Faerie is an imaginary creature that appears in the folklore of Western Europe. Faeries have magic powers, which they use to perform both good and bad deeds. Faeries are usually helpful, but they often behave mischievously and occasionally act cruelly.

There are several kinds of faeries, and each lives in a certain area. For example, brownies, buccas, and pixies live in England; goblins in France; kobolds and nixes in Germany; and elves and trolls in the Scandinavian countries. Although the word faerie generally refers to various characters in Western European folklore, faerielike creatures exist in the folklore of many other parts of the world. Hawaiian folklore includes stories about dwarfs called Menehune, who work at night. Japanese folk stories tell of a water demon known as the kappa.

Faeries make themselves invisible to human beings. However, some people have the power to see faeries and the places where they live. Sometimes faeries become visible to a person who steps into a faerie ring. Faerie rings are circles of mushrooms around greener grass or bare soil in a field or meadow. Faeries enjoy dancing within the rings and resting on the mushrooms when they are tired.

Faeries vary in size, but the majority of them are smaller than adult human beings. Most faeries have various human features. Some faeries, including pixies, have great beauty.

Large groups of faeries live in faerieland, a faerie society with its own government and territory. In most stories, a king and queen rule faerieland, with the queen having the most power.

-World Book Online