Most of us think of fairies as tiny creatures, flitting about on gossamer wings, waving a magic wand, but history and folklore tell a different tale. Stirling: Eneas MacKay, 1933. 2. When a person, or even a child, goes missing there are repercussions which manifest in the local folklore and attitudes to the fairies. Though the changeling looked just like human babies their emotional characteristics were quite different. The Banshees are little fairies who are usually dressed in white and often have long fair hair, which they brush with a silver comb. Celtic Fairy Tales Evans-Wentz, Walter (1911). This etext was scanned from a very rare first printing of the Lang edition. 4. Fairies are the embodiment of something mystical and are strongly rooted in Celtic folklore. Illustrated by Geoffrey Strahan. Brownie, in English and Scottish folklore, a small, industrious fairy or hobgoblin believed to inhabit houses and barns. He was kindly and reticent yet sometimes wild in character but had a gentle devotion to children. The Scottish Fairy Book. Ghillie Dhu, or Gille Dubh was a solitary male fairy in Scottish folklore. Typically, fairy folklore is a combination of Celtic, Greco-Roman and Germanic elements. by wasabiroots March 20, 2016, 12:00 am 35.3k Views. Scottish folklore presents them as a huge host of light and benevolence riding on the night air. Fairies. Fairy Trees in Irish Folklore. Bean-Nighe. Scottish Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Legends. Here are some of the myths and legends that visitors still hear whispered in the green rolling hills of Scotland. It has been said that Scotland in fact invented the tradition of Halloween and the superstitions and traditions around it. The gateway to the otherworld at the base of a fairy tree. Any ad's appearing in this video are for the copyright holders benefit only. The Seelie Court. It is said that if you hear a banshee someone in the family will die, and if you see one in person you will die. Scottish and Welsh myths, such as the Mabinogion, feature frequent faerie interactions that offer some insights. A new edition, revised and greatly enlarged. Afanc (Welsh) There are a number of different tales of the Afanc which either describe it as a water demon or a creature that looks like a mix between crocodile and beaver. Napier, James (1879). If legends are to be believed female fairies many a time gave birth to deformed babies. She was not always a death portent, … Dressing up, known as guising, was a way to disguise yourself from the fairies and spirits, and offerings of food would be made. According to Scottish folklore, these “faeries” or “little people” come in different forms and have different temperaments. If you've followed the TV series Outlander, then you probably know that Highlanders had many superstitions surrounding fairies. The whole community searched high and low for her, looking in the fields, ditches and woodlands but to no avail. Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries. Baobhan Sith A very dangerous female vampire who haunted the highland regions. In Irish and Scottish folklore , fairies are organized and classified into courts , the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. Dark haired and clothed in leaves and moss, he lived in a birch wood within the Gairloch and Loch a Druing area of the north-west highlands of Scotland. The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries. SLAUGH (THE HOST): The name of the Unseelie Court or the evil fairies in the folklore of Scotland. London: H. G. Bohn, 1851. These faeries were powerful, magical, and mysterious. Extracted from “Fairy Faith in the Celtic Lands” by Wentz One of the Tuatha De Danann who became an important part of the folk religions of Ireland and who's home appears to have been one of the places fairies lived. She always wore green and had webbed feet. 3. Cait Sith. It is said she can be found by streams of pools washing the clothes of those who are about to die. Each of these mythical creatures has certain characteristics and patterns of behavior that help humans identify them. And yes - celtic history is pretty interesting, particularly the legends and customs side of it. Bean-Nighe is the Scottish Gaelic for 'washer woman'. Reformed Christians reinterpreted tradition and folklore to fit a Protestant worldview. The following two tabs change content below. The Tuatha Dé Danann in John Duncan's Riders of the Sidhe. Thus, here are 7 Scottish folklore creatures: 7. Many explanations have been given for a belief in fairies. One example of this is the case from Co. Wicklow when a young girl vanished for three days. Over the course of my three-day journey into the Highlands, I learned about four of the most prominent figures in Scottish folklore—brownies (pronounced brew-knees), kelpies, fairies, and selkies. CRODH MARA: The fairy cattle or sea cattle of Scottish folklore. The origins of the Fairy King in old Celtic lore. 7 Scottish Folklore Creatures. Folklore is the concept of tales, legends or superstitions current among a particular population. The name means the Host, which is a euphemism to avoid invoking them with the mention of their name and deter them from inflicting harm. Fairies. This upload is 100% Non Profit. The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies. Stories of fairies are prominent in Irish folklore, and the belief in a fairy hierarchy, or fairy royalty, has been a popular notion for centuries. The collection of