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.Faery is many things: sweet, kind, innocent, beautiful, as well as horrid, grotesque, powerful, cunning, aweful, and awe-inspiring. To refuse to acknowledge both aspects leads to a massively unbalanced (and perhaps even dangerous) perspective which is truly not in keeping with either Nature, of which faeries are inherently a part, or with Faerylore both ancient and modern.
- Betty Ballantine from the Foreword to Froud and Lee's Faeries
In an effort to encourage a more holistic, genuine perception of Faery and subsequently to promote art which flows from that understanding, I've created this webring. The focus here is on mythic Faery art, poetry, and lore as opposed to fantasy. Unfortunately much of the work marketed as faery (or fairy) art these days has very little to do with the nature spirits of myth and a great deal more to with an obsession with the insipid legacy left to us by the Victorians - faeries as spritely, saccarine creatures of fantasy, drained of their original power, wildness, menace, and expressive potency. To quote Brian Froud, "Faeries are not a fantasy but a connection to reality." If you're only interested in extolling the virtues of Amy Brown, Cicely Mary Baker, or Jessica Galbreth, you've come to the wrong place. There are already many webrings which cater to that vein of fantasy fairy art and fairy enthusiasts, but this is not one of them. In addition, this is not intended as an Otherkin webring (no offense intended, but there are pre-existing webrings for Otherkin as well).
Many of the supposed faeries artists and writers depict embody a cookie-cutter mentality: they are either cutsey children with wings and clothing of petals and foliage, or they are Victoria's Secret (and/or Playboy) models with wings and similar botanical decorations. With the explosive popularity of all things Faery, there is no end to depictions of supermodels or buxsome pin-ups with butterfly wings and flowers in their long, wavy tresses. The same can be said of cute, childlike sprites bedecked with insect wings and antennae, amid a profusion of toadstools. Drawing insect wings on humanoid creatures etc. is fun and there are definitely times when they appropriately fit the mood, subject, and personality one is trying to convey, but it should not be the knee-jerk reaction and immediate solution when one truly seeks to reveal Faery through art. If one is sincerely interested in using their art as a vehicle with which to address and explore the realm of Faery with a real sense of receptivity, respect, and sensitivity, the crude formula so many have adopted to depict faeries simply will not suffice. This community is for those who are seeking to explore beyond those hackneyed formulas and stereotypes in their art, research, spirituality, etc. hence the acronym S.I.D.H.E. Seeking Inspired, Deep, and Honest Expression.
Sidhe (pronounced "shee") is a Gaelic term for Faery, hence the notable faeries in Celtic lore, for instance the Leanan Sidhe, the Bean Sidhe (a.k.a. banshee), and the Daione Sidhe, a word used to descibed those members of the Tuatha De Danann who chose to stay in Ireland after their defeat. Despite the origin of the term, it will not focus exclusively on Celtic nature spirits, but on Faery in general.
For more information on some of the general concepts behind S.I.D.H.E., please read the essays Thoughts on Popular "Faery" Art and A Personal Philosophy of Faery Art.
If you have a selection of essays, book reviews, website reviews, poetry, and/or artwork that is sympathetic to the themes of S.I.D.H.E., please feel free to submit your site for inclusion in the ring. Perhaps you have written an intelligent review that examines and challenges statements on a website about so-called "fairy majik," an essay on shape-shifting nature spirits from world mythology, a historical piece on Faery in Celtic Europe, a personal artistic exploration of specific genius loci, etc. - it would be greatly welcomed within the ring.
Please be aware that I will not accept sites which display a severe lack of knowledge regarding English grammar and spelling, and/or sites which contain a great deal of profanity. Plagiarism, art theft, etc. will also not be tolerated. I will approve or deny membership at my discretion.