Impossible Tasks & the Fae

My research has been delving into the folklore of mortal dealings with the Fae. References to the performance of tasks, is common in folklore, see the Thompson Motif Index for an example of “Tests” present in folklore. In modern fantasy an traditional fairytales, three (also a commonly tool for repetition in fairytales) tasks or quests is often the number required by a mortal to complete in order to achieve the predetermined goal.

In a new short story, I was interested in presenting the three tasks in impossible nature of the Fae, tasks which no mortal could be expected to endure, or tasks which, if completed successfully, would render irreversible harm to the mortal who completed them. I was interested too, in a way the Fae might silence anyone who successfully completed the tasks and therefore, defeated them.

In choosing the mortal who could endure all manner of tasks, which would be irreversible punishments, I chose someone to whom the Fae would also inherently fear and respect to a degree. The role of bards in ancient societies was more than provide entertainment, they provided record keeping, biographical accounts of battles or certain heroes and could as easily turn opinion against someone as turn it in their favour. The traits most important to any man able to support a family including a bard, is the strength or health of his body, the fine-tuned senses of touch in hands on instruments and the ability to sing. The completion of three tasks would require the mortal to endure tests that could permanently disfigure or damage but not to outright kill. These were some of the darker aspects that impossible tasks could take when mortals made deals with the Fae, a reason why such battles were rarely won or, as my story suggested, kept silent if they did succeed.