Fire Fairies

Fire Fairies

As well as many house fairies that live in the hearth or behind the stove, there are spirit that represent the fire itself. In Northern European countries, they were called drakes, salamanders and dragons. They are said to smell like rotten eggs, but this usually only if betrayed then they presence the stench. They are sometimes glimpsed as a flaming ball too. They only take on the character of fire when they fly, then they look like streaks of flame or fiery balls with long tails. Otherwise they look like small boys with red caps and coats. They are house fairies who move into a house and keep the firewood dry and bring gifts of gold and grain to the master of the house. The bond between the male head of the house hold and the male drake, is a serious pact, often written in blood. The drake takes care of the house, barn and stables, making sure that the pantry and money chest are well stocked. They can travel the world in a split second and bring their masters a present back from far away places. In return, the master keeps the drake fed and treated with respect.
Should the drake be insulted the house will not be there long. If you see a drake on its travels, take shelter, for they leave behind a poisonous sulphurous fug.
If you quickly shout “half and half” or throw a knife at the creature, then the drake my drop some of its booty in your lap. If two people together see a drake, they should cross their legs in silence, take the fourth wheel off the wagon and take shelter. The drake will then be compelled to leave them some of his haul.
The fire spirit of the hearth fire is often thought to be a female and was once widely worshipped as a goddess. In Greek myth she was Hestia. Her name, according to Plato means “the essence of things” ; a formless essence symbolised by the flame, which flows through everything that has life. As the domestic hearth is the sacred centre of the home, the hearth of the gods is the centre of the cosmos. She presided over all hearth and altar fires, and she was worshipped everyday with prayers offered to her before and after meals. Her hearth was in the care of the woman of the home and before each meal something was thrown on the fire as an offering.
In Celtic lore, the spirit of the hearth is Brighid. She was invited in the home by women

of the house, in the form of a doll or corn dolly dressed in maiden white. Oracles were taken from the ashes of the hearth fire, which people examined for a sign that Brighid had visited. A mark looked like a swan's footprint; if found, it was a lucky omen-the swan was an ancient attribute of the goddess Brighid. Many Irish homes still have a Brighid's cross hung up. This four equal-armed cross was originally a solar symbolised.
There are many other fire spirits. The Arabian Djinn- are composed of fire without smoke with fire in their veins instead of blood. Will o' the wisps are bog fairies that appears as curious lights, usually seen flickering in the distance over swamps and marshes. They will jump and dance along with the aim of leading travelers astray. Perhaps the most common name In Wales the will o' the wisp it is called ellylldan which means 'fire fairy' . It can be seen dancing about on marshy grounds into which it may lead a helpless traveller. When the will o' the wisp appears at sea it is generally is called St Elmo's Fire and is seen on ship's masts and accompanied by a crackling sound.
The Powers of Fire
The most common type of Fire Fairy is the salamander , and element spirit much prized
by the Renaissance. Also associated with fire is the Djinn who are the Bad Fairies of

Persian Lore and the Drakes or Drachen, fire fairies are found across the British Isles and western Europe who resemble streaking balls of fire and smelled like rotten eggs. Luminous, will-o'-the-wisp type fire fairies are famous for leading travelers astray. Including the Ellylldan of Welsh marshland, the Teine Sith of the Scottish Hebrides, The Spunkies of southwest England, Le Faeu Boulanger of the Channel Islands, the Candelas of Sardinia and the Fouchi Fatui of northern Italy. The various fairies who guard hearth fires are also associated with this element such as the Gabija of Lithuania and Natrou-Monsieur of France.
The Muzayyara are fiery, seductive fairies in old Egyptian tales and the Akamu is a particularly dangerous fire fairy found in Japan.....