Fairy-like magical creatures have existed in mythology and folk tales since ancient times. These include the nymphs of Greek mythology—creatures like fairies who have a strong connection to nature. There are also the djinns of Middle Eastern literature who have the power to grant wishes; the most famous of these appears in the story “Aladdin” from the work One Thousand and One Nights. The term “fairy” likely came about in Europe in the Middle Ages, signifying a magical creature that looked like a human and had a penchant for mischief. Folktales about fairies became popular during this time.

During England’s Renaissance, fairies made their way into literature. In 1596, Edmund Spenser wrote his famous epic poem The Faerie Queen, in which the fairy of the title represented Queen Elizabeth. At around this time, Shakespeare also wrote the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which featured fairies as important characters. The popularity of fairies in literature of the period shows that they ignited the imaginations of the public then, and they are still popular to this day. Fairies have a long history compared to other fantasy creatures in English literature.

The author of Granted, John David Anderson, uses some traditional characteristics about fairies for his characters, though he changes a few.