Celtic Faeries
Centuries Old Folklore
The Celtic people have long held a rich folklore, including tales of monstrous beasts and mystical creatures. One such variety of mystical creatures are known as the Fae. While Americans might think of tiny people with mystical wings (à la Tinkerbelle from Peter Pan) when we hear the word fairy, Celtic faeries range from the Dullahan to the Leprechaun to Changelings. Legends of Celtic Faeries began with Celtic Pagan storytellers, but the introduction of Christianity mixed and melded to create an even more diverse group of fae, introducing new legends, like that of the Banshee.
Research
History of Faeries
Known for creating mischief, legends of faeries in Celtic folklore has existed for centuries. The original faeries legends were told by Irish Pagan storytellers and are a mix of Celtic, Greco-Roman, and Germanic folklore. The first known legend of the Fae is that of the Tuatha de Danann, or Tribe of Danu, which used to rule Ireland from 19th century B.C. to 18th century B.C with their god-like powers before being driven into the Sidhe underground by the Celtic people. Despite being the first, they certainly were not the last faeries to have their stories told. Over the centuries, Celtic folklore would amass many types of faeries within their myths, some humanoid and some animalistic. With the introduction of Christianity, Celtic, Pagan, and Christianity folklore and legends mixed together to form new iterations of faeries, such as the Banshee. Myths of Faeries were commonly believed in in Celtic lands until the mid 19th century,
Varieties of Faeries
Celtic Fae have a wide variety of appearances; some terrifying, some benign. A common variety that has dispersed into many Western mediums are dullahans. Dullahans are headless riders, very similar to the Headless Horseman, who ride on a black horse and hold their own head in their hand high into the air. While usually male, Dullahans can be female and are said to be the embodiment of the Celtic god, Crom Dubh and represent death. Also representing death, Banshees are faery women who wail and it is said those who see them are sure to die soon. Banshees look relatively similar to human women, but are often depicted with long hair, tear-stained eyes, and a long dress covered by a cloak. Pookas are another variety of faeries in which they resemble humans during the daylight hours, but are able to shapeshift into all varieties of animals during the nighttime. While most commonly represented by a black horse, Pookas can also shift into eagles, dogs, or goats. Pookas are responsible for terrifying livestock and destroying crops during the nighttime.
On the more benign side, changelings are faeries that are left behind in the place of human babies, after the human baby was kidnapped by the faeries. Changelings come in many different forms, with all types of appearances, but are more often characterized by their wise, mature personalities and great insight. Leprechauns are another popular faery that has been adapted from Celtic folklore, and in many ways Leprechauns have stayed the same. Leprechauns are short, stout men who immensely value gold, but their occupation is often that of a cobbler (making and repairing shoes). A Leprechaun always loves a good practical joke, as well!
Expression and Faeries
Faeries folklore allowed the Celtic people to explore adult topics, like death, sexuality, and loss, in a socially acceptable manner. Early faery legends focused on subjects like military prowess, honor, and included scenes of explicit gore and sexuality. Like many older forms of folklore, faeries helped explain the world around the Celtic people and provided explanations and comfort for things they did not yet understand. Nowadays, many faeries tales focused upon faeries causing mischiefs and misfortunes to humans. Kidnapping children, trapping them in the otherworld (the realm of the faeries) by making them consume faery food, tricking humans by giving them fake gold; faeries love to cause all kinds of chaos for humans. Many faeries are associated with death, as well; the infamous Banshee is said to foretell a family member's death by wailing or shrieking at them. In order to appease the mischievous and dangerous faeries, Celtic people leave out offerings, like sweets, milk, cheese, or other pretty items in order to appease them. Celtic people also avoided harming their homes, known as faery paths or faery mounds, while travelling through the forest.
Conclusion
Celtic fae folklore has continued to live on in the captivation of many cultures children and adults, but it has and always will continue to serve a very important purpose. Faery folklore offered a broad spectrum of characters that allowed Celtic people to explain the unexplainable, and provided meaning to the tragedies that burdened their lives. While not commonly believed as the truth anymore, fae myths offer a unique, wonderous world outside of our own that will no doubt continue to persist through the coming centuries, just like it has for millennia.
Citations
Forsyth, Steven. n.d. “Irish Fairies.” Celtic Wedding Rings. Accessed November 13, 2021. https://www.celtic-weddingrings.com/fairy-stories/irish-fairies.
Mac Raois, Cormac. “Old Tales for New People: Irish Mythology Retold for Children.” 1997. The Lion and the Unicorn 21, no. 3 (September): 330-340. doi:10.1353/uni.1997.0025.
Silver, Carole. 1986. “On the Origin of Fairies: Victorians, Romantics, and Folk Belief.” Browning Institute Studies 14 (The Victorian Threshold): 141-156. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25057792.
“Faeries.” The Celtic Journey, March 10, 2016. https://thecelticjourney.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/faeries/.
Sims, Martha, and Martine Stephens. 2011. Living Folklore: An Introduction to the Study of People and Their Traditions. 2nd ed. Logan, Utah: Utah State University Press.
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