The Waters And The Wild

[pyrrhiccomedy]

The Waters And The Wild - England, Edwin of Northumbria, and some fairies.
England's boyhood conversion to Christianity was peaceful (on the whole), but that doesn't mean he's happy about it; and the fairies who had given him so much want to know what he's going to do for them.
Genre: Cute/Creepy.
624 CE. PG.

Comments

This is interesting

[meridienvob]

I don't know what the creepiness was but all in all I love this fic. The ending brought tears to my eye for some reason. It's just so endearing.

Re: This is interesting

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Well, I'm glad you liked it! =D I think the creepiness is pretty YMMV. I am glad the sweetness came through for you!

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Yay, I'm so happy you like it! =D

England is a bit of an odd duck, and I figure his close friendship with a bunch of malicious, murdering Christmas lights has got to have played some part in that.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Only if they sang off-key!

[abceza123]

The ending brought a teeny tear to my eye.
And I know what you mean about British folkloric creatures being either child eating, wife murdering, spiteful or just plain creepy. :3 I think it's something it has in common with Japanese folklore where you just rarely get harmless or helpful creatures.

This also totally fits my headcannon of England always sort of being really a pagan deep down. >.>

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Seriously, you know? British folklore is full of kidnapping and cannibalism. It's all I can think of when I see all the ~lol, happy fairies!~ art with him. XD

This also totally fits my headcannon of England always sort of being really a pagan deep down. >.>

Personally, I like to tie England's deep-down paganism in to Henry VIII and the establishment of the Anglican Church; I like to imagine Henry going "Hey, my country, is it cool if I make a new church just so I can marry as many babes as I want?" and England's just like "...Sure, whatever. *fairies fairies fairies*"

[abceza123]

I personally like Kelpies, really anything that eats children. And the urm...spectral black dogs that are from all over UK and are either evil omen of death or helpful creatures who protect women and children on dark nights.
In my town, we have a creature/hag/witch-thing called Peg Powler that lives in the river Tees and drags children to their deaths. And whenever I tell anyone who doesn't live in Teeside that I'm from Teeside they go "YOU LIVE WHERE PEG POWLER IS!" and I'm all "LOLWHUT"

[pyrrhiccomedy]

the urm...spectral black dogs that are from all over UK and are either evil omen of death or helpful creatures who protect women and children on dark nights.

Barghest! =D

Man, I wish I had a mythical creature that would drag away all of my annoying neighborhood children. >_>

[minuiko]

Oh man, England's fairies are creepy (not the ones in your story, the ones in your story are quite warm, and they make the story). Especially their interaction with little England, ahh. Perfect ending, it had a quality of... well, epicness, great things to come, which little England surely needs.

Favorite. Line. Ever. "but he gave up after eight minutes, because it was boring and he didn't really mean most of it." Of course I thought of France and Spain mostly.

I don't really remember much of this time period (although I am currently reading Augustine's Confessions for school), but wonderful fic.

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Oh man, England's fairies are creepy (not the ones in your story, the ones in your story are quite warm, and they make the story).

I'm convinced that the fairies England sees mostly show up as happy twinkly pretty fairies, instead of blood-mawed little bastards, just to keep England on their side. Fairies are dicks like that.

Of course I thought of France and Spain mostly.

They're who I immediately thought of as well!

I'm so glad you liked the fic! Thank you for reading! ♥

[tanya_tsuki]

That was certainly a different take on England with his fairies. I loved it <3

"You…seem displeased."

England heard that a lot, about nearly everything.

This made me chuckle because I can so see it XD

[pyrrhiccomedy]

Just because England can see fairies and likes fairies does not, I think, change the fact that British fairies are creepy murdering bastards.

And England was just as disgruntled with life as a ten year old as he is today, I'm sure of it. ♥

[tanya_tsuki]

Too true.
I have to say, I do wonder where the image of a peaceful, happy fairy came from. Most folklore I can think of does have some sort of creepiness behind it.

And England was just as disgruntled with life as a ten year old as he is today, I'm sure of it. ♥
It had to start sometime~ ♥

Re:

[pyrrhiccomedy]

My gut says it started during the Victorian era? But I might just be making that up. I sure can't think of any European folk traditions that aren't creepy, bloody, nihilistic, or all of the above.