Fairy Queen facts for kids
The Fairy Queen is a magical ruler from old Irish and British stories. She is believed to be the leader of all fairies. Because of the famous writer William Shakespeare, many people in English-speaking countries know her as Titania or Mab.
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Who is the Fairy Queen in Folklore?
In old Irish folklore, the last High Queen of the Daoine Sidhe (which means "people of the mounds" or "fairies") was named Una. She was married to the High King Finvarra. In stories from Northern England and Scotland, she was often called the Queen of Elphame.
Sometimes, the Fairy Queen is also known by names like Morgan (like Morgan le Fey from the King Arthur legends) or a different version of Mab, such as Maeve. In some old songs called Child Ballads, like "Tam Lin" and "Thomas the Rhymer", she is shown as very beautiful. But she can also be dangerous.
Old stories say the Fairy Queen sometimes has to make a special payment every seven years. This payment is sometimes a sacrifice. In the story of Tam Lin, the main character worries that he might be this sacrifice.
The Fairy Queen in Books and Movies
Many writers have used the idea of the Fairy Queen in their stories.
Famous Books and Plays
- Edmund Spenser wrote a long poem called The Faerie Queene. In his story, the Fairy Queen is named Gloriana. She is also sometimes called Tanaquill. Spenser's Gloriana is the daughter of Oberon.
- William Shakespeare wrote a famous play called A Midsummer Night's Dream. In this play, the Fairy Queen is named Titania. She is married to Oberon. Shakespeare got the name Titania from old Roman myths.
- In one of the first Peter Pan books, The Little White Bird, J. M. Barrie calls the Fairy Queen "Queen Mab". In this story, she is kind and helpful.
Modern Stories and Films
- In the Disney movies about Tinker Bell, the fairies are led by a character called Queen Clarion.
- In Brandon Mull's Fablehaven book series, the Fairy Queen is very important. She helps make some characters super powerful.
- The character Erza Scarlet from the Japanese comic Fairy Tail is nicknamed "Titania." This is because she is incredibly strong in her world.
- In the book Foxglove Summer from the Rivers of London series, the main character Peter Grant is taken to the Fairy Queen's magical kingdom. This kingdom is like an alternative reality where Britain is still a huge, wild forest.
Fairy Queen in Modern Beliefs
Some modern spiritual groups, called Neopagans, have been influenced by old ideas about a queen of spirits. This includes ideas from books about Aradia, who is sometimes called "Queen of the Witches." The Faerie faith is another belief system that connects to these ideas.
