It is very true that faeries in folklore and history were not known to be sweet or sparkly.
Actually Tinkerbell, whose name is more correctly spelled Tinker Bell, couldn't accurately be described as the kind-hearted "Good Fairy."
J. M. Barrie's diminutive fictional fairy, Tinker Bell, first appeared in Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and later in the play's 1911 novelization, Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. Tinker Bell is called "Tink" for short. In the novelization, Tinker Bell is described as a "common fairy," probably meaning she is not so grand as a Faerie Queen or a faery princess.
However, the nature of Tinker Bell can best be described by a term coined by Alan Lee and Brian Froud in Faeries back in the 70's...."faerie-perverse."
As J. M. Barrie, himself, explained:
Tink was not all bad: or, rather, she was all bad just now, but, on the other hand, sometimes she was all good. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for one feeling only at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change.Her nature is typically faerie-perverse for she can alternatively be benign or malicious. Tinker Bell is helpful and kind to Peter Pan, whom she adores as her favorite human. Yet, she can rather quickly turn ill-tempered and vindictive. Many forget that Tinker Bell attempted the murder of Wendy by telling the Lost Boys that the Wendy-in-flight was a dangerous bird. When questioned about this misdeed, Tinker Bell does not lie and does not express remorse.
Nothing sweet about that behavior.
On stage, Tinker Bell was visually represented in Barrie's original stage productions, by a little darting circle of light created by a simple special effect of using a small hand held mirror off-stage. This little mirror reflectied light from a powerful lamp. Barrie's Tinker Bell didn't actually sparkle, but she did glow. Her "fairy dust" did make it possible for children to fly.
Like an actual tinker, Tinker Bell is a common fairy who mended pots and kettles. Her voice consisted of the sounds of tinkling bells. In the play, her speech was another special effect created by "a collar of bells." Her words were only understandable to those characters familiar with the language of the fairies.
Barrie's Tinker Bell was not an immortal fairy. In the 1911 novelization, Peter Pan returned from Neverland to London to visit Wendy in London. Wendy noticed that Tinker Bell did not accompany Peter during this trip. When she asked him where Tinker Bell was, Peter replied that he did not know anyone by the name "Tinker Bell," explained by the fact that he does not remember her after the little fairy died. (Peter Pan has many attributes of the Fae as well.)
The 1953 animated version of Tinker Bell in Disney's Peter Pan is the one most people remember.
In Disney's film, Tinker Bell is specifically referred to as a "pixie. " Artist Marc Davis illustrated Tinker Bell as an attractive, large-eyed young, blonde haired, glowing, caucasian being. She had four insect wings and a thin insect-like "girly hour glass figure." She was attired with a short grass-green tunic and green slippers. Davis' Tinker Bell left a trail of small amounts of sparkly "pixie dust" as she flitted and moved about. Disney's animated version of Tinker Bell is intended to look cute.
Yet, cute Tinker Bell in this movie is also portrayed as faerie-perverse. Her attempted murder of Wendy by getting the Lost Boys to shoot arrows at Wendy was likewise depicted in the Disney film. Even though the plan failed, "Tink" actually had enough sparkly balls to look pleased with her own cleverness to form such a plot, when Peter Pan confronted her about it.
The Disney movie tries to play off the attempted murder plot as the actions of a typical jealous female. Indicating that any human female might do the same for the dashing and handsome Peter Pan. Aside from the fact that Wendy doesn't ever attempt to "accidentally" finish Tink off with a fly-swatter indicates that attempted murder is not a typical jealous female reaction. Besides, humans know how to cleverly lie when caught; Tinker Bell doesn't even try to lie.
Why is Disney's Tinker Bell popular? Tinker Bell has been featured in opening program credits and in television commercial, smiling and sprinkling pixie dust with a wand for more than 50 years. She is cute; she is magical; and she can fly. The sparkly pixie dust is a bonus. Not surprisingly, little girls would like to pretend to be able to fly, vanish, and make sparkly magic.
I have not seen the 2008 computer animated film Tinker Bell which revolves around the animated version Tinker Bell with her fairy friends. The movie is based on the Disney Fairies franchise produced by DisneyToon Studios.
copyright 2013 Myth Woodling