Irish Mythological Beasts
Inktober Series | 2024
To celebrate the month of Oíche Shamhna (Halloween) I reimagined some of my favourite ancient Irish mythical beasts for four days of each week in the month of October.
Amadán Dubh
Dark Fool | Fairy Fool
Amadán Dubh, also known as the ‘Dark Fool’ or ‘Fairy Fool’ is a trickster fairy found in Irish folklore, and is the “bringer of madness and oblivion.’ It is said if you were touched by the Amadán Dubh you would decent into madness, never to return again! He is known to haunt the hills after sunset playing reed pipes to work his magic.
“In many cultures those that used to be called insane held a special place of reverence, and were treated almost as envoys from another place, or as though they could see something nobody else could, or were dancing to music only they could hear and the rest of us were deaf to.
Also so it was in Ireland, where they were called the touched, and it was not meant that they were touched by the moon, unless it be the same moon that shines on our world and the Otherworld, but touched by one of the most powerful fairies of all, the high jester and adviser to the midnight court, the Amadán Dubh!”
“info from: Red Witches Journey
An Giorra Aonsúileach
The One-Eyed Hare
Hares feature regularly in folklore, and in Ireland are usually connected to the Otherworld. Tricksters and witches would assume the form of hares, so it was considered very bad luck to harm them, especially before dawn.
Long ago the one-eyed hare of Loughanleagh was seen by a local gamekeeper beside the “Lake of the Cure.” The gamekeeper decided he was going to kill and eat the hare - not long before the hare came abounding to him. What he saw astounded him so much he was unable to move. This was no ordinary hare, it had only one - great big red eye and dived into the lake of the Otherworld.
Since then this lake was known as a sacred entrance to the Otherworld where it is believed the ancient Gods and heroes dwelled. In Pagan times people would offer sacrifices to these Gods by throwing their valuables - such as jewellery and gems into the lake. Hoards of gold and bronze have been discovered in bogs and lakes on the continent where they were deposited thousands of years ago to please their Gods, but no treasure has been unearthed at this location… yet.
Lig na Paiste
The last great reptile of Ireland
Lig na Paiste, of the “last great reptile of Ireland” was a giant serpent, an ancient remnant from the beginning of the world who dwelled in a forest pool near the headwaters of the Owenreagh River.
“He managed to keep his head down when Saint Patrick banished all the serpents from Ireland, and so he lingered and waited. Eventually the saint died, and Lig na Paiste figured this was his chance. He took up his evil ways and marauded across the countryside once again.
Of course people cried out their woes when he ravaged their herds. Words of their troubles reached Saint Murrough and after 9 days of praying and fasting he gathered 2 rods made from green reeds and sought out Paiste.
By Saint Murroughs prayer, Paiste was banished to the farthest depth of Lough Foyle. Those who live nearby often tell of strange forebodings when they are near the water. If there are waves without source it’s believed Paiste is struggling to get free.”
“Info from: wyrmflight
Coinneal an choirp
Corpse Candle
Originating from 18th century Ireland and Wales the corpse candles were believed to be mysterious luminaries that portended death. The appearance of these small faint lights was often said to be seen above the ground near the home of a person fated to die, or along the “corpse road” a funeral procession would soon take to the church. The lights might also be spotted hovering over the place where a grave would be dug. In some cases, the person who saw the light would soon face death.
People who claimed to have seen corpse candles would testify that they invariably travelled in a straight line, taking the direct route from the home of the person who died to the burial site. The glow reportedly traversed over mountains, valleys, even rivers and marsh land, never bothering with traditional roadways.
“Some accounts said the colour and size of the corpse candle would indicate the gender and age of the person about to die. Red for adult male, white for adult female. Small blue lights for infants
“Info from: sevenponds
Petticoat Loose
Mary Hannigan
Petticoats real name was Mary Hannigan and if there was one thing that Mary was known for it was her dancing. Early in the 19th century there was a wedding in a neighbourhood with drinking and dancing into the early hourse of the morn. Now Mary was able to drink as well as she could sance, and as she spun around in a drunken dance the buttons of her skirt caught onto a nail. Her buttons burst and her skirt fell to the floor, to the great delight of the others in the room who laughed and jeered her. This incident earned her the name Petticoat Loose. Not being one to take foul comments lightly there was soon fists flying in all directions as Mary landed many a clout on those who mocked her.
Petticoat was a large woman, it is said that each of her limbs were a tonne. Her left hand was also said to be larger than her right, as that was the hand she had beaten her abusive parents with. There were even tales of her wrestling men as she had done in life, but now in death she fought with supernatural strength that could kill a man with the flick of her finger. She’s believed to stalk country roads at night often taking on the form of a horse.
Bean Sídhe
Banshee
The Banshee is one of my all time favs and is present in a lot of my work. She is one of Irelands most enduring and terrifying legends. You would be hard pressed to find any child or adult the length and breadth of Ireland that hasn’t heard of her.
