Do You Believe In Irish Fairies?
Night of the fairy goddesses
From Ireland, a Midsummer night's dream
Wilson's Almanac on Night of the fairy goddesses, Ainé and Finnen
In Ireland two distinct fairy types exist---the trooping fairies and the solitary fairies. The trooping fairies can be found in merry bans about the hawthorn tree or at feasts in gilded fairy palaces. They delight in company, while the solitary fairies avoid large gatherings, preferring to be left by themselves and separate from one another.
The trooping faeries are the major and presiding residents of fairyland; but the solitary ones (leprechauns, selkies, banshees, merrows, etc...) have greater interest in mortal affairs and therefore are generally more familiar to us.
Fairies exist all over the world. In Ireland they are the 'sidhe' (pronounced shee), a name they have retained from the ancient days.
The trooping faeries are found living in the bushes and circles of stones that crop up all over Ireland--the fairy raths. The fairy raths crop up in pastures all over Ireland, and the farmers never plow them up for fear of disturbing the faires who live there and bringing down some bad luck upon themselves.
The fairies are said to be very beautiful, with long yellow hair and perfect delicate forms. They love milk and honey and drink flower nectar as their fairy wine. The fairies can assume any form and can make horses out of straw. They have the power to affect human life, especially unbaptized children. The fairies also love music, often luring mortals into an eternal dance with their piping and singing.
Some information on this page was taken from "A History of Irish Fairies" by Carolyn White, Copyright 1976, Published by Mercier Press.
"Hi Everyone! Happy Autumn...
Be careful when you're raking the leaves there might be some small Elementals in your garden..."
"My Father's family is Irish. My mother's family is Swedish."
"At Christmas time there were Tomta's,Trolls and Gnomes:
and on St Patrick's Day we always spoke of the Leprechauns or the Wee Folk.
They were always there... on napkins and table runners on wall hangings and cards, I never doubted for a minute that they existed."
'Bland tomtar och troll'
'Among Elves and Trolls'
Swedish folklore and fairy tales
Bland tomtar och troll in English means Among Elves and Trolls and it's a Swedish folklore and fairy tale annual.
"By the edge of the pool and out in the water are soft tussocks covered with brown bear moss and wooly white cotton grass. All is so quiet—not a sound, not a flutter of life, not a trembling breath—all of nature seems to be holding its breath listening, listening with beating heart: soon, soon."
These words, taken from “Leap the Elk and Little Princess Cotton grass” by Helge Kjellin appear in the October 2004 edition this fairy tale annual.
To the right is the contemporary view of a gnome
[by Rien Poortvliet and Wil Huygen].
While it has some things in common with Tolkien's Dwarves,
the concept is actually much different.
These beings were considered rather tiny, often
less than a foot in height. They are less frequently associated
with the earth and stone, and often associated with wild
animals and even farmsteads.
"It wasn't until I was much older that It even occurred to me that not everyone believed in these little other-worldly beings."
"
Today it is believed that only the uneducated believe in fairies. I don't think this is the case. I think the uneducated would be the only ones to admit to belief in fairies. Anyone else would never admit to your face this belief for fear of ridicule. Secretly many people are careful not to offend the Good People.
Up until the year 1700 virtually everyone in Ireland believed in fairies from royalty down to the rural peasants. Not even the arrival of Christianity in the fifth century could dispel this belief. Old stories were told that included fairies. It was just taken for granted that these stories were all true because it was the natural order of things that they truly were part of the real world.
As the science of the day began to find cures for mankind's aliments belief in Irish fairies began to decline, but not completely. To this day in Ireland some people still practice rituals to appease the Good People even though they may not be aware of what they are doing. On May morning some people collect flowers especially primroses to spread around their doors and windows. This is done to keep out the malevolent fairies. They may or may not know why they do this. They would never admit to you or me why they do this.
A friend of mine from here in the U.S recently visited a town in Co. Kerry, Ireland. On display were some fairy houses where some fairies are suppose to currently live. A local told her that the "real" fairies don't live there, the display is just for the tourists. She wouldn't tell my friend where the fairies really lived, that has to be kept secret.
Milk, salt, and fire are sacred in fairy lore. I remember as a child being told by my mother to throw spilled salt over my shoulder. I wonder if this was to give the fairies their share, I would be willing to bet that it was. This most likely has been handed down through the family, but the reason behind it has been lost. After all you should just know why you are throwing salt over your shoulder, shouldn’t you? It's the natural order of things.
There might be things done in your family to appease the Good People that you may not be aware of. So I ask again. Do you believe in fairies?
"There was always the Straw Swedish Horse wrapped with
red ribbon...as the stories go, the fairies make them..
Now you know why all of this seems normal to me...
and perhaps why I feel compelled to have them for sale at
Silver Moon Adornments... a reminder... just in case
you'd forgotten... or your parents had neglected to tell you
that they existed at all!
Fairy riding Unicorn
11.5" $42
Fairy on Glass Ball
6.5" $32
Fairy Riding Red Dragon
9" $36
Fairy Jewelry Plate
$38
Golden Fairy on Bird
7" $14
White Fairy with Purple Dragon
9" $36
Fairy Mermaid with Golden Fairies
Porcelain 24" $38
Angels
6.5" - $14 8" - $18 9" -$22
Feng Shui Thought:
Fall has arrived in all her gorgeous colors here in New England! It is the season ruled by the element of Metal... the air, the wind and Swords in the Tarot Deck. It's
a good time to hang a windchime outside your main front entrance to your home to call in opportunities. It's also a good time to check if you have a backdoor in your Wealth Gua or Life area of your home, and if you do hang a windchime outside the back door to call your wealth back in. You can also hang a bamboo flute above the door inside the house to keep your wealth from leaving the house. Make sure you're hanging the wind chime outside the architectural Front entrance not the one you use most often! That could be your kitchen door!
Related Books:
In this lovely and informative book, Carolyn White delves into one of the most intriguing aspects of Irish folklore, the otherworld of fairies. Whether you're a true believer or not, it's impossible not to be seduced by the details of their universe, as White covers everything from the central question of the numerous varieties of fairies to more detailed inquiries about what they eat, where they live, and what happens when a fairy and a mortal fall in love. This is the ultimate guide to the Wee People, from cluricauns and leprechauns, to Silkies, Banshees, and Pookas. Chapters include: Fairies and the Devil, Fairy Clothes and Appearance, Immortality of Fairies, and How to Provoke a Fairy. Filled with entertaining stories and interesting details, A History of Irish Fairies will delight any reader who has ever been curious about this whimsical facet of Irish culture.
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