Adern Y Corph (Welsh Fairy) A death portent in the form of a bird which sings outside the door of a person who’s going to die.
Aengus (Irish) “I
am Aengus; men call me the Young. I am the sunlight in the heart, the
moonlight in the mind; I am the light at the end of every dream, the
voice for ever calling to come away; I am desire beyond joy or tears.
Come with me, come with me: I will make you immortal; for my palace
opens into the Gardens of the Sun, and there are the fire-fountains
which quench the heart’s desire in rapture.” 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.
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. In all cases, however, it was a dangerous creature which
would prey on those who went into its lake. In
one of the more interesting of the Afanc's tales the creature kills
three of the kings sons (chieftains) every day when they go to slay the
Afanc and everyday the court maidens bring these sons back to life.
Finally a man named Peredur asks to go out with the three chieftains,
but they refuse as they wouldn't be able to bring him back to life.
Determined Peredur strikes out on his own so that he might slay the
Afanc and thus increase his own fame and honor. On his way he meets a
maiden (The Queen of Constantinople who is most likely a stand in for
what was previously another fairy figure or shaman figure). This
'fairy or shaman' gives Peredur a stone that allows him to see things
which are invisible for the Afanc as it turns out has this ability,
just as it has the ability to shoot poisoned darts at it's victims. In
Still Another Tale the Afanc acts like a unicorn and lays it's head in
a maidens lap allowing the villagers to capture it.
Aillan Mac Midhna (Irish) A
Tuatha De Danann Musician who would come out on Samain Day and lull
people to sleep with his music before breathing fire to burn up Tara.
Aine (Irish) A Fairy Goddess and a member of the Tuatha De Dannan.
Apple Tree Man (England) Lives within the oldest tree in an apple orchard and helps the fruit to ripen well so that there is a good crop.
Asrai (England) A beautiful water fairy which baths in moonlight, and is so fragile that if sunlight touches them they turn into water. See:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asrai
Athach (Scotland) A general term for giant Scottish monster
Awd Goggie (England) Possibly
a warning tale to keep children from wondering into orchards alone the
Awd Goggie inhabits Fruit Orchards where it will attack children.
Banshee (Irish) The
good spirit of a woman who stays behind to watch over her family. As
such she begins to wail and cry when a family member is about to die.
Baobhan Sith (Scotland) A beautiful women in a green dress who lives in the wilderness using their beauty to seduce victims who they devour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baobhan_sith
Barguest (England) A spirit which haunts cities and the countryside in a number of different terrifying forms.
Bean-nighe (Scotland) A
fairy which appears as an old Lady and washes the clothes of those
about to die so that they look presentable when they go to Heavan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bean_nighe
Billy Winker The sprite that closes the eyes of children at bedtime.
Black Annis A hag which eats children, but may also be a former goddess, or the aggressive soul of an internally duelistic goddess. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Annis
Blue Cap A
fairy which live in mines and appears as small blue flames. If the
miners treat them well these fairies well lead them to mineral deposits.
Blue Men of Minch (Scotland) Blue
skinned men who live in in the ocean around islands. They would cause
storms and wreck ships but a captain who was good at poetry could keep
them at bay.
Bodach “In
point are the demons which were said to haunt particular families as
their good or evil genius. The family of Rothiemurchus was said to have
been haunted by Bodach,” “The
Earl of E , a nobleman alike beloved and respected in Scotland, and
whose death was truly felt as a national loss, was playing on the day
of his decease on the links of St. Andrews at the national game of
golf. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of a game, saying, " I can play
no longer, there is the Bodach Glas, I have seen it for the third time
; something fearful is going to befall me." He died that night..” The Bodach would also enter the household through the chimney to torment children.
Bodca an Dun The name of a death porteint for the family of Eothmarchas
Bodachan Sabhaill A fairy of the farmstead which appeared as an old man and would help with the harvest.
Bwbchod and Bwca (Welsh Fairy) The
Bwabach or Boobach is a Welsh house fairy of the brownie arch type.
