Fairyland, the abode of the fairies, traditionally equated to Faerie, a locus of strong and impessive magical powers, but has tended in modern times to become trivialised as a sort of Never-Never Land , an uncomplicated, child-like world.
Many old tales and songs make refernce to travels is Fairyland, often called Elfland, and the land is protrayed in a variety of ways, most commonly as mystical and benevolent, but also at times as sinister and wicked. The mysteriousness of the land, and its otherworldly powers are a source of scepticism and distrust in many tales. Examples of journeys to the realm include the ballad "Thomas the Rhymer" and the fairy tale "Childe Rowland", the latter being a particularly negative view of the land.
Compare: fictional country
Fairyland is also a book by Paul McAuley.
