fairy myths – Joe Ayres Cares

June 20, 2020 / 0 Comments

Banshee Fairy

The Banshee is one of the most widely known of the Irish fairies…. probably due to the appearance of Banshees in movies. There is considerable debate over the exact nature of the Banshee. Is she a true fairy, a spirit, or a mortal form? No one knows for sure but all are agreed that the Banshee is associated with death. Some think the Banshee forewarns certain families of the death of its members. Others think the Banshee was offended in some way by a family forcing the fairy to follow the family and rejoice when a family member dies.

The Banshee Fairy generally appears in one of three forms…a young woman, a matron, or as an old hag (she has also appeared in a variety of other forms…e.g. a crow…but these are her usual forms). Folk wisdom has it that the Banshee only cries when members of certain Irish family members are about to die.

However, it is generally thought that the intermarriage of these families with other families has led to the Banshee appearing more generally. The Banshee appears not only in Ireland but anywhere Irish immigrants are found. The Banshee’s cry foretells the death of someone. On those occasions, one may get a glimpse of her washing her hair, blood from a blanket, a face reflected in a window, etc. Whatever the form, it is unwise to disturb the Banshee because those who have done so have met untimely deaths.

Description: Macintosh HD:Users:wanderingangus:Desktop:imgres-1_3.jpg

June 15, 2020 / 0 Comments

Butter Spirit Fairy

Butter Spirits are thought to be related to Leprechauns but more focused in their pursuits. They are small men (less than 2 feet tall) and are found throughout the Emerald Isle and England. In general, they are mischievous and steal anything not nailed down. Their first love is fresh butter (thus the name) and will get it out of fresh milk even before it is churned. It is claimed they only steal from the rich.

These fairies are very resourceful and can reach inaccessible places. The best way to keep them away is to mark things with the sign of a cross.

Description: Macintosh HD:Users:wanderingangus:Desktop:cross.jpg

June 12, 2020 / 0 Comments

Sheerie Fairy

Sheerie Fairies are phosphorescent glimmers of light that move from cover to cover. They combine elements of fairy and human nature. It is thought that Sheerie Fairies are the souls of unbaptized children trying to gain entry to the mortal world.

Given this problem, they tend to be very jealous of and angry toward humans. This may be the reason that they are believed to be behind human misfortune.

These fairies can be found on land or water. For instance, the water types confuse humans into thinking bogs are safe when they are not (and other misfortunes associated with water). Land fairies do similar things to humans like getting them to wander off cliffs.

These fairies do not have the power of speech but do put out a mewling sort of sound. They can be warded off with iron, a crucifix, or holy water.

June 10, 2020 / 0 Comments

Tree Fairies

Tree fairies (called a variety of names) act as guardians of trees/bushes. They often protect lone trees. If the unwary inflict harm on a fairy tree, woe betide them. Tree fairies are capable of serving up all sorts of retributions to those who kill or damage the tree/bush they are guarding. The offending party might be visited by poverty, illness, or other misfortunes. If the fairy is angry enough, the punishment might extend to the person’s family. So, before undertaking any landscape alterations, be sure a fairy tree is not in your way.

June 8, 2020 / 0 Comments

Leprechaun: A Distinctly Irish Fairy

Leprechauns are far and away the most recognizable of the Irish Fairies…some even refer to the Leprechaun as Ireland’s national fairy. Leprechauns appear as old, diminutive men who are shoemakers and bankers for other fairies. It is argued that the name Leprechaun derives from the Irish term for shoemaker (leith bhrogan).

Many Leprechauns drink to excess but never to the point of losing control of themselves. Leprechauns have long been associated with money often depicted along with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. One reason for this is that they seem to have an endless supply of money.

They are thought to always have a silver and a gold coin, each in a different pouch. When they part with the silver coin, it magically returns to their purse. When they part with the gold coin usually to bribe their way out of a difficult situation, the coin turns to leaves or ashes in the recipient’s pocket.

In addition to being shoemakers, Leprechauns are thought to be the bankers of the fairy world. Many believe they have found and hidden treasures lost by others. These treasures are buried in crocks and pots. Leprechauns are able to recall the exact location of these buried treasures.

These banker fairies are thought to have very dour dispositions and to avoid contact with humans because they consider humans to be shallow. They also worry that humans will steal their treasures.

Leprechauns are very hard to catch or see because they can move very quickly. If one is caught, he usually promises great wealth if allowed to go free. Once released, he quickly zips out of sight.

There seem to be two different types of Leprechaun’s the dour, banker type who wears green and avoids humans and the friendly type who dresses garishly and delights in making mischief for humans (some argue this latter fairy is not really a leprechaun but a close cousin who should be called a cluricaun). Banker fairies know all about money while cluricaun know nothing about money and have no knowledge of where treasures can be found.

June 7, 2020 / 0 Comments

introduction to the section on celtic Fairies

This section of this blog provides an introduction to Fairies and their roles in Celtic lands. There are various schools of thought about how Fairies came into existence. One school of thought is that when the great rebellion took place in Heaven some angels did not take sides. In the end, they were cast out of heaven but were not sent to hell. Supposition has it that St. Michael, the patron saint of Fairies, interceded on their behalf and kept them from being cast into hell. Instead, they were given remote/dark places to inhabit on Earth.
Another explanation is that Fairies are not fallen angels but are the remains of the Tuatha de Danaan, one of the early races to inhabit Ireland. The Tuatha de Danaan are thought to have come from Greece with knowledge that seemed magical to others. Thus, they were seen and treated as Gods. However, with the spread of Christianity they lost this status and fled to glens, hollows, and other remote areas where they remain to this day.

Regardless of the true origin of Fairies, the types are clear and we will overview some of them in subsequent entries. Contrary to the popular culture view, most fairies are not like Tinkerbell so brace yourself.