Types of Fae

“Fae” is an umbrella, not a species. The folklore of Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England is full of different creatures that all count as the Fair Folk, and most of them are not people you’d want to date. Here are the ones that show up most, roughly from “might help you” to “will eat you.”

The courtly fae

The Aos Sí (ees shee). The Irish fae who live in the mounds and hills, the sídhe. They’re the closest thing folklore has to the tall, beautiful courtier fae of modern romantasy. The name literally means “people of the mounds.”

The Tuatha Dé Danann. The old gods of Ireland in the myths, who retreated underground when mortals arrived and became, in later tellings, the fae. A lot of fantasy fae royalty is drawn from them, including Lugh, the Morrígan, and Danu.

Seelie and Unseelie courts. Not a type so much as a split in Scottish folklore: the Seelie are the “blessed” court, the Unseelie the dark one. Read more in what is a fae.

Household and helpful-ish fae

Brownies. Small household spirits who do chores at night in exchange for a bowl of cream. Insult one, or give it clothes, and it leaves. Some turn nasty.

Hobs. The northern English cousin of the brownie. Same deal, same touchiness.

Leprechauns. Solitary Irish shoemakers with hidden gold, much older and grumpier than the cereal box suggests.

The dangerous ones

Banshee (bean sí, “woman of the mound”). She wails to warn a family that someone is about to die. Not evil exactly, but you don’t want to hear her.

Changelings. Not a creature so much as a trick: a fae child, or a lump of enchanted wood, left in a crib in place of a stolen human baby. House of Hollow is basically a changeling story with body horror.

The Leannán Sídhe. A fae lover who inspires an artist or poet, and drains their life while doing it. The original toxic muse.

The Gancanagh. The male version, more or less. An Irish fae seducer whose touch is addictive, and whose lovers waste away pining for him.

Kelpies. Scottish water horses. A gorgeous horse appears by a loch, you climb on, your hands stick to its hide, and it drags you under. Some can take human form.

Redcaps. Murderous goblins from the Scottish Borders who dye their hats in their victims’ blood, and have to keep killing or the color dries out. Holly Black’s books use them well.

The Dullahan. An Irish headless rider who carries his own head under his arm. When he stops and says your name, you die.

The Sluagh. The host of the unforgiven dead, flying in from the west in flocks, trying to get in through open windows to take the dying. Very much Unseelie.

The Wild Hunt. A spectral hunting party that rides across the sky on stormy nights, led by a fae king or a god, depending on who’s telling it. Seeing it is an omen. Joining it is worse.

The ones that aren’t technically fae but always get included

Pookas (púca). Irish shapeshifters, often a black horse or a goat, who take riders on wild night rides. Sometimes they bring luck, sometimes ruin.

Selkies. Seals who shed their skins to walk as humans. Steal the skin and you can keep one as a spouse, until they find it again. One of the saddest stories in the whole tradition.

How books use all of this

Most romantasy flattens these into a single species of beautiful, dangerous immortals, then sprinkles the rest in as monsters. That’s fine. But if you want books that go back to the strange, scary folklore version, start with The Cruel Prince, Darkfever and House of Hollow.

Naming a character? Try our list of fae names.