Much like many other similar fairies he tends to do good deeds for
those who treat him well by giving him cream, don’t try to look at him,
or guess his name. When the Bwabach is mistreated they turn into a a
poltergeist like being known as the bwca and after gaining revenge flee
the house which they came from in search of a new home with people who
will treat them properly. At times however they refuse to leave a place
and so must be exercised.
Capelthwaite A
spirit of the barn which torments those who are not supposed to be in
the barn but helps the family to keep their sheep and other animals
safe.
Cauld Lad of Hilton A house fairy which also has much in common with a ghost
Churn-milk Peg and Melsh Dick Are
wood-demons supposed to protect soft, unripe nuts from being gathered
by naughty children, the former being wont to beguile her leisure by
smoking a pipe.
Church Grim (Yorkshire) is
a fixed inhabitant of the church by day and by night, and only '
marauds about ' in dark stormy weather. It has been known to toll the
death- bell at midnight, and at times a priest officiating at a burial
would see it sitting at a window in the church-tower, when e would be
able to tell by the creature's aspect whether the soul of the departed
was saved or lost.
Clap-cans Does nothing beyond making a noise as of beating on empty cans.
Coblynau (Welsh Fairy) A
friendly fairy of Welsh mines which leads people to rich vains of ore,
often by knocking where they should dig and which helps prevent cave
ins.
Dooinney Oie (Manx) A
fairy which looks like an old man and lives in sea side caves. He warns
away those who approach his cave by causing them to sprain their ankle
or hurt themselves in some other way. Despite his desire to be alone he
can be useful and warns of coming storms.
Ellylldan (Welsh Fairy) A mischievous fairy which lives in bogs and uses light to lure travlers astray.
Ellyllon (Welsh Fairy) Welsh
Elves which fit the more modern idea of fairies, they are wispy,
ethreal, beautiful little creatures which eat toadstools and fairy
butter (a fungus found in the roots of old trees). Yet in many stories
they also appear a bit more like pixies.
Ettin (England) A two headed four horned monster Read the Fairy Tale
Fachan (Scotland) A monster of Scotland which has one leg, one eye, one tooth, one arm which holds a dangerous club.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fachen
Farisees (England) In
Suffolk the fairies are called farisees. Not many years ago, a butcher
near Woodbridge went to a farmer's to buy a calf, and finding, as he
expressed it, that "the cratur was all o' a muck," he desired the
farmer to hang a flint by a string in the crib, so as to be just clear
of the calf's head. "Becaze," said he, "the calf is rid every night by
the farisees, and the stone will brush them off."
Feeorin (Lancashire) A fairy mentioned in two tales from Lancashire but never fully described.
Fenodyree A fairy who was banished from the fairy court for falling in love with a human maiden.
Ferrishyn (Manx) The
Manx must have adopted the English word " fairies " for use in the
singular number, and ferrishyn is at the least a double plural.
Fideal (Scotland) A beautiful water fairy which drowns humans when given the chance.
Gancanagh Fairies that wonder the countryside and try to woo milk-maidens.
Gentle Annie A hag somewhat akin to Black Annis only controls the winds and causes storms
The Gentry (Irish) A name for the fairies which is used to avoid offending them.
Ghillie Dhu (Scotland) A
guardian of trees (especially birch trees) he is a wild and often shy
fairy who is kind to and aids children. Said to be dark haired, he is
described as clothed in leaves and moss. In lore, this solitary spirit
is said to reside primarily near Gairloch and Loch a Druing
Glaistig (Scotland) Appearing
to be a beautiful woman she hides goat legs under long flowing dresses
and seeks to drain the blood from males in some legends. In others she
is a guardian spirit, so she is likely very internally duelistic.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glaistig
Glashtyn (Manx) In some reports a brownie creature in others a water fairy.
