A Fairy Waving Her Magic Wand Across a Stormy Sea
Murray, Amelia Jane
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Fairy Wands

Today we tend to think of a wand as an essential piece of equipment for any self-respecting fairy. We're unlikely to buy a fairy costume without also buying a magic wand. However this seems to be a relatively new tradition. Where did it originate?

Early fairies were inherently magical, often intimately connected with nature. Their powers were part of their make up and they didn't need wands or any other devices. Even fairy dust is a relatively modern addition to their archetype.

I'm not saying that traditional fairies never used wands, however there don't seem to be any easily available examples. Wands were mainly used by magicians and other mortals attempting to harness powers that were not theirs by birth. Fairies simply didn't need such things.

Those with a Freudian turn of mind might consider that the "wand" has often been a symbol of power associated with the male mage whereas fairies are more usually depicted as female.

The concept of the fairy wand appears to have become established via the concept of the fairy godmother from Cinderella. The fairy godmother in this story was much more a "worker of magic" than the inherently "magical creature" of old.

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