The Banshee, (“woman of the fairies”) is a female supernatural being in Irish and other Celtic folklore whose mournful “keening,” or wailing screaming or lamentation, at night was believed to foretell the death of a family member of the person who heard the spirit. In Ireland banshees were believed to warn only families of pure Irish descent. Originally the Banshee appeared to people who were about to suffer a violent and painful death, such as murder. In later stories, she wailed outside their door at night (usually around wooded areas close by) but was rarely seen. Those who claim to have seen her describe long hair which she runs a comb through, similar to tearing the hair out in anguish.
The Banshee comes in three possible guises which may represent the triple Goddess.
Fomorians
A supernatural race
In Irish mythology, the Fomori are a race of demonic beings who posed a threat to the inhabitants of Ireland until they were defeated by the god-race, the Tuatha Dé Danann. The meaning of their name is debated even today, although most agree that the first part - fó means ‘from below’ or ‘nether’ and the latter part means ‘the sean’, ‘demons’ or ‘giants’ and their leader Balor had one huge deadly eye. And when you read of their deeds and doings, you could be forgiven for thinking all three were accurate.
“Descriptions of the Fomori and their behaviour are strange and conflicting in old legends - some tales tell that they were phenomenally ugly, and celebrated this ugliness, even driving out children who were normal in appearance, taking deformaties as a mark of favour from their dark gods. One Fomori might have a large arm and a small arm, while another might have two heads!
Other tales claim they were born whole enough but became strange in mind and appearance after exposure to the occult ur'-light, degenerative radiances of their eldritch rituals.”
“Info from: Emerald Isle
Púca | Pooka
Shapeshifter
Púca are shape-shifting troublemakers. Legends say that the Púca can change into many animals but horses bearing sleek coats, wild manes and flaming eyes are the most common animal shape of these mischievous fairies. When in human form, these fairies still bear animalistic characteristics.
Though stories about the Púca are vague and varied, one common similarity is the púca’s love of mischief. This mischief can take many forms, but one favourited by the púca seems to be transforming into a great black horse and enticing the unwitting rider on its back for a wild ride through the night. Usually, this person has been on the drink, and even if they haven’t, the púca bewitches them, leaving them with a bad feeling and hazy recollections of a night poorly spent.
Sometimes the púca can serve as a protective entity, helping farmers with the crops, offering presents, etc, though stories of kind púca are much overshadowed by those of mischief, bad luck, or even doom. November 1st is the one daya year during which the púca are reputed for their civility.
“info from: Wilderness Ireland
Balor
Of the evil eye
Balor of the evil eye was a powerful leader of the Formorians; a dark and demonic race (see above) that were terrible oppressors of the Tuatha De Danann. He is the mythical tyrant, a sort of evil Goliath character, with huge destructive power in his eye.
Balor himself was said to have been a giant of enormous size, so vast was his form and eye that it took four men to lift the lid, as he kept it closed when amongst his own folk.
It was always covered with seven cloaks to keep it cool. When it was needed, he would remove the cloaks one by one. “At the first, ferns began to wother. At the second, grass began to redden. At the third, wood and trees began to heat up. At the fourth, smoke came out of wood and trees. At the fifth, everything got red hot. At the sixth and the seventh, the whole land caught fire. With Balors eye he is said to have blasted the islands west of Scotland, which remain bleak and haunted to this day. When Balor was slain his fall killed 27 of his soldiers.
“Info from: Emerald Isle
Cailleach
Veiled one | Hag
One of the great Celtic ancestors, the Cailleach was the goddess of the cold and the winds. Sometimes known as the veiled one, or queen of the winter, the Cailleach determined the winters length and harshness. She was both a divine hag and creator deity.
The Cailleach appears primarily as a veiled old woman, sometimes with only one eye. Her skin was deathly pale or blue, while her teeth were red and her clothes adorned with skulls. She could leap across mountains and ride storms. In the Manx tradition, the Cailleach was a shapeshifter capable of transforming into a giant bird.
The veiled one was a creator diety that shaped much of the known landscape; whether she did so intentionally remains unclear. She was neither fully good nor evil; her intentions varied from tale to tale. Through her association with storms and thunder, she was a natural and wild destructive force. Both ageless and immortal; as winter gave way to spring she would return to her youth. After 7 periods of youth, she remained permanently old.
“Info from: mythopedia
Merrow | Múroch
Mermaid | Sea Siren
Merrow, coming from Murúch means sea-singer, or siren. Merrow are described, as most mer-like creatures, as part human, part fish. The women are uniquely beautiful and use their beauty to lure young men to the sea to live in an enchanted state. They have green tails, and green hair that they meticulously groom. They also have webbed hands, allowing them to swim quicker through the water.