Gooseberry Wife The
Gooseberry-wife in the guise of a large furry caterpillar, takes charge
of the green gooseberries, e.g. If ye goos out in the gearden, the
gooseberry-wife'll be sure to ketch ye
Grant (England) A death portent which appears as a young horse running on its hind legs.
Grig A word for a small sprite like creature.
Grindylow (Yorkshire) An evil nymph or water demon which lives pools of water or the trees.
Greenies (Lancashire) Small fairies so exquisitely beautiful that men can fall instantly in love with them.
Gruagach (Scotland) Is
often a female brownie type spirit such as one which lived in Skipness
Castle where it did odd jobs for the maids. There are also males, and a
number of other tales about them.
Gunna (Scotland) A fox skin wearing fairy boy who was banished from fairyland.
Guytrash is an evil cow whose appearance was formerly believed in as a sign of death
Gwrach y Rhibyn (Welsh Fairy) Haglike fairies which act as death portents
Gyre-Carling The
Queen of Fairies. Superstitious females, in Fife, are anxious to spin
off all the flax that is on their rocks, on the last night of the year
; being persuaded that if they left any unspun, the Gyrc-Carlin, or as
they also pronounce the word the Gy-carlin, would carry it off before
morning.
Hedley Kow (English) A shapeshifting fairy which likes to play tricks on people.
Henkies (Orkney) So
called because they were supposed to henk or limp when they danced,
Henkie knowes are the knolls round which these trolls or fairies used
to gambol at night ; the Hill Folk
Hinky Punk A one legged creature which carries a lantern in order to lure travelers astray.
Hob Typically a kind house fairy which can cure illness
Hobbledy-Lantern A name for the Will o the Wisp
Hobyah (England) Dangerous fairies which are chased of by a barking dog. (English Folk Tale)
Hookeys (Lincolnshire) An Unmeaning abjeration supposed to have reference to fairies
Hoopers (Cornish) Shy fairies which hid in the mist, but would warn fishermen of coming storms.
Howlaa (Manx) A
mountain fairy which appears as an old man, his voice could be heard in
the winter lamenting the coming tempests which gave people warning of
such storms.
Hyter Sprites A
kind fairy which would find lost children in the fens and help them
find their way home again. Very protective the hyter sprites would also
scold those who mistreated children.
Ignis Fatuus Another word for Will o the wisp
Jack In Irons is a supernatural being of great stature, wearing clanking chains, who may at any moment spring out on a passer-by in the dark.
Jack O Lantern The
Spirits of wicked people who died they use glimmering lights to lead
travelers into bogs and moors. In order to protect oneself from them is
to put one's cap inside out and avoid pointing at them. For they will
attack those who point at them. He can be helpful as he will light the
way of those who request it but being internally duelistic in nature he
can turn back to his misleading nature at any time.
Jeanie of Biggersdale A
dangerous spirit which haunts the woodlands of North Riding Yorkshire.
One night a drunk brash young man made a bet that he could rouse her
from the woods. So he rode up to Mulgrave Wood and called for her to
come. “I'm
Coming” She called in anger and chased him nearly to the river where
she cut his horse in two, but luckly for him he was thrown clear across
the water and so was safe as she could not cross after.
Jenny- wi'-t'-lantren Another name for Will o the Wisp
Jimmy Squarefoot (Manx) Jimmy
Squarefoot " was a cross between a human being and a tusked boar who
haunted the hillward parts of Malew and Arbory, and whose footprints
were found where he had shown himself.
Joan the Wad (Cornish) A type of Will o the Wisp
Kelpie (Scotland) A
water fairy which can appear as a large horse which will try to lure
people (especially children and woman) onto his back so that he may run
into the lake or river and drown them. They may also appear as handsome
young men or woman.
Killmoulis A brownie like fairy which inhabits mills.
Kit with the Candlestick (Kitty Candlestick) Another name for Will o the Wisp
Klippes (Scotland) A name for earth colored fairies in the Scottish Lowlands
Llamhigyn Y Dwr (Welsh Fairy) Called
the Water Leaper in English the Llamhigyn Y Dwr is described as a
giant frog with a bat's wings instead of forelegs, a long tail and
stinger instead of hindlegs It haunts fishermen breaking their fishing lines and while leap out of the water to eat them or livestock.
