Story and Photos by Alicia Greenwell
Faerieworlds Summer Celebration alighted in Eugene this weekend with all of its annual magic. The festival, held from July 30 through August 1, draws all sorts of winged creatures, including faeries both good and bad. Ethos ventured into the flurry to interview some of the “good” faeries about their time darting among the Springfield hills. See what mischief the bad faeries were up to.
Amber Jeanneret
Faerie Experience: Two years
Faerie Name: Ayden, which means little fire in Celtic. Also someone came up and to me and called me the Rainbow Goddess.
Attraction to Faerieworlds: I am big into the free-loving life.
Costume: I made the wings yesterday in my tent with hand dyed fabric. I am a seamstress so it’s an excuse to make a costume.
Characteristics of a Good Faerie: A good faerie is a faerie that isn’t malicious. Faeries are mischievous by nature, but they do good things for others. Just because you wear white doesn’t make you a good faerie.
Vivianne Mosck-Clark
Faerie Experience: Two years
Faerie Name: Vivianne
Attraction to Faerieworlds: The Faeries.
Costume: I made the hair and the top.
Characteristics of a Good Faerie: Positive actions.
Ryan Georgi
Faerie Experience: Four years
Faerie Name: I really don’t like names. I view them as labels.
Attraction to Faerieworlds: It’s a different style of music that compels me to shake a different part of my body so it’s great.
Costume: A costume should evolve. Four years ago my wings had the same shape but they looked different. The goggles have stayed the same but this year I decided they needed feathers. The scarf I bought here, way back when, about three years ago. The arm socks I made myself. I bought this t-shirt at a thrift store. The shorts, I picked them up at a hiking store because they dry quick. And I am living out of an airplane so I need to wash in sinks. Oh and after taking a belly dancing class I got around to buying a real jingle bell and I am really loving that.
Characteristics of a Good Faerie: A good faerie is akin to the guardian angel of the natural world. Trees, plants, rocks, streams, mountains, lakes, and rivers – good faeries watch over all these and keep them safe.
Xyara
Faerie Experience: Year-round faerie
Faerie Name: Xyara
Attraction to Faerieworlds: Well you see I am actually a street performer by profession. I live down in Ashland and I keep a roof over my head by dressing up as a faerie and playing woodland music on the streets down there. So Faerieworld is kind of like playtime for people who may live like me a day out of the year or all year.
Costume: It is bits and pieces put together over the years. The bodice was made by a friend of mine that I used to work with at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival ages ago; bits of leather left from when you make leather roses hang from my waist; magnolia seed pods, feathers, and yucca seed pods in my hair. I mean it really is just places I’ve been. Mount Shasta lichen is in there. It is stories that you wear on your skin.
Characteristics of a Good Faerie: For me a good faerie is someone who scatters seeds of magic to the world. I think we all have good faerie potential and action in side of us. It is a matter of letting it blossom. It’s that sparkle.
See more examples of forest glen glamour in the Summer 2010 article Fashionista Faeries.
