veil was very thin. It is said that Giovanni, somewhat lost, did wander through into the land of Faerie. And what he beheld was truly bewildering. As always with humans, what is seen must be filtered through one’s own consciousness and vision; one’s ability to perceive. The five senses are exceedingly limited. And so he concluded what he concluded about the fae folk and began writing his tales, myths and legends. Gothic fairies, witches, and creatures developed.
What Giovanni wrote greatly influenced the later Brothers Grimm of Germany itself. Who also wandered into Faerie near a hidden bend in the Rhine. And their tales were then spun. Soon the concept of gothic really evolved. It became truly frightening. They were indeed grim. But in the kingdom of Faerie, what you may see and conclude of as gothic fairies, may be quite different.
I shall set the record straight.
Ophelia Fey
In the land of Faerie there live a tribe of fairy folk who are quite highly evolved and learned in the skills of absorbing and using light. Many millennia past they did learn that the frequency of Black absorbs light, stores light, and is therefore extremely powerful. Black, then, became the primary color band that they used, although it is not a color at all, but the absence of it. Black was a frequency very difficult to control and maintain, so much advanced training was needed. It was not only known for power, but also special protection. These gothic fairies, as you may call them, thus oftentimes became loners through their intense study, or kept amongst themselves. Specializing in the Black frequency band, they became known within Faerie as the Band of Nyx. Well actually Nyx is their nickname. Or nyxies (some distantly related to pyxies, or pixies as you call them). Not to be confused with the nix in human folklore. Confused? These are all short for Onyxies. I will not give the full name of their band – perhaps at a later time. Nor can I reveal their true fairy names – far too powerful. As mortals might say, they may put a nix on you. Oh my, and do we get a laugh from that! If you only knew! At any rate, the black onyx rock is named in their honor.
Some, it is true, did digress from the path of light, and developed new uses for the frequency of Black…for evil. It became known as Black Magic. And those who knew how to wield it, were terrible indeed. Although they were the few, their reputations spread far and wide, and fae folk fear them. These evil fairies became outcasts. But there are many others in the Band of Nyx who are adept in using Black for good.
Let’s take a closer look at what they like and what they do. And how humans may have gotten their ideas about gothic fairies.
Bats, spiders, ravens -- Mortals tend to picture a gothic fairy with a black bat, black cat, black spider or black raven. Or all of the above. Well let me say, I know a magnificent Nyx who keeps a bright blue parrot, and another with a delightful pink flamingo. And yet another with a brilliant goldfish with scales, naturally, made of gold. They like what they like. And a splash of color is often in order. Take a look at this spider, for instance. In Faerie, our arachnids are often glitzy and weave the most spectacular silk, even from silver. Or gold. They put Rumplestiltskin to shame. Beetles, too, are often bejeweled – like the Sphaerius pictured here.

Eye and face enhancements -- Oh yes. Actually, most fairy folk love to make themselves up. But our so-called gothic fairies out-do us all. They have their own type of glitter made from powderized obsidian and onyx, mixed with a bit of star dust, of course. And each fairy’s wand is infused with its own magic, which of course enters anything we create. Nyx wands are particularly brilliant, so their glitter is beyond all else. And their jewels have a shimmer that can be blinding. You can see some interesting makeup at our page on Very Fairy Makeup. If you want an easy idea about doing gothic fairy makeup yourself (and a simple face sketch to print out and practice your designs on) just go to our Easy Fairy Makeup page. Scroll down, and you will see a sample of easy gothic fairy makeup.
Body embellishments -- In addition to the eye and face, the gothic fairies of Nyx decorate their bodies like no one else. Mortals call this the tattoo, and indeed in Faerie we do have highly skilled tattooists. Only the best artists are qualified, and if a Nyx decides to enter the professional, he or she will be sought far and wide in the land of Faerie. Not only for their fabulous designs, but also for their glitter and colors. You can learn a little more about fairy tattooists on another page. Mortals love to also tattoo, and often incorporate gothic designs. I understand it has become quite popular, and the Nyx are honored. More about fairy tattoo design ideas here.
We have here an example of what one human has created. But gothic fairies’ body embellishments are not just surface tattoos. They imbed their very surroundings from nature right into their beings. Often, in fact, you will see an insect or spider impressed right into their cheek or shoulder. The fuzz of the tarantula makes a nice, soft surface, for instance. Do not shudder. It can be quite charming.
Wings -- Fairies technically do not need wings, you know, and many do not use them. We generate plumes or rays of energy as we fly, and these are sometimes perceived through human eyes as wings. We became so amused and fascinated by the concept of humans giving us wings, that many of us do wear them now as an accessory. We can design wings beyond imagination. And the gothic fairy wings of the Nyx are superb. Many go all-out, but even those who keep it simple use the finest silk, moth wings and bat skins. Their craftsmanship is out of this world. (Literally). Just click the link for a further study of gothic fairy wings.
Gothic gargoyles -- Nah. I mean, what for? I supposed they’re good for water spouts and fountains. In human cathedrals they were often used to scare evil spirits away. Well believe me. We do not need a stone monstrosity to do that. Some of the Nyx themselves are so…shall I say…fearsome looking that they quite frighten anything that comes near the way it is. Even when they don’t intend to. Which brings me to…
Appearances -- In Faerie we can all see beyond outer appearances. I know most mortals cannot. But really, it is something you just must develop. Else how do you expect to ever obtain mastery? We are not duped by outer appearances. Not yours, not ours. For instance, some Nyx are so intent on their work, so focused, that they entirely forget to keep themselves up. Let me put it delicately. They are quite…a mess you might say. Or they may appear very very old and wrinkled. But we do not mind. We simple shift our vision to see beyond.
Naturally is it also delightful to see what appearances a given fairy has created for herself or himself, outwardly. The results are often quite delightful and beautiful, and can be changed fequently. But heavens, it certainly does not stop there. And so if a fae simply is not into the appearance thing, that is perfectly fine. We do not care. We know and feel what they are really all about. Evil gothic fairies know that in Faerie they usually cannot trick us, we who dwell there. Unless a fairy is not fully developed. But then they are usually well protected by their band. Or unless we become so flighty that we become spaced out and inattentive. Does happen on occasion. Otherwise, we all simply stay away from evil fairies. And set up shields and forcefields to protect ourselves. However, since mortals mostly do not know how to do that -- beware. You may become unfortunate targets should you allow yourselves to enter the frequency of evil.
Plants and potions -- Potion making is an art and difficult to master. Many of us do use potions, and their creation is meant for fairy folk. Most of ours would be toxic and poisonous to humans. Or at least overwhelming. Do not even ask us for a love potion, for instance. You have no idea… Anyway, gothic fairies specialize in certain potions which can only be created by them. Gothic fairies often harvest the thorns of hawthorne and black roses (or red velvet or blue) and cultivate them for this purpose. And the dragon tooth thorn. I don't believe you have those in the mortal realm. They would be lethal to you anyway. The Nyx also use ground obsidian and amethyst crystals. Occasionally the crushed mandible of the golden stag beetle is added, plus a pinch of dried raven droppings and frangipani pollen. Often pulverized pupae from the cockchafer moth. Nothing, however, surpasses the blend of dried Porphyra seaweed with black hole dust – a delectable combination of both sea and sky you know. I could write a whole page about potions and plants. Perhaps I will.
This will give you some idea of the vast and rich world of real gothic fairies. Come again soon, as I reveal more fairies'secrets.
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