Celtic folktales consists of nine books with 249 stories: 26 Celtic folktales, 128 English folktales, 38 Irish folktales, 33 Scottish folktales and 24 Welsh folktales. Fairy Legends and Traditions by Thomas Crofton Croker [1825] [PB] A Peep at the Pixies by Anna Eliza Bray; Illustrations by Hablot K. Browne [1854]. They are said to inhabit fresh and saltwater on the west coast of Scotland. The Seelie Court is good and benevolent consisting of the most heroic and beautiful faeries of Scotland. Some believe these trees are the gateway between worlds for mortals and that of the faeries in the other-world. In Scottish folklore, this fear of witches is certainly perceived in many tales, including “The Witch of Fife” (The Scottish Fairy Book) about a man who discovers his wife is a witch. The Corryvreckan whirlpool. Christians did demonize English and Scottish fairies, along with all spirit beings from other cultures. Selkie. Scottish fairies dance capriciously through many Scottish folk tales. (1911) ( Public Domain ) Oberon And King Arthur . They have the ability to take any form but most often appear as humans. Scotland. [PB] The Fairy Mythology by Thomas Keightley [1870]. I'm working on a few more like this. Seelie court. They are usually hornless and dun in colour, except those near the Isle of Skye which are red and speckled or black. Rarely seen, he was often heard at night, cleaning and doing housework; he also sometimes mischievously disarranged rooms. SHARES. Thanks for stopping by~ Tammy from North Carolina on December 29, 2011: Great hub Vendetta! He would ride for the midwife, and in Cornwall he caused swarming bees to settle quickly. Updated January 2, 2019. Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales by Sir George Douglas [1901] Contents Start Reading Page Index Text [Zipped] This is a collection of Scottish folklore which will appeal to all ages. There are animal tales, stories of the fairies of Scotland including Brownies, Bogles, Kelpies, Mermaids and others, and tales of Witches and of Giants. The most appropriate place to begin is of course with fairies because nearly every creature in Scottish mythology has their roots in fairy kind. This is a Scottish fairy tale seen as an open of death. They are active year round especially on the Sabbaths. This monograph, originally written in 1691, is a classic of Scottish fairy folklore. As a result, while the Ancient Celts may have had their own folklore (such as the Tuatha de Danann), stories about fairies such as Leprechauns that are associated with Ireland came much later. Though the tradition has been in decline for over a century, many tales have been preserved thanks to the efforts of dedicated collectors and Gaelic scholars. People have been fond of telling and hearing stories in the Scottish Highlands and Hebridean islands since time immemorial, known in Gaelic as Sgeulachdan. Interested in her mysterious travels and adventures in the middle of the night, the husband secretly follows her only to end up getting burnt at the stake himself as a warlock. They often interacted with humans, but it seems that most humans have now lost the ability to perceive them – or maybe it is the faeries who have excluded us from their lives. Anna Mazzola is a writer who, due to some fault of her parents, is drawn to peculiar and dark historical subjects. When belief in fairies was common most people didn’t like to mention them by name and so referred to them by other names: the Little People or the Hidden People. A big part of this process happened during the English Reformation. There are a few entities that are unique to Scottish mythology, however most of the creatures that you will find in this page are repeated in various incarnations throughout the world. London: Gibbings and Company, 1902. Nature myths. The land synonymous to kilts and bagpipes. Your photos are excellent. The celebration as we know it today derived from the old Celtic pagan festival of Samhain. Folklore, or Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland. Bean Nighe The Scottish version of the washer woman at the ford. The Irish called Fairy Land Tir-Na-Nog, or “Land of the Young.”According to legend, Tir-Na-Nog was a place in the west across the sea that always remained in the season of spring. However, fairies love visually pleasing children and thus they would enter the mortal world and swap their babies with a human baby that was healthy and beautiful. As you’ll discover, Irish Fairies seldom resemble the ‘traditional’ depiction of fairies. Kirk, Robert. Scottish Folklore. Scottish mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Scotland, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. If the bulls of the crodh mara mate with mortal cows it will improve the stock. -The Quarrel of Oberon and Titania. But it is also a land with many mystical creatures that may just hunt you down or help you out. Ireland is a place with thousands of folklore stories and fairy trees are still commonly talked about to this day. They are believed to be the Fallen Angels that roam the midnight skies of the earth searching for lost souls. They warn those who had accidentally offended them, and to return human kindness with favors of their own. Bio; Latest Posts; Anna Mazzola. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google. The Seelie court, or the blessed court, a group of rather beneficial spirits, is friendly towards humans. 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