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Pagan Holy Days such as Midsummer's Eve and Samain were renowned for fairy attentions, as they gathered around ceremonial flames. Hearths, in particular, served as homes for numerous types of faeries. Bringing wealth and gifts to their masters, they are excellent workers in farmyards, workshops, kennels, or stables. Should you be so lucky as to have one residing in your home, take care to provide prompt and proper gratitude. Fire spirits reflect the volatile nature of their element and can become quite hostile when they feel slighted.
Salamanders
The strongest and most
powerful of the elementals, Salamanders are the spirit of fire.
Without them, fire cannot exist. Their assistance is required
for creating even the smallest bit of flame, even that on a match.
Their help can be invited, but they can be mischevious. A slighted
Salamander may cause fires to burn out of control, especially since
they don't fully comprehend the results of their actions.
Typically they are represented as lizards, though they are
sometimes pictured in a more typical fairy fashion or as small balls
of light. Salamanders are reported to possess the ability to change
their size at will, either extending or diminishing as they please.
Drakes are typically described as smallish cousins to dragons. Like some of the
bigger animals, they breathe fire. This trait, in turn, results in their
odiforous quality which has been described as a cross between a chicken coop and
rotten eggs.
They are benevolent creatures, who, when residing in a human domicile, will keep
the firewood dry and bless the hearth. Drakes expect their kindness to be
returned and react negatively to human mistreatment. When not residing with a
human, they are usually found in wood piles or deep in an ancient forest.
Typically they are nocturnal, being most active from nightfall until shortly
after dawn.
Fire Drakes
Barry Taylor , used with permission.
Graphics © Selkywolf's Den