Writer: Lycan Rex
Subject: The Not-So-Friendly Fairies Of Irish Folklore
Link: MEWE / 18.07.2023 / Blood Line — Dark Goddess
The Not-So-Friendly Fairies Of Irish Folklore
Where the fairies of Disney movies, storybooks, or even other countries’ folklore seem to be sweet and helpful, Irish fairies are apparently quite the opposite.
Our folklore portrays fairies as mischievous, vain, easily-offended creatures who confuse and steal (anything from household items to livestock to children). But above all else, the fair folk are said to return disrespect with a vengeance of the direst degree.
As a result, growing up Irish comes with an inherent fear of the fairies – even for the most cynical non-believers. Do most of us believe that a ritualistic dance by tiny creatures is the cause of circle patches in the grass? Probably not. But are we brave enough to put it to the test and cross through such a circle? Absolutely not.
The degree to which fairies are believed in and/or feared varies in different parts of Ireland. Rural areas tend to be more suspicious than urban areas. But anyone who knows even the slightest thing about Irish folklore knows that fairies are not to be messed with.
Now, get that image of Tinkerbell out of your mind. Here’s everything to know about fairies in Irish folklore.
What are Irish fairies called?
Fairies have been referred to in a number of ways throughout Irish folklore, with ‘fairies’ probably the least used as it causes confusion with those of other cultures (like England or France). Many of the names used stem from Celtic mythological tales, which would have originally been told in Irish before Hiberno-English became the common language of the land.
In Celtic mythology, there is a supernatural race – comparable to the fairies and elves of other cultures – known as the aos sí (from the Old Irish ‘aes sídhe’), which means ‘people of the mounds’. As a result, some people still refer to them as ‘the hill folk’ when speaking about them in English.
The aos sí were thought to be superior beings to humans. In some stories, they are said to be the descendants of fallen angels, while others depict them as gods and goddesses or nature spirits.
This is reflected in some of their names, which include ‘aingil anúabhair’/’proud angels’, ‘daoine uaisle’/’the noble folk’, and ‘sídheógaídhe’/’little immortals’. Other times they are referred to as ‘the good folk’ or ‘the fair folk’.
Where are Irish fairies found?
A number of natural and man-made features of the Irish landscape are associated with the fair folk. As is often the case with worldwide folklore, the supernatural was used to explain the inexplicable.
People in past centuries didn’t have the scientific, geographic, or prehistoric knowledge to be able to explain the likes of mushroom rings, grass circles, stone circles, passage tombs and so on. These places all became associated with fairies, as did certain types of bushes and trees
Naturally grown rings of mushrooms and circular patches in the grass can now be scientifically explained as the result of a fungus in the soil below where they appear. But when no such explanation was available, these circular formations became known as ‘fairy rings’ and were thought to be the result of a group of fairies dancing in a circle.
Large stones that form a circle, passage tomb mounds, and ring forts were also thought to be types of fairy rings or fairy forts. These were actually manmade structures built during the Neolithic, Iron Age, and medieval periods as places of burial, worship, and community gathering.
Folklore warns against entering, crossing through, or destroying fairy rings and forts. Some say they are portals to the Otherworld, which you’ll be trapped in if you enter. Others believe the fairies bring extreme, sometimes lifelong misfortune to those who disturb them.
The same can be said for fairy trees (or bushes), usually recognized as ash trees, Hawthorne trees, or lone trees/bushes in a field. In 1999, plans for a motorway were even rerouted so as not to destroy a fairy bush in Co Clare.
Fairies and the Irish people
Some tales in Irish folklore depict fairies as guardian-like figures – not just in that they guard the natural world, but in that they warn humans of what is to come. The Banshee, for example, is usually understood to have good intentions in warning people about the impending death of a loved one.
In most cases though, fairies are portrayed as difficult — if not downright malevolent — creatures who are happy to torment or punish humans. This can include anything from spoiling crops/other farm produce, to causing illness/death in animals, to stealing a human child and swapping it with a changeling, to causing “accidents” or illnesses that result in the injury or death of a human.
The Irish people, therefore, developed different ways of dealing with the fair folk over time. For some, this involved simply trying to avoid them or appease them by leaving out small pieces of food or sugar. Others took on a policy of actively trying to keep them at bay.
People would display iron or put out salt to repel them, usually by windows and doors. Certain plants were also said to protect from fairies, such as a four-leafed clover or a primrose garland.
Wearing a piece of clothing inside-out is also said to help in human-fairy interactions. Some folklore stories recount that people lured or left disoriented by the fair folk have been able to find their way back by turning coats, jumpers, or even socks inside out.