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| How did the legend of fire fairies seducing men begin |
Recently, Disney's new version of 'The Little Mermaid' had its world premiere. It is a film inspired by the story published in 1837 by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen.
The classic was already brought to the big screen by Disney in 1989 as an animated film. The new version is based on the same style with real actors.
In both Anderson's story and the Disney film, the main character is a beautiful young woman with a fishtail and a charming voice. But were fire fairies always like this?
Fire fairies who cast spells on men
The first mention of fire fairies in Western literature is in Homer's Odyssey.
Returning to his homeland of Ithaca after the Trojan War, the hero Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman) faces many adventures, including dangerous creatures.
The sorcerer Circe warns him of all these dangers, and the first of them is the fire fairies who 'bewitch men.'
Whoever comes to them unawares and hears their voice becomes attracted to them and does not return to his homeland. Those fire fairies lived somewhere on the coast of present-day Neapolitan.
With the sweet voice inherited from her mother, she casts a spell on men that makes them stay here and that is why this beach is littered with the bones of ill-fated sailors.
Odysseus follows Circe's advice to enjoy the sweet voice of the fairies without risk: he is tied to a boat and his men fill his ears with wax.
Homer does not describe them, but we have ceramics that reproduce this scene from the Odyssey and show them as half-woman, half-bird.
They also encountered the Argonauts on their return journey after capturing the Golden Fleece. At this point, Orfeo confronts them with his singing and manages to overcome the danger. And in a later poem entitled Orphic Argonautics, Orpheus describes the death of the fire fairies and their turning to stone.
In classical mythology and literature, there are hybrid creatures such as fire fairies, with parts of their bodies in human form and other parts with animal characteristics: harpies, gorgons, sphinxes, etc. All these are women with negative characteristics and the downfall of men.
Seducing men with fishtails
The first testimony that describes fire fairies with fish tails is the 'Book of Various Monsters', an anonymous bestiary (ie a collection of descriptions of real or fantastic animals). This book is in Latin.
'Jal fairies are sea maidens who deceive sailors with their beautiful looks and the sweetness of their songs; From head to navel they have the body of a girl and are very similar to humans, but they have rough fish tails.'
They left their abode on Earth to sink to the bottom of the ocean. And near the shore their beauty first became apparent.
The writer and humanist Boccaccio (14th century) combined classical and medieval traditions in his 'Genealogy of the Pagan Gods' to interpret these hybrid beings. They discuss their beauty and their ability to seduce men.
She then came to be called the worst type of woman: her physical attractiveness and sensuality (often represented with bare breasts and long hair) seduced unsuspecting men and made them part with their money. And even worse, in the Christian tradition, their souls are called fitnah.
Trade legs for love with a prince and a voice with a witch
The negative perception of the fairy tale regarding romanticism is countered by a new, much more positive image in Anderson's story. Her main character, when she turns 15 and comes to the surface of the ocean, falls in love with a handsome prince, whom she rescues during a shipwreck.
Out of love for him, she abandons her safe environment and makes a terrible deal with the sea witch: she trades two legs for her precious voice. But when she walks or dances, the spell causes her severe pain, but she doesn't care.
Due to a deal with a witch, she is forced to marry a prince to save herself. The little fairy knows that if she doesn't, she will die and wash away in the ocean.
The prince loves her like a sister and has married a princess who he believes actually saved him from drowning.
The witch gives him a way out so he doesn't die. 'Kill him and be able to become a Fire Fairy again.'
She is unable to do so and throws herself into the sea to escape. But thanks to his love, instead of turning into foam, she becomes one of the Daughters of the Wind, creatures who can gain immortal souls by doing good deeds.
21st century and Jal Priyan
Despite the beauty and sweet voice, negative myths about fire fairies still remain in our world. And the fire song is used for a persuasive speech that involves deception.
Fortunately, there are positive perceptions about fire fairies.
The most positive one is the one that gives fire to the fairiesPresents as curly-tailed girls, beautiful and harmless, girls like in an Anderson story or a Disney movie.
Some fireflies have become symbols of cities, such as the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, or the two-tailed firefly in the Starbucks logo.