They are known for their ability to form attachements with humans, with some tales of intermarriages; but it is also a well known part of these myths that, if you are to take a merrow as your spouse, you need to hide their red cap (Cohuleen Druith) they use and shed off to transfer between land and sea, or their instincts may cause them to impulsively return to the sea.
Dearg Due
Red Bloodsucker
The Dearg due was a young girl with beauty so astounding that men were besotted with her and women wanted to be her. She was in love with a farm labourer but her father was a massive cunt abuser who promised her hand to a wealthy and notoriously atrocious clan chieftan in exchange for riches and land.
The chieftan turned out to be far more abusive than her father - locking her away for his pleasure only. She became so depressed and lonely she simply wasted away.
Her lost love visited her grave every day telling her of his undying love and praying for her return to his arms. Sadly his love was not the driving force for her resurrection - revenge was the force that pulled her from her grave on the first anniversary of her death.
Consumed with anger and the need for retribution she climbed from her coffin and headed straight to suck the life from every man who harmed her. Scarlet liquid surging through her, her hunger for blood could not be sated and even the man who loved her and wished her back to life became a victim of her bloodlust.
Clíodhna
Queen of the Banshees
Clíodhna was the mythical Queen of the Banshees, the female spirits of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was a Goddess of love and beauty and is surrounded by three colourful birds whose fabulous songs could cure all ailments. Those who heard the songs were lulled into a deep sleep and when they awoke found that their sickness had been cured. These birds fed from apples from the Otherworld.
Clíodhna, the beautiful is said to have lured sailors into bodies of water where they would drown, unconcerned as she was with the fate of mere mortals. But it was one such mortal who was to cause her downfall. She left the ‘land of promise’ in the Otherworld, known as ‘Tir Tairngire’, to be with her mortal lover Ciabhán. It was an amazing sacrifice for a goddess from the Otherworld to remain in the mortal realm as she chose to do.
One day Ciabhán went off to hunt, Clíodhna remained at the seahorse but was swept away by a wave incanted by Manannán MacLir, the sea Deity. Ever since that time the tide in Glandore Cork is known as ‘Tonn Clíodhna’ meaning ‘Clíodhnas Wave.’
Info from: Ireland Information
Fetch
Ghost of the living
One of the oldest legends in Ireland is that of the Fetch, the ghost of the living, which some say comes down from the ancient Irish word for seer or prophet, fáith. It is a double-spirit, one which takes on the identical appearance of someone as an omen of their impending death.
The Fetch might have the marks of the impending death, so if someone was about to die in a fire, the Fetch may be burned in appearance. Sometimes it can only be seen by the one it imitates, and sometimes be seen by everyone except the person it imitates! Often it is grey and shadowy when seen from the corner of the eye, and is described as being airyin substance or not all there.
The Fetch can also appear after a person has just died, walking among their loved ones, although seeming to be distant or distracted. If followed for a while, it will vanish into dark corners or behind trees.
So if you see yourself walking alongside yourself and haven’t had a drop to drink, be extra careful, for the Fetch has come calling!
“Info from: Emerald Isle
Cú Sidhe
Hound of the Sidhe
One of the great terrors of ancient- and not so ancient Ireland was the Cú Sidhe, or the hound of the Sidhe. This monstrous beast was known in all of the lands once ruled by the Gael.
A powerful brute, the hound was said to have a dark green or black coat and to be the size of a small horse, with burning fiery eyes and paws the size of a mans hand. These hounds would make their homes in rocky crevices and clefts, and roamed the moors and bogs when it wasn’t out and about on fairy business! It was also known to haunt ancient roads, gallows, trees, and crossroads, and it loved storms better than any other weather.
It hunted in deadky silence but when it drew close to its prey, it would let out three howls or barks which could be heard for many miles, even far out at sea. Those who heard the Cú Sidhe would be overcome with great fear, they may perish!
“Info from: Emerald Isle
Sluagh
Unforgiven dead
This is how I imagine the Sluagh to look. Of all the wonders and terrors in Irish folklore there are few quite so terrifying as the Sluagh. Tales were told of their wild hunt long before the coming of Christianity to Ireland, and even today old folk in the countryside will keep the windows on the west side of the house fastened tight at all times, but especially during wakes or if someone in the house was unwell, for fear of the Sluagh coming to pay a midnight visit.
Wicked or saintly, kind or cruel, the Sluagh play no favourites, they’ll take the souls of all that cross their path, although some say they have a particular taste for the living spirits of those who have found true love. The ancients used to think they were faerie gone terribly wrong, warped and twisted, without fear, reason, or mercy. When the light came to Ireland they became the souls of lost sinners seeking to drag the unfaithful down to hell with them, but the result was the same.
Sluagh are said to roam earth on the night of Samhain capturing souls dead or alive and spiralling through the lands on the darkest night.
“Info from: Emerald Isle