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IRISH SIDHE
The people known as Sidhe or people of the mounds,
or "The Lordly Ones" or "The Good People" were descended
from the Tuatha de Danann who settled in Ireland
millennia ago and in being defeated by the
Milesians they
retreated to a different dimension of space and time than
our own, believed to be living under mounds and fairy
raths and cairns, and also the land of Tír na
nÓg a mythical island to the west of Ireland.
Down through the ages the Sidhe have been in contact with
mortals giving protection, healing and even teaching some of
their skills to mortals - Smithcraft or the working
of metals being one such skill. Cuillen (Culann) is
one such sidhe smith who has been told of in the legends of
Cúchulainn and the later legends of Fionn mac
Cumhail.
The Gaelic word sí or síog refers to these
otherworldly beings now called fairies.
The Irish fairy is not like the diminutive fairies of
other European countries, the Sidhe are described as tall
and handsome in all accounts, also they are dressed very
richly and accounts of their halls are of richly decorated
places with sumptuous foods and drinks. The Sidhe are generally benign until angered by some foolish
action of a mortal. Many trees and mounds are considered under their
protection and if a mortal destroys or damages these then a curse is
put upon himself and his family. In some parts of the countryside
people would not build their houses over certain "fairy paths"
because of the type of disturbances which would ensue. |
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The Sidhe assionately love beauty and luxury and have a total
contempt for thrift and economy. They are known to "borrow" and
later return items that belong to humans. They will reward anyone
who leaves them fruits, cakes or milk.
These faeries are described as being aristocrats,
beautiful, great size, great age, great power, beautiful
musicians, domestic, malevolent if harmed / disturbed,
thin , up to six feet in height, handsome, youthful,
shadowy, soft-skinned, long flowing hair, and if clothed -
blindingly white, and live under faerie hills or on
floating islands. Usually these fairies are attracted to
those who are beautiful as well as wealthy.
Whenever a host of the Sidhe appears there is a strange sound
like the humming of thousands of bees also a whirlwind or
shee-gaoithe is often heard.
Variants: Aes Sídhe, Daoine Sídhe,
Duine Sìth.
THE host is riding from Knocknarea
And over the grave of Clooth-na bare;
Caolte tossing his burning hair
And Niamh calling Away, come away:
Empty your heart of its mortal dream.
The winds awaken, the leaves whirl round,
Our cheeks are pale, our hair is unbound,
Our breasts are heaving, our eyes are agleam,
Our arms are waving, our lips are apart;
And if any gaze on our rushing band,
We come between him and the deed of his hand,
We come between him and the hope of his heart.
The host is rushing ’twixt night and day,
And where is there hope or deed as fair?
Caolte tossing his burning hair,
And Niamh calling Away, come away.
William Butler Yeats,
The Hosting of the Sidhe (1899)
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