I thought that I'd post this here as a way to better explain this site's focus. I came up with most of this when posting a reply to another artist about the common spellings of fairy for listing on ebay on OOAKDollArt.com's forums, and thought it would be a great thing to also post *here* as well.

One reason I chose "Fey" when thinking up the name Fey Realm was because it encompasses ALL myths and legends and pretty much anything bewitching, magical or otherworldly - and was just that much different than just calling it fantasy this or that cuz I don't know ... fantasy as a title just seems to be *everywhere*, and I'm ornery enough to not be one of the crowd, I suppose, hehe!

Færie or Faerie, Færy or Faery, fairy, fae, fey, fay, are all derivatives of the same word.

If you look up all the words in the dictionary you will see how they all relate to each other (I've bolded the definitions that would apply for this post):

fey (fā) pronunciation
adj.

1.a. Having or displaying an otherworldly, magical, or fairylike aspect or quality: “She's got that fey look as though she's had breakfast with a leprechaun” (Dorothy Burnham).
b. Having visionary power; clairvoyant.
c. Appearing touched or crazy, as if under a spell.
2. Scots.
a. Fated to die soon.
b. Full of the sense of approaching death.

[Middle English feie, fated to die, from Old English fǣge.]
fey'ly adv.
fey'ness n.

WORD HISTORY The history of the words fey and fay illustrates a rather fey coincidence. Our word fay, “fairy, elf,” the descendant of Middle English faie, “a person or place possessed of magical properties,” and first recorded around 1390, goes back to Old French fae, “fairy,” the same word that has given us fairy. Fae in turn comes from Vulgar Latin Fāta, “the goddess of fate,” from Latin fātum, “fate.” If fay goes back to fate, so does fey in a manner of speaking, for its Old English ancestor fǣge meant “fated to die.” The sense we are more familiar with, “magical or fairylike in quality,” seems to have arisen partly because of the resemblance in sound between fay and fey.


fair·y (fâr'ē) pronunciation
n., pl. -ies.

1. A tiny imaginary being in human form, depicted as clever, mischievous, and possessing magical powers.
2. Offensive Slang. Used as a disparaging term for a homosexual man.

[Middle English fairie, fairyland, enchanted being, from Old French faerie, from fae, fairy, from Vulgar Latin Fāta, goddess of fate, from Latin fātum, fate. See fate.]

The history of the words fairy, faery, and fay can also be found on this page (for abbreviation legends, see the main page):
www.etymonline.com/ind...hmode=none


fa·er·ie also fa·er·y (fā'ə-rē, fâr'ē) pronunciation
n., pl. -ies.

1. A tiny, mischievous, imaginary being; a fairy.
2. The land or realm of the fairies.

[Middle English faierie, fairie. See fairy.]
fa'er·ie or fa'er·y adj.

fay (fā) pronunciation
n.

A fairy or an elf.

[Middle English faie, enchanted person or place, from Old French fae. See fairy.]

Fantasy is used SO much - that I wanted a different feel, something that would stand out a bit more, but yet capture all those things that we tend to group under the umbrella term "fantasy".

So pretty much - if YOU create art and if it is themed around myths or legends, fairy tales or old wive's tales, magical in nature or of being, then it is suited for this site, and will be happily embraced and enjoyed!

I totally agree. Although fairies *can* be little winged creatures, that is certainly not the only thing fairies are. It encompasses so many spirit and nature beings it would be impossible to list them all! :) Personally I believe every mountain, forest, stream, what-have-you has its own faery guardian. Then from mountains and forests to trees and individual blades of grass. Everywhere!

Nice explanations! The information you posted here is useful for any writer or artist ;) I strive for that too in my books, to use new terms and creatures so that they could stand out, I guess I'm not the only one who thinks that way...
Your site is great! Glad to be a member! And just a question, can I download some my illustrations in my photo gallery? Sorry if this sounds silly, I'm just new at the site and tried but couldn't...
Best wishes to all fans of fantasy and feyrealm! Let the wonderful noise of the sea always sounds in your ears! (a greeting of the water dragons' hunters).

Hmm it wouldn't let you upload images into the gallery here??

it should have not given you any trouble!

What did it do?