Editing Fairy (section)

== Descriptions ==
Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having [[Magic (supernatural)|magical]] powers. Diminutive fairies of various kinds have been reported through centuries, ranging from quite tiny to the size of a human.<ref name="Briggs3">Briggs (1976) p. 98.</ref> These small sizes could be magically assumed, rather than constant.<ref name="Yeats1">Yeats (1988) p. 2.</ref> Some smaller fairies could expand their figures to imitate humans.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/livesnecromance04godwgoog|title=Lives of the Necromancers|author=William Godwin|year=1876|page=20}}</ref> On [[Orkney]], fairies were described as short in stature, dressed in dark grey, and sometimes seen in [[armour]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.orkneyjar.com/folklore/fairicks/f3.htm|title=Orkneyjar – Descriptions of the Fairy Folk}}</ref> In some folklore, fairies have green eyes. Some depictions of fairies show them with footwear, others as [[barefoot]]. Wings, while common in Victorian and later artworks, are rare in folklore; fairies flew by means of magic, sometimes perched on [[Senecio|ragwort]] stems or the backs of birds.<ref name="Briggs4">Briggs (1976) p. 148.</ref> Modern illustrations often include [[dragonfly]] or [[butterfly]] wings.<ref>Briggs (1976), The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature, p. 249.</ref>