Venditrice di amorini, fresco from Villa Arianna, Stabiae (National Archaeological Museum, Naples), this fresco was buried in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.
It has come to my attention that certain researchers into the paranormal have turned their backs upon the fairy Tinkerbell, on the grounds that she is a fairy who is depicted as winged. More learned authors than I object to this portrayal of a fairy as inaccurate, their argument being that extant historical documents describing fairy encounters do not mention wings.
Leaving aside that all that could change in an instant with the discovery of new documents, or research showing that certain traditionally winged entities should be classified as fairies, let’s take a closer look at Tinkerbell.
Tinkerbell is a character in J. M. Barrie’s children’s classic “Peter Pan”, published in 1904. She is an ally of Peter Pan, leader of the lost boys, and resides in “Neverland”. Both of these flying characters form an affective, tutelary relationship with Wendy (a girl on the verge of pubescence who’s mother has died). Wendy travels to Neverland from her bedroom by means of flight.
The themes of abduction (often by flight), affectionate/sexual relationships between humans and otherworldly beings, bedroom encounters, altered states of consciousness, and other worldly teaching entities cluster in human images and narratives as far into our past as we can see. One element occurs again and again in these depictions, here’s a selection.
Lascaux Bird Shaman, estimated date of 17,000 BP
Psyche depicted in the third century AD sporting her traditional butterfly wings, Cupid prefers to fly on feathers
Bedroom Visitation – Annunciation by the Master of Flemalle, 1420’s
Mantid Alien – while commentators have always focused on the compelling black eyes of the alien depicted on the cover of Strieber’s classic book, and rightly so, i would like to point out that many mantids sport spectacular wings
Ghost Dog is a Mystery Box 
I have always had a crush on Tinkerbell, beginning when I was about five.
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