Category:Pixies

Historical Background
In British folklore (specifically from Cornwall and Devon), pixies are diminutive spirit-like humanoids with insectoid wings. They were thought to reside in downs and moors and were known for playing tricks on people. Among their routine tricks were to steal horses and ride them across the moors at night, stealing objects from residences, throwing objects at people, and misleading travelers (“being led by pixies”) or sometimes luring people away to disappear forever. Pixies are said to be repulsed by silver.

Pixies were not all antagonistic. They were thought to perform household chores at any time of day if respected and given gifts of food or milk. Pixies are also known for pixie dust (fairy dust), a sparkling residual found trailing behind them.

The pixie’s origin has multiple versions. The general version is they were but one of many spirits that inhabited Britain without any particular backstory. After Christianity took hold on the island, the pixie’s origin changed to be Celtic druids who refused to convert to Christianity and grew progressively smaller the more they resisted conversion. Another origin story portrayed pixies as spirit beings that were morally neutral and thus unable to be accepted into heaven or cast into hell, thus being forced to roam the earth for eternity.

Pixie is also the origin of the word pixilated, which means confused, crazy, bewildered, or acting whimsical. Despite the close appearance, it is not the origin of the word pixel and term pixelated. Pixel derives from “pix element”, with pix being a common abbreviation for pictures in the 20th century.