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Faerie folklore is common
throughout Europe.
Faeries are part of the Indo
European heritage of the Celtic cultures. One etymology
relates the word to the Persian peri. In Persian mythology, peris are descended from fallen angels who have been denied paradise until they have done penance. In earlier sources they are described as agents of evil; later, they are benevolent. They are exquisite, winged, fairy-like creatures ranking between angels and evil spirits who sometimes visit the realm of mortals.
In other etymologies the word
is related to the Latin Fata referring to the goddess of fate.
Irish faeries were not the
sweet and pretty flower faeries of popular lore. They are
remnants of a pantheon of gods worshiped in the distant past.
Geographical features referred to as fairy mounds are
most often Iron Age or even Neolithic sacred sites, testifying
to the persistence of folk beliefs. Up until the last
generation people carefully avoided what they considered to be
faerie territory for fear of reprisals.
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This
piece is strung with onyx and pearl but is also available with
a silver chain
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