King's Quest Omnipedia
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Fairies are magical humanoids some with wings, some without. Though the common race of 'fairy' is almost always winged. There are many different races of fairies including; the fairies and woodland faeries of Daventry and the faeries of Etheria.

Background[]

They are a race of graceful and delicate beings with magical powers, fairies are said to live hundreds of years, but must spend one day of each week in the form of some animal--a bird or a dolphin, for instance. Most cultures have a tradition of fairies. It is held that they come from, and dwell in, the Land of Faerie, where they are ruled by a queen. Fairies are said to be interested in human affairs and often aid and protect people. In fact, so many tales have been told about good fairies, that they have given the term "fairy tale." In the Other World, the fairies are most well known from their English version--it is the one most are familiar with.[1]

Fairies can be tall or tiny in form, but they are almost always winged and good. It is said that Cinderella's godmother was a fairy who carried a magic wand that had the power to transform things--the girl's ugly clothes into a beautiful gown, is a case in point. Some fairies, like Tinkerbell, possess a magic powder--fairy dust--that helps them cast their enchantments. Graham is slightly allergic to fairy dust--it makes him sneeze. Genesta is the Queen of the Fairies in Daventry.[2] In Daventry, the poor man's idea of a great tale involved a tradesman or poor farmer falling in with a fairy and thus gaining a fortune overnight. Daventry fairies are great temptation for the aspiring soul.[3]

In Daventry fairies are usually called "fairy" (although the Fairie of the Old Wood are also known as faeries (singular 'faery')), in the world of Eldritch (and Etheria), they are usually called "faerie". Both the woodland faeries of the Old Wood and faerie race of Etheria tend to be wingless. Those of Etheria appear to be more closely related to humans (they may in fact be a sub-race of humans). The woodland faeries of the Old Wood have long pointed ears and capable of moving them like horses can.

Major fairies are about the height of humans and some have butterfly wings. They can appear and disappear as apparitions. They have powers with their magic wands and (at least in the case of Genesta) talismans. While they are immune to time and age, therefore practically immortal, if they lose their talisman, their powers and life is at stake. They like to help people with their magic, but some, like Lolotte choose to be evil.

As noted not all faeries species are 'immortal' but only live for several hundreds of years. Some such as the faeries from the world of Eldritch are immortal, and are akin to gods and dieties of their world (some are even the gods and dieties of poems and stories told in the Other World) from before the withdrawal.

Genesta is the Queen of the Fairies in Daventry, and Culatha is the Queen of the Old Wood, a queen of Fairie. In Eldritch the Faeries are ruled by King Oberon and Titania, Queen of the Faeries.

Another kind of fairies are of small size, always flying, and never talk. They seem to serve and help the major fairies.

Sometimes the term fairy kingdom can include elves and Leprechauns as well.

Known and Related species or types[]

See also[]

Behind the scenes[]

Almost everything mentioned about fairies in 'An Ecyclopedia of Daventry' chapter are non-fictional references to actual myths, fairy tales, and cultural beliefs about fairies found on earth (the 'Other World'), which points out the inspiration behind many of the stories in KQ game.

In KQ2 manual Genesta's fairy's are referred to as Genesta's Fairy Helpers.

Interestingly, in Kingdom of Sorrow, the faeryfolk of the Old Wood are called "faeries" (spelled with an 'e'). There is a reference to Valanice growing up in a land with "fairies" (spelled with an 'i')[4]. This is a nod to the Good Fairy in KQ2, which is spelled with an 'i'. It is also a nod to the fairies representing different races of fairies.

The 'fairies' of the KQ games come in every shape and size, and are all quite different. Some of the little fairies are capable of speech, others are mute. Some of the taller fairies have wings, others do not. This reflects the fact that even in European and other tales fairies also come in many types from the English versions to those of the French, and others.

Lolotte and Genesta were both originally fairies from stories retold in the Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang.

Lolotte has been described as both Fairy and Faerie in The King's Quest Companion. She is described as a Faerie in KQ7 and is described as a Fairy in KQ4. The KQ8 manual describes both Genesta and Lolotte as members of the Faerie, and calls Genesta a 'Faerie Queen'. However, Genesta is not the same race as the Faeries of Etheria.

The idea that a fairy must spend one day of each week in an animal form is taken almost directly verbatim from the story of Rosanella (from which Rosella's name was inspired) in Andrew Lang's Green Fairy Book.[5] It appears in other french fairy tales as well.

References[]

  1. KQC, 2nd Edition, 463
  2. KQC, 2nd Edition, pg 463
  3. Guidebook to the Land of the Green Isles, pg
  4. KOS, 63
  5. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/7277/7277-h/7277-h.htm#2H_4_0005
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