When you think of a fairy, what image do you hold in your head? Most of us think to Disney movies (where we first get most of our fairy tales from) and imagine a very small, delicate little person. Someone light enough to stand on the tip of your finger without you having to put much effort into holding him or her up. They fly, with wings similar to an insect or butterfly and are usually accompanied by glitter of some sort. They are cute, kind little beings, right? Well that may be how they are seen today, but their origins were very very different.

fairy

The original folklore surrounding fairies described them as being either short and troll-like, or tall and beautiful like an angel. Their origins are unknown, and speculation ranges from them being types of angels, to demons, to otherworldly dead things, to an unknown species. It is also unclear as to whether or not the idea of fairies came about due to a lost old religion, or were a portrayal of a conquered people. The lists of traits they had is even more impressive and confusing than where they may or may not have come from.

Unlike fairies today, they had no wings and flew with the use of magic’s. They could shape shift as well. It was thought that their size was not a fixed state, but something that they could change at will to suit their needs. It was the same with their appearance and overall form. The people of the times mainly wrote stories about fairies as guides for protection against them. What charms and herbs to wear in order to keep them away. Apparently, fairies would readily steal your children, and sometimes leave a replacement creature disguised as what they had taken; changelings. One can’t help but wonder how many babies had to go missing in that time before the explanation of fairies as the culprits came about. One can’t help but wonder if little people infairy costumes were really responsible.

May we reconvene under the blood red moon,
-Black Widow

When you bring up the words ‘Wild West’ in your head a few things pop into mind. Gold rushes, horses, cattle drives, buffalo, gun fights, and saloons, are all things greatly associated with this time in united states history when the people were encouraged to leave the east coast and move west. But even more so than all of those things are the stories of cowboys and indians that later spawned many hundreds of movies and televisions shows (many featuring John wayne).

Cow Couple

So why not be a denizen of the wild west this upcoming Halloween? It’s a little more politically correct to be a cowboy instead of a Native American ‘indian’, but if you’re going to a private party and your friends don’t have any qualms about what is politically correct or not, then go for it.

Long dark hair, and tanned skin is characteristic of ‘Indians’, so if you already have those features it will make your costume that much more authentic. There are many different types of costumes to purchase that feature different types of suede-looking fabrics, and colorful jewelry for both men and women. If you wanted to add a little extra something, you could research the war paint that different tribes wore and paint your face accordingly.

If you prefer to be a cowboy (or girl) however, there are also lots of different ways to dress as one. Cowboys ranged from general ranchers with chaps, ten gallon hats, and boots with spurs to bounty hunter types with long black trench coats, to the criminals of the wild west that would highjack entire trains in order to steal what was aboard. The difference between a criminal and a normal cowboy (costume-wise) can be as simple as putting a bandana over your nose and mouth and donning an awesome leather coat. So adding accessories to your costume can be the make or break between what you’re trying to portray. Have a little fun with it!