Faeries Common and uncommon weaknesses: Iron - Iron is one of the oldest and most traditional weaknesses of faeries. In pop culture you don't see it used too often as a weakness but it's started to slowly get a foothold with things like Disney's Gargoyles (TV series) in which Oberon was wounded with iron, Puck was restrained by iron, and so was Coyote. Iron is also how King Stefan was able to cut off Maleficent's wings in the film Maleficent. In most folklore iron is the only metal that can cause human-like injuries to a faery and usually a part cut off with iron cannot be restored. Iron chains can be used to restrain a faery or restrict their magick. And an iron dagger (if inducing a serious injury) might be fatal to a faery as magick will not heal that injury. They would have to recover as a mortal would. Iron being a weakness of faeries is why horseshoes are believed to be lucky and why people used to hang iron scissors over babies as they slept, so that a faery would not steal the child. In Marvel Heroes MMORPG if you fight the Dark Elves they will sometimes cry out "They must have deadly iron!" Iron is a common weakness of faeries and elves (in some folklore, particularly Nordic). Iron is a weakness of the Dark Elves in the Marvel comic books (but not so much in the movies). In some lore the mere contact with iron will burn while in others it requires an actual injury to do harm. In some fictions even the ringing of an iron bell will hurt a faery. In some lore the mere contact with iron will burn while in others it requires an actual injury to do harm. In some fictions even the ringing of an iron bell will hurt a faery. True names - In some folklore if you know a faery's true name you can summon or even enslave the faery. Calling a faery's true name three times will usually compel that faery to appear. It's the notion that names have power and so faeries never give their young common names that helped create such folkloric figures as Rumplestiltskin (who was a literal faery / imp in his faery tale). Calling out Toot's true name three times is how Harry Dresden summoned him in the first Dresden Files novel. And in Once Upon a Time Belle was able to summon Mr. Gold / Rumplestiltskin in season 4 by calling his name three times. This lore has trickled into ghost stories like Bloody Mary, The Candyman movie franchise and, of course, Beetlejuice. Sweets - Many faeries crave sweets. It won't hurt them but they do crave it and can be used to lure some types of faeries into traps. Gold - in the Rare exception of the Dullahan (headless Horsem*n) gold will ward them off. Lemons - Apparently in some modern lore faeries do not like lemons for some reason. Truth - Many faeries in folklore cannot out right lie. They can deceive through careful wording but they cannot directly lie. This is hinted at with some of Rumplestiltskin's dealings in Once Upon a Time and comes up in many folktales. Note: I thought about adding decapitation and fire to this list but I'm not sure about those...
FAQs
Common and not-so-common weaknesses: Faeries? ›
Sweets - Many faeries crave sweets. It won't hurt them but they do crave it and can be used to lure some types of faeries into traps. Gold - in the Rare exception of the Dullahan (headless Horsem*n) gold will ward them off. Lemons - Apparently in some modern lore faeries do not like lemons for some reason.
What are common Fae weaknesses? ›There are three main weaknesses that creatures in the Fae Wyld have: Cold Iron, Thresholds, and Running Water. Cold Iron: "Cold Iron" typically refers to iron that has been forged into a weapon, but all non-magical pure iron has a supernatural effect against Fae creatures.
What are mythological fairies weaknesses? ›Fey (fairies, bogarts and other Celtic creatures) can't deal with cold iron. Other magical creatures have other weaknesses. Werewolves can be harmed by silver.
Do fairies have any predators or weaknesses? ›Fairies are commonly harmed by iron in folklore. Fairies are pure creatures susceptible to pollution and toxins. Fairies are creatures of forests, and can not do much against fire. Fairy is not very effective against Fire.
What are the bad traits of fairies? ›Fairies of folklore were blamed for all manner of mischief and ills, ranging from petty vandalism and theft to outright murder and kidnap. They would frequently be blamed for causing livestock to grow sick or die. They would lead travelers astray at night or lure men to their doom near ponds and rivers.
What do the Fae not like? ›The Fey hate Iron. Don't carry Iron on you unless you want them to avoid you. Never stand in a Fairy Ring. Fairy rings are the rings of mushrooms that sometimes grow where a tree has died, and they're also portals that highly powerful Fae have created to the realm of Tír na nÓg.
What metal are Fae weak to? ›Rule 1 of Fairies: They hate iron. This takes different shapes in different folklore and pop culture. Fairies might be repelled by iron, burned by it, only able to die to an iron weapon, be unable to cross under an iron horseshoe, or simply dislike it and find it irritating.
What metal can fae not touch? ›Weapons and implements made from cold iron are often granted special efficacy against creatures such as fairies and spirits. In the Disney film Maleficent, the title character reveals early on that iron is lethal to fairies, and that the metal burns them on contact.
What are fairy type advantages and weaknesses? ›Fairy-type attacks are strong against: Fighting, Dragon and Dark-type Pokémon. Fairy-type Pokémon are weak to: Poison and Steel-type attacks.
What is Tinkerbell's weakness? ›Tinkerbell's weaknesses include the following: ☁ Iron burns her skin. ☁She can almost sense four-leaf clovers, &subconsciously avoids them. Her body automatically pulls her away.
What is a male fairy called? ›
“Fairy” is a non-gendered word, unless an individual fantasy author makes it different for their story. “Nymph,” on the other hand, is feminine. The original meaning of the word was “bride.” And “satyr” is male, though late in antiquity artists made up “satyresses.”
Are fairies weak to bug? ›Fairy Types Resist Bug-, Dark- & Fighting-Type Moves And Are Immune To Dragon. As Fairy-type moves are super effective against Dark, Fighting, and Dragon types, casual fans would expect these to be the three types that Fairy Pokémon resist.
What do fairies want from humans? ›Fairies love shiny things, particularly things no one else seems to want, like old buttons, charms and paperclips. They don't however like human money. That is why they like to give it away when they collect your teeth.
What is the scariest fae? ›- 8 Bendith Y Mamau.
- 7 Bannik.
- 6 Fachan.
- 5 Sluagh.
- 4 Berberoka.
- 3 Red Cap.
- 2 Ankou.
- 1 Storm Hag.
These 'fairy folk' who used 'magical' tactics were armed with bronze, which was no match for the iron blades of the invaders. Therefore, iron became known as the enemy of the 'fairy folk.
Are fairies fallen angels? ›Writing in 1887, Lady Jane Wilde popularised the Irish belief that: fairies are the fallen angels who were cast down by the Lord God out of heaven for their sinful pride…and the devil gives to these knowledge and power and sends them on earth where they work much evil.
How do you outsmart the Fae? ›- Accepting a gift. Don't accept – shoot the damn thing and take the item off its corpse.
- Thanking it for a gift. Again, just shoot it with your crossbow.
- Stealing something from it. Easy – it won't bind you to a contract if it's dead.
- Killing someone who owes them.
This opposition is so overwhelming that they have, in effect, and allergy to the heaviest minerals--particularly iron, which is so abundant in the earth. When the world was young, and all the spirits of the world were more 'awake' than they are now, the Faeries brokered a deal with Iron.
What happens if you anger a Fae? ›If someone annoys a Fae sufficiently, they will generally take an elaborate revenge upon that person at some point in the future, sometimes taking decades to plan it. In the interim, their victim is marked with a curse, warning other Creatures not to mess with that person until they've had their go.
What are Fae characteristics? ›Fairies, a classification of faerie or fae, are usually small magical creatures that mainly look like humans. However, there are a few exceptions to their appearance like wings, webbed hands and feet, green or blue skin, pointed ears, and no nose. Fairy folklore dates back centuries to the Middle Ages in Europe.