Who came First, Elves or Faeries?

 "....not to say that elves came before faeries or faeries before elves,
but that the modern conception of elves is much more ancient than
the notion that is currently popular concerning faerie folk."

      This question is a little bit like the chicken or the egg dilemma. However, most people these days conceive of faeries as being small humanoid beings with the wings of butterflies, dragonflies or moths for the most part and this conception of faeries comes primarily from Victorian times (see The Dragon Legacy by Nicolas De Vere and Realm of the Ring Lords by Laurence Gardner). (Also note that we are not saying that there are no winged-beings of any kind, including the Deva Realm, but that the idea of faeries as tiny creatures is not an ancient concept.) This notion of tiny humanoid winged faeries is a very recent one. In that sense, elves did very much come first. And this is so at least as far as the fact that the general conception of elves, which these days is mostly derived from Tolkien, is closer to the traditional understanding of the Elven and Faerie folk, the combination of which these elves refer to as elfin or elfae. This is not to say that elves came before faeries or faeries before elves, but that the modern conception of elves is much more ancient than the notion that is currently popular concerning faerie folk.

     The truth is that elves, faeries, pixies, brownies, the Sidhe and various other forms of faerie elfin folk are all merely various tribal formations, bands and groups of one essential people. Asking if the elves or faeries came first is like asking if First Nation tribes of the Sioux or the Cheyenne came first. Or the Apaches or the Navajos came first. We are all related peoples.

     It is interesting to us, however, that the conception of faeries as winged little humans is so popular. This is truly a relatively recent innovation on faerie lore, created according to some folks to diminish the significance of our peoples, and it has little support in ancient lore except in the fact that the dwarves are often conceived of as being short of stature. Still, this idea has taken root in the minds and hearts of many folk so strongly that there are those who speak with these tiny winged ethereal beings. Which means, in effect, that this thought form is so powerful that such beings have actually been created on the astral and etheric realms of being, with some manifestation, mostly in an etheric fashion, according to these seers, on the material plane.

     For our own part, these elves see the butterflies, dragonflies and moths as being these faeries. We don’t demand that they be anthropomorphized beings, giving them human bodies in order to see them as people but accept them for the unique faeries beings that they truly are. We also embrace many trees as being elfin in nature and many birds as well.

     Now, we don’t have a problem with those who envision faeries as little, tiny winged human beings, except for the fact that these are often the folks who insist on faeries being in that form and deny our existence as living and manifest elves. And they often also fail to see or relate to modern manifest faerie folk who often wear various forms of faerie wings or elf ears in order to feel more truly our own s’elves as well as announce to the world our own unique faerie natures.

We would remind these folks that the idea of faeries as small, winged humanoids is a fairly modern idea and that the idea that the elves and faerie folk exist as manifest human beings interacting with mankind and others is nearly as ancient as the elfin ours’elves are. But being tolerant folk, we are perfectly happy with their conception of the fae as long as they don’t deny our own true existence. (See our books the Elven Way and Liber Aelph).

Kyela,
The Silver Elves
http://silverelves.angelfire.com

Also, we welcome you to come join us on Facebook under Michael J. Love (Zardoa of The SilverElves) and Martha Char Love (SilverFlame of The SilverElves).

We invite you to visit our Author page on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/The-Silver-Elves/e/B0070R8ER2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1490695829&sr=8-3 

Also, come to our website and enjoy reading samples of all our 40 books on magic and enchantment and the elven way at:

http://silverelves.angelfire.com/HAelfbooks.html

The Elven Way: The Magical Path of the Shining Ones

 "The Elven Way passes beyond the fields of the known
into the forest of the unknown illuminated by the glow of the elves."

(quote on the top of the book cover)

THE ELVEN WAY: The Magical Path of the Shining Ones describes the Mystical, Magical, Spiritual Path of the Elf folk and their connection to the Shining Ones, those supra-dimensional beings who are our guides, guardians, ancient kindred and the source of Elven enlightenment. The Elven Way takes the reader beyond the field of the known and lays the road into the forest of unknown, revealing new, wonderful and exciting secrets about the world of Magic, the Path of the Elves and the rich Elven heritage. This book is about High Elven Spirituality and Magick, the philosophy of the Elven Way, and the teachings of the Elves. It is written for all elves and all those interested in learning more about and following the Elven Path, for advanced Elven adepts and magical folk of all kinds. The Elven Way reveals much about the Shining Ones, who are the ancient elves and our guardians, our Eldars, who are highly advanced and divine beings that help and protect the modern Elven folk today. It explores both the psychological and the spiritual component of the Elven folk and the development of this component! The Elven Way provides a vast reservoir of knowledge about how this world is arranged and how it works, who the elves are, and what is the Elven Spiritual Path!

We invite you to enjoy reading an excerpt of Chapter 9 "The Magic of the Shining Ones" and also some of our readers' reviews from Goodreads and Amazon.

Touch the Center of this Star for Elven Blessings!

Faerie Unfolding: The Cosmic Expression of the Divine Magic is an advanced book of elven philosophy concerning we Silver Elves’ views on the nature of the Divine and its expression and manifestation into the world as seen from those cultures that are most connected to and historically expressive of Elven Culture. It is a further development from our other books, Through the Mists of Faerie, The Elven Way, and Liber Aelph and opens the adept elfin enchanter to new understandings of the Unfolding of Faerie and its magic into the world and our part, as elfin beings, in its expression. We Silver Elves illuminate this with a new way of understanding traditional lore and mythology, as well as modern stories of our faerie peoples.

In Elfin Stay . . . . . .

In a darkened twilight world

The voice of spirit ancient hears

A laugh, a whisper, and a jest

That calls you to the final test.

Come within, it seems to say

Do not fear we’re here to play

And if you wish

We’ll show the way

And you at last

Can come and stay.

—From Caressed by an Elfin Breeze: The Poems of Zardoa Silverstar by The Silver Elves

http://silverelves.angelfire.com/HApoembook.html

We invite you to come join our Facebook open group
The Magical Books of The Silver Elves,
where we have discussions about our books as well as about Elven
and Otherkin philosophy and lifestyle.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/539205916250397

http://silverelves.angelfire.com

Many people ask us which Silver Elves books to begin reading first and so we say, which ever sounds right to you, follow your elven intuition, as there is really no right order! But if you would like a suggestion, you may wish to begin with one or more of these four books:
1. Through The Mists Of Faerie: A Magical Guide to the Wisdom Teachings of the Ancient ElvenThis is our most popular book and one we highly recommend reading by anyone interested in elves and the elven way. 
2. The Elven Way: The Magical Path of the Shining Ones This is a companion book to Through the Mists of Faerie, but may be read in any order. It is also a very popular book and a good one to start with.
3. The Book of Elven Runes: A Passage Into Faerie
4. The Book of Elven Magick: The Philosophy and Enchantments of the Seelie Elves
If you have questions about the Elven Way and being an elf, then you may also wish to read The Magical Realms of Elfin: Answers to Questions About Being an Elf and Following the Elven Path. If you are curious about elves and want to learn more about modern elves, then you will surely find The Magical Realms of Elfin to contain many of your questions answered and it will be a great comfort and help in finding your way home to the magical realms of Elfin.