Fairy Queen
The title borne by the sovereign of Fairy Land in post-medieval Arthurian romances.
Introduction#
The Fairy Queen is the sovereign ruler of Fairy Land in several post-medieval Arthurian romances. Unlike the queens of the medieval Arthurian tradition, the Fairy Queen reigns over an enchanted realm inhabited by fairies and other supernatural beings.
The Title#
The title is most famously associated with Gloriana, the central figure of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, though it is also borne by Caelia in Richard Johnson’s Tom a Lincolne.
Gloriana#
In The Faerie Queene, Gloriana rules Fairy Land and sends her knights on quests to uphold the virtues. Although she appears only briefly, she serves as the spiritual and political centre of the poem and allegorically represents Queen Elizabeth I.
Caelia#
In Tom a Lincolne, the title is held by Caelia, who likewise reigns over Fairy Land. Although Johnson’s romance differs greatly from Spenser’s allegorical epic, it continues the Renaissance tradition of linking the Arthurian world with the realm of the fairies.
In the Arthurian Tradition#
The formal title “Fairy Queen” is largely absent from the medieval Arthurian romances, where fairy rulers are usually identified by their personal names rather than by a formal royal title. During the Renaissance, however, the Fairy Queen became an enduring symbol of wisdom, beauty, and supernatural authority, reflecting changing literary tastes and the growing influence of allegory and courtly symbolism.
Sources#
The Faerie Queene | Edmund Spenser, 1570-1599
Tom a Lincolne | Richard Johnson, 1599–1607