Leprechaun (Irish) A fairy who makes shoes for the fairy court and hides pots of gold which it receives as payment.
Loireag (Scotland) A water fairy that loves the arts of music and weaving and gets furious with anyone who makes mistakes at these.
Lubberkin A form of house fairy.
Lunantishee (Irish) The
lunantishees are the tribes that guard the blackthorn trees or sloes;
they let you cut no stick on the eleventh of November (the original
November Day), or on the eleventh of May (the original May Day). If at
such a time you cut a blackthorn, some misfortune will come to you.
Maiden Human
girls have the unique ability to calm and capture many creatures such
as the Afnac, unicorn, etc. It is likely that this is a remnant of
Shamanistic traditions of the past. For the Indo-European's often and
woman as oracles. Further there is some evidence of a relationship
between the early Celts and the Altaic People's who have female shamans. http://zeluna.net/english-fairytales-thestarsinthesky.html- A fairy tale which likely has some roots in vision quests. http://zeluna.net/english-fairytales-childerowland.html- A girl who sets out to free her love from fairy land..
May Mou- A
spirit akin to the Killmoulis, whereas it is " the girl with the hairy
left-hand " which haunts Tulloch Gorms, and gives warning of a death in
the Grant family
Meg Moulach (Scotland) A female house fairy who turned evil.
Nickur He
appears always in the form of a fine apple-grey horse on the sea-shore;
but he may be distinguished from ordinary horses by the circumstance of
his hoofs being reversed. If any one is so foolish as to mount him, he
gallops off, and plunges into the sea with his burden. He can, however,
be caught in a particular manner, tamed, and made to work.
Nuala Fin
Bheara, the King of the Connacht Fairies in Cnoc Meadha (or
Castlehacket) in the County Galway, his Queen Nuala, and all the
beautiful forms seen by Mr. Wentz’s seer-witness
Oak Tree Spirit The
fairy of an Oak Tree offers a man three wishes if he agrees not to cut
down his tree. http://zeluna.net/english-fairytales-thethreewishes.html Old Lady of the Elder Tree A tree spirit
Old Shock I
a mischievous goblin in the shape of a great dog or calf, haunting
highways and footpaths after dark. Those who are so foolhardy as to
encounter the beast are sure to be thrown down and severely bruised.
Padfoot is
a terrible boggart with saucer-eyes, and dragging clanking chains ; or
it takes the form of a large sheep or dog walking beside you, making a
soft noise pad, pad, pad with its feet. It always portends disaster.
Ratchets Ratchets,
Gabble Raches, or Gabriel's Hounds (n.Cy. Yks. Lan. Stf. Der.) are
spectre dogs whose yelping cry may be heard at dead of night, or in the
early morning, what time the collier goes to his work in the pits, a
warning of death to the hearer or to some one among his kinsfolk and
acquaintance. Their leader Gabriel is condemned to follow his hounds at
night, high in the upper air, till doomsday, for the sin of having
hunted on Sunday.
Rawhead and Bloody Bones The
boggart of the ponds is a masculine water- demon called Rawhead, Tommy
Rawhead (w.Yks.), Bloody-bones (Lan.), or Rawhead and Bloody-bones, e.
g. Keep away from the marl-pit or rawhead and bloody-bones will have
you.
Shriker (Yorkshire) Skriker
is an apparition portending death. It wanders about in the woods by
night uttering loud, piercing shrieks, its form being then invisible.
At other times it takes visible shape as a large dog, with enormous
feet and shaggy hair, and the usual saucer-eyes. When walking, its feet
make a splashing noise, as of a person in old shoes walking in soft mud
; hence it is also known by the name of Trash, for to trash signifies
to walk wearily through wet and mire, and trashes are worn-out shoes.
Skillywidden The name of a little fairy child that lives with some humans for a short time.
Sleih Beggey (Manx) A Manx name for the little people
Sluagh (Scotland) Sluagh,
“hosts,” the spirit-world. The “hosts” are the spirits of mortals who
have died.... According to one informant, the spirits fly about in
great clouds, up and down the face of the world like the starlings, and
come back to the scenes of their earthly transgressions. No soul of
them is without the clouds of earth, dimming the brightness of the
works of God, nor can any win heaven till satisfaction is made for the
sins of earth
Specter of the Bloody Hand Death Portent in the Kinchardines
Spunkies (Scottish) Whenever
the traveller had the misfortune to lose his way, or whenever there was
a prospect of deluding him from it, this vigilant link-boy was ever at
hand, to light him into far worse quarters than even the purlieus of
Covent Garden. "Suddenly
the traveller's attention was arrested by the most resplendent light,
apparently reflected from a window not far distant, which, however, as
the traveller approached, receded from him, like the rainbow. Still
pursuing his course towards it, the wily Spunkie manoeuvred so
dexterously that the unhappy wanderer was speedily decoyed into the
nearest morass or precipice. Plunging headlong into some fatal abyss,
the deluded victim never returned to his mournful wife and family, to
relate to them the Spunkie's perfidy."
Swarth The
wraitli is an apparition exactly like a living person, and its
appearance, whether to that person or to another, is commonly thought
an omen of death. These apparitions are called " fetches" throughout
the sister island, in Cumberland " swarths," and in Yorkshire
Tangie (Orkney) a sea-spirit which sometimes assumes the appearance of a horse, and at other times that of an old man
Tankerabogus Tankerabogus,
or Tantarabobus - Now, Polly, yu've abin a bad, naughty maid, and ef
yii be sich a wicked cheel again, I'll zend vur tankerabogus tu come
and car yii away tii 'is pittee-awl Tod-lowrie e.g. Here's Tod-
lowrie coming ! In Scotland the word is a name for the fox.
Tarans (Scotland) Fairies who were thought to be children who died without being baptized.
Wilkie (Orkney) Of
two burial mounds (in one of which an urn was found) near Pier-o-wall,
Westray, known as Wilkie's Knolls'] the Orcadians can give no
information who this Wilkie was. But there is a tradition prevalent
that all the natives of Westray were in the habit of dedicating to him
daily a certain pro- portion of milk. This milk was poured into a hole
in the centre of one of the tumuli. It is also said that if any either
refused or neglected to give him this portion of milk, that their
clothes or other articles which might be exposed, would be stolen ;
that they, and their cattle, would be in danger of being inflicted with
disease, while their houses would be haunted by him. The natives still
seem much afraid for Wilkie's influence, although they no longer
dedicate to him oblations of milk. It is still customary for the
natives to frighten their children to silence by telling them that
"Wilkie's coming." — M.S. Letter by J. Paterson on Orkney Antiquities,
dated 1833, in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
Will o the Wisp
Yallery Brown A strange little hairy fairy (read the fairy tale)
Understanding the Celtic Fairies in Fairy Tales, ch 1 - Origins of the Celtic people. Dark
forests rise like cresting waves up and down the mountain and hill side
before crashing at last into the sea. The stillness of this dark forest
is broken only the sound of a fairies song which could be heard, long
after the forests gave way to farm and fields.
In
1877 Queen Victoria took a boat out to a small island in center of Loch
Maree and there like hundreds even thousands before her she nailed a
coin into an old tree, a votive offering for the fairy within in return
that her wish might be granted. Nearby sat a pool which was said to
have cured people of lunacy at one time, and a small glade of trees in
which ancient rituals had been performed only a few hundred years
before.
Stories
About Fairies Read
Fairies Tales
A series of tales about and from the perspective of fairies. These are
a series of individual short tales which together tell the
tale of how fairies compete and manipulate the world around them.
Primal
Fairies -
The story of ancient European fairies of the ancient and primal
forests.
