Celtic Folklore [Fairies]
The Fairies of Ireland will be the topic of today's educational blog post
Firstly while I will be using the term Fairies in this blog post for continuity, the Irish refrain from calling them the Fae or Fairies and Prefer to call them " The Good People' or " The Little People"
The Fairies of the Emerald Isles were said to reside in a parallel universe to that of the mundane world.
Usually stated to be underground the realm of the Fairies is said to be mostly invisible to humans. The Fairies of Irish folklore are unlike the Fairies found within the writings of Disney and Winx Club.
They are of a darker brood, Still Majestic and Beautiful even awe inspiring, but some are dangerous and uncaring of the mortals they Encounter in their tales.
Let us go over some of the most well known Irish Fairies in their Folklore
- Pooka
- Dullahan
- Changelings
- Banshees
- Leprechaun
The Pooka: Commonly Referred to as Puca, it is a type of shape shifter in Irish Folklore which takes the shape of Animals or Humans with animal Features. Depending on the Area of Ireland they are seen as either helpful or they cause havoc wherever they step.
Dullahan: Also known as the Headless Horseman. The Dullahan is a malevolent harbinger of death. It is said to be the embodiment of Crom Dubh, a fertility god who demanded blood sacrifice in the form of decapitation.
Changelings: A fairy that was left in place of a human child or baby who had been stolen by the fairies. ( this was a way for them to explain away miscarriages, children with autism, down syndrome) Humans would often leave these babies out in the woods to parish.
Banshees: a female spirit who wails outside a home to warn of the imminent death of a family member. The scream is also known as "caoine," which literally translates to "keening". She has also been called woman of the mound as in many of the stories she stands outside the homes and cry's from the fairy Mounds.
Leprechaun:a type of fairy that is often depicted as a tiny, bearded man wearing an emerald ensemble. Leprechauns are said to live in remote places and make shoes and brogues. They are solitary by nature and are a symbol of what happens when you let your greed win. Quit literally the Folly of the Get Rich Quick Mentality Of Many Humans.
These are but a small sample of the many fairies found throughout Irish and Celtic Folklore, These specifically can trace their origins back to The Tuatha De Danann or fairy nobility. Also seen as Gods and Demons depending on the era. As well as the original inhabitants of Ireland who only Tolerate our existence so long as we don't disturb the places and sacred sites they hold dear.
All over Ireland, farmers have left portions of their land, in the form of Ring Forts untouched for centuries. These are believed to be the homes of the fairies and are overgrown with scrub and bush. But farmers would rather see this resource go to waste than risk incurring the wrath of the fairies, which can result in anything from crop failure to DEATH.
This a recurring theme you will see throughout Irish history a respect for the property owned by the Fae and a rightful fear at the consequences of disturbing sacred ground.
Other Folk Practices to appease fairies or at the very least keep you on their good side include Offerings of sweets and goods in which holds value to the person leaving the offering, back in the day it was things like this
- Milk or cream
- Bread
- Honey
- Butter
- Porridge
- Gold
- Tobacco
- Poitín
Well that's all for now I hope you enjoyed having tea with me here on the other side of the Great divide
