Faeries and The Natural World — John Kruse

The 'eco-fairy' as a concept is not new. The sensibility has been present for several centuries. An examination of the folklore and literary sources discloses three interrelated functions that the faes were believed to undertake: they cared for small mammals and birds; they had a special link with certain flowers and trees; and, lastly, they assumed a more general supervisory role over the natural world, keeping it in balance and preventing over-exploitation and pollution.It is an article of faith central to fairy belief today that they are beings intimately connected with nature - they are the elemental spirits, even, of water, air and vegetation. In one form or another, this view has long existed. One thing is certain, and that is that human populations have long recognised the faeries' rights over the land and the need to respect these.