Dawn of the Myths - The First Shrieks

In the earliest mists of Ireland’s consciousness, before stone was carved and fire tamed, the air above battlefields was already thick with presence. It waited. It watched. It held the breath of dying men in its dark palms. The bánánach emerged not as monsters crafted by weary hands but as ancient forces woven into the very fabric of Irish sky and soil. They were waiting in the shadows of history before the first man drew a sword.

Night falls on the Irish glens. The wind moves through the pines like fingers running along a wound. The air hangs heavy, cold, waiting. And then—screeching. A sound that isn’t bird. Not even wind. It is the air itself screaming. The bánánach came first, drawn to combat like moths to flame, like ghosts to grave markers. These spectres haunted the first bloodshed, drawn to combat with the inevitability of shadow meeting object.

The bocánaigh and bánánaigh filled the air screaming above armies, driving warriors from fear and fury. They screamed until the sky shook until the swords sang with terror. Type supernatural battle-demons and spectres inhabiting wild places where life and death meet—where one steps wrong and there is no come-back, only the dark that waits.

They were waiting.

Origins from the Formorians - Children of Chaos

Balor of the evil eye, giant king of the Formorians, held dominion as eternal enemies to the Tuatha Dé Danann. His children included the demonic beings that would become the banánachs and their kin. Not born of love but of violence and the dark. The Formorians were first in Ireland, supposedly built the megalithic monuments aligned to moon rather than sun. They understood the rhythm of death before the priests came. They fought with Tuatha and Fir Bolg for control of Ireland across many generations.

Most legends say they are hideous, though others claim they were of terrible beauty. Beauty that kills. Beauty that haunts. Some say they wore the faces of their enemies before the first battle was fought. Some say they wore no face at all, just the wind and the hunger. They were the children of chaos, the first breath of destruction that would echo through the centuries.

Balor’s face held an eye so terrible it burned. When opened it caused waves of destruction. Not like fire. Fire is visible. His eye—when it opened—was a wave. A wave of ending. A wave that rolled over fields and cities and took them all with it. Seven different coverings usually cover his third eye to ensure destruction isn’t caused when not intended. Seven layers of cloth and magic and terror.

If you have ever heard of the term eyes in the back of your head, they may refer to Balor. The eye that looked back. The eye that saw you before you were born.

The Táin Bó Cuailnge - Echoes in Blood and Steel

The epic Irish tale witnessed these creatures howling and swooping over Cú Chulainn when he fought his friend Ferdiad. For three days at the ford Áth Fhirdiad in the river Dee the fight went on, a spectacle for gods and demons. Three days. Three nights. The earth shook. The water ran red.

So close was the fight now that their heads met above and their feet below and their arms in the middle over the rims and bosses of their shields. So close was the fight they made that they cleft and loosened their shields from their rims to their centres. So close was the fight which they made that they turned and bent and shivered their spears from their joints to their hefts.

Such was the closeness of the fight which they made that the Bocanachs and Bananachs and wild people of the glens and demons of the air screamed from the rims of their shields and from the hilts of their swords. Such was the closeness of the fight which they made that they cast the river out of its bed and out of its course.

The scene of this great battle can be found on the map of the ford. The map bears witness. The ford bears witness. And the demons bear witness.

Nature’s Design - Appearances and Forms

They often appear as ghoulish goats with goat-like heads suggesting derivation from bocán or pocán male goat. They may have had a goat-like appearance or a goat’s head suggesting a derivation from bocán / pocán male goat. Based on their name from bocán meaning he-goat it’s assumed they had a Puck-like appearance. They always appear alongside the Bocanachs, some even sitting on the shields and blades of heroes as they fought. Having the heads of goats which lapped up the blood of the fallen and they weren’t particular about whose blood was spilled either. Some say they would even whisper in the ears of kings and chiefs to incite discord and war.

The air hummed with their presence. The ground trembled. The blood pooled in the mud, waiting. The goats—no. Not goats. Ghoulish spirits of war with heads that drank and mouths that hungered.

Numbnames and Etymologies - The Roots of Fear

The Bánánaigh name has been interpreted with suggested derivations from bean / ban woman, wife ban female-, or bán white, pale, fair. One suggested translation is pale-face as in the paleness associated with a corpse. The bánánach were shrieking female spectres drawn by combat to circle the skies over battlefields. Their name may come from bán meaning white or pale or from bean/ban meaning woman. They’re kind of like banshees and their name may have a similar root. The Bánánaigh were supernatural beings generally imagined as screaming female demons or spectres.

The pale-face female as in the paleness associated with a corpse. The death that walks the earth. The death that doesn’t rest. They were drawn by violence to circle the skies over areas of combat. Violence called them. The scream was their calling.

Functions of Hell - Enablers of Death

Bananachs mostly haunt battlefields, waiting for that last breath so they can collect the souls of the dying and bring them to the devil. Bananachs are demons of the air that collect souls without welcome. Bananachs are not wanted in heaven or hell. Bananachs encourage and exult in bloodshed. