Post by Senbecc on May 13, 2006 20:58:11 GMT -5
The people of the Mounds (a.k.a the Sidhe or Faery folk).
"For all the hillside was haunted
By the faery folk come again
And down in the heart-light enchanted
Were opal-colored men"
In the Old days of the Irish and Scottish (and Welsh?) country sides there was said to be a very separate very powerful race known as the the Sidhe. They have had much contact with humans over the centuries and are documented in their times and places. It's hard to pin-point exactly what era the Faery lore started in but but it is said that the people of Ireland before the coming of the Gaels are the "ancestors of the Sidhe.
What IS clear is that the Sidhe is a pre-Christian belief, and has survived many centuries never being wiped away from the minds of the people.
It is said that when the Milesians (Sons of Mil, aka the Gaels) landed in Ireland, they found that the "Tuatha Dé Danann (People of Danu) already had control of the land and the Milesians fought and defeated the Tuatha, which is said to be the birth place of the Mystery song of Amairgin, a favorite among Druids.
The Sidhe have Tribes within themselves ruled by the Faery Kings and Queens in each territory. To the Irish (at least) the Sidhe are also known as "the Gentry" for their very tall noble appearances. It is also said they rival with other neighboring tribes.
In fact many casts of the Sidhe take on the distinct appearances given by texts of the peoples of the "5 invasions" such as the Tuatha de, the Milesians even the Leprechaun seems to take on a distinctly "Fir Bolg" look, who lived in Ireland before the coming of the Gaels.
A distinction is often made between the Dionne sidhe who are seen walking on the ground after sunset, and the 'Sluagh Sidhe', the fairy host who travel through the air at night,and are known to 'take' mortals with them on their journeys.
There are also guardian sidhe of most of the lakes of Ireland and Scotland.
These distinct categories of sidhe beings ties in with the testimonies of seers who divide the sidhe into wood spirits, water spirits, air spirits and so on, the elemental spirits of each place.
Some examples of Irish Faery might be:
Changelings, Banshee, Cluricaune, Air Elementals Lake Dwellers, The Sidhe, Blacksmiths, The Fool of the Fort, Leprechaun, Pooka, The Merrow-Folk, Wood Sprites, The Fear Gurtha, Water Sheerrie, The Fear-Dearg, The Dullahan, The Roanes, Giants, The Peist , Black Dogs.
"For all the hillside was haunted
By the faery folk come again
And down in the heart-light enchanted
Were opal-colored men"
In the Old days of the Irish and Scottish (and Welsh?) country sides there was said to be a very separate very powerful race known as the the Sidhe. They have had much contact with humans over the centuries and are documented in their times and places. It's hard to pin-point exactly what era the Faery lore started in but but it is said that the people of Ireland before the coming of the Gaels are the "ancestors of the Sidhe.
What IS clear is that the Sidhe is a pre-Christian belief, and has survived many centuries never being wiped away from the minds of the people.
It is said that when the Milesians (Sons of Mil, aka the Gaels) landed in Ireland, they found that the "Tuatha Dé Danann (People of Danu) already had control of the land and the Milesians fought and defeated the Tuatha, which is said to be the birth place of the Mystery song of Amairgin, a favorite among Druids.
The Sidhe have Tribes within themselves ruled by the Faery Kings and Queens in each territory. To the Irish (at least) the Sidhe are also known as "the Gentry" for their very tall noble appearances. It is also said they rival with other neighboring tribes.
In fact many casts of the Sidhe take on the distinct appearances given by texts of the peoples of the "5 invasions" such as the Tuatha de, the Milesians even the Leprechaun seems to take on a distinctly "Fir Bolg" look, who lived in Ireland before the coming of the Gaels.
A distinction is often made between the Dionne sidhe who are seen walking on the ground after sunset, and the 'Sluagh Sidhe', the fairy host who travel through the air at night,and are known to 'take' mortals with them on their journeys.
There are also guardian sidhe of most of the lakes of Ireland and Scotland.
These distinct categories of sidhe beings ties in with the testimonies of seers who divide the sidhe into wood spirits, water spirits, air spirits and so on, the elemental spirits of each place.
Some examples of Irish Faery might be:
Changelings, Banshee, Cluricaune, Air Elementals Lake Dwellers, The Sidhe, Blacksmiths, The Fool of the Fort, Leprechaun, Pooka, The Merrow-Folk, Wood Sprites, The Fear Gurtha, Water Sheerrie, The Fear-Dearg, The Dullahan, The Roanes, Giants, The Peist , Black Dogs.
