Comparison of the Idea of Fairyland in Peter Pan and in William Allingham’s Poem the Fairies
Fairies have maintained a persistent presence in literature throughout human history and references can be dated back to 1000 BC where in the Iliad, Homer describes how “watery fairies dance in mazy rings.”
This is an indication that the notion of the fairy and it’s environment is heavily entrenched throughout the different cultures of the world and occupies a place in written history that skews the boarders of reality and make believe, where the point of fact and myth begin to blur.
This ambiguity represents a fascination within society to attempt to understand and explore the world by presenting the natural and supernatural side by side. A later historical example of this is the Medieval period that introduced texts such as Beowulf and the Arthurial legends that created a romanticism that is intertwined with the country’s history where actual fact becomes debated.
This romanticism was a clear interest in the 19th Century where an interest in supernatural lands, particularly those of the fairy became apparent through western culture, but were particularly noted in English and Irish literature.
The reasoning behind this interest is partially attributed to the expansion of the British Empire that sparked a sense of superiority and patriotism that saw the country rewrite it’s own history to emphasise the power and romanticism behind the building of an Empire. This is apparent in much of the artwork throughout the Houses of Parliament.
This sense of national identity also developed throughout Ireland during its occupation by the English where writers and in particular William Allingham used fairies and the fairy world to establish the origins of Ireland and give it it’s identity as a country.
Another reason behind this resurgence is the progression of the Industrial Revolution. It is here that a clear division between nature and the industrial world was defined and in essence created two separate worlds that created a nostalgia for a past steeped in folk
This is an indication that the notion of the fairy and it’s environment is heavily entrenched throughout the different cultures of the world and occupies a place in written history that skews the boarders of reality and make believe, where the point of fact and myth begin to blur.
This ambiguity represents a fascination within society to attempt to understand and explore the world by presenting the natural and supernatural side by side. A later historical example of this is the Medieval period that introduced texts such as Beowulf and the Arthurial legends that created a romanticism that is intertwined with the country’s history where actual fact becomes debated.
This romanticism was a clear interest in the 19th Century where an interest in supernatural lands, particularly those of the fairy became apparent through western culture, but were particularly noted in English and Irish literature.
The reasoning behind this interest is partially attributed to the expansion of the British Empire that sparked a sense of superiority and patriotism that saw the country rewrite it’s own history to emphasise the power and romanticism behind the building of an Empire. This is apparent in much of the artwork throughout the Houses of Parliament.
This sense of national identity also developed throughout Ireland during its occupation by the English where writers and in particular William Allingham used fairies and the fairy world to establish the origins of Ireland and give it it’s identity as a country.
Another reason behind this resurgence is the progression of the Industrial Revolution. It is here that a clear division between nature and the industrial world was defined and in essence created two separate worlds that created a nostalgia for a past steeped in folk
Bibliography: Barrie, J. M. (2008 [1995]) Peter Pan and Other Plays. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Greenhalgh, S. (2009) ‘Drama’ in Maybin, J. and Watson, N. J. (eds) Children’s Literature: Approaches and Territories. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 267-280. McGough, R. (ed) (2002 [2001]) 100 Best Poems for Children. London, Puffin. Peter Pan, film, directed by P. J. Hogan, USA, Universal Pictures 2003. Rose. J. (2009) ‘Peter Pan and the Spectacle of the Child’ in Montgomery, H. and Watson, N. J. (eds) Children’s Literature: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 145-152. White, D. R. and Tarr, C. A. (2009) ‘Peter Pan and the Pantomime Tradition’ in Montgomery, H. and Watson, N. J. (eds) Children’s Literature: Classic Texts and Contemporary Trends. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 164-172. Yeats, William Butler, The Celtic Twilight: Faerie and Folklore (2004), Dover Publications “In Fairyland or Thereabout”: The Fairy as Nationalist Symbol in Irish Literature By and After William Allingham, Cassandra Schell