by P Vandegrift

Created on: April 15, 2010

Unparalleled in the magical world for their mischievousness nature, the mythical Pixie reigns supreme.

Almost every culture has their own version of the mythical pixie; for the Greeks it is the ‘harpie’ while the Japanese call theirs ‘tengu’. Many have argued that the term ‘pixie’ may have stemmed from the Swedish word ‘pyske’ meaning ‘little fairy’. Others feel that pixies were a real race descended from the Picts, or that they are Druids who were punished for their refusal to be forced to adopt Christianity. It is interesting to note that there is no exact origin for the pixie; their tales have been passed down for hundreds of years, which makes it seem like they have always existed. Pixies appear, most notably, in English folktales and art. Pixies are commonly confused with fairies, it is easy to do, but if they were standing side by side there would be some remarkable differences. Pixies tend to refrain from wearing clothing, and if they do, it is often tattered – they don't put too much energy into the issue of attire. Most are wingless, but there those particular Pixies who enjoy flinging their pixie dust around from a great height. They tend to be very fond of humans, and often can appear to be a bit more 'human' like in their features.

To be fair, their antics are not always malicious in intent. They are more inclined to reward those who demonstrate thoughtfulness and scold those who do not. There are, of course, the tales of travelers being tricked by Pixies into following the wrong road and ending up lost, or horses being untied and let loose to roam pastures in a neighboring town, and perhaps there have been some reports of newborn babes disappearing, but they are usually brought back the next day.

Also, when most people think of the mythical Pixie, they think of small earthen mounds with secret or invisible entrances, entrancing fiddle music, and eccentric singing, which could be the reason behind their strong association with United Kingdom. The United Kingdom has the greatest concentration of ‘pixie’ and ‘fairy’ mounds. Most English folktales tell of people leaving gifts to the Pixies, and in return they find their house tidied up during the night, blessings bestowed, and if a child is to be born soon, they often stay close by and help to keep watch over the mother during labor. Throughout the United Kingdom, roads are often diverted around these earthen mounds so as not to disturb the elemental family within as it would bring bad luck if they did. Certain mounds and fields have long standing legends associated with them, and to this day people still leave bowls of milk, food, and other shiny trinkets to honor their presence and to ask for favors.

Pixies will always entertain our imagination whether it is through art, poetry, film, and other craftwork. Painters will continue to bring them to life with their oils and watercolors, poets will breathe life into their antics with their words, and the film industry will dazzle us with the beauty of special effects and animation. We can make them as small as a thimble or as tall as tree. We can blame them for missing socks, mysterious knocks at the door, misplaced keys, and losing our way in the woods, but when we do, it will always be with a smile on our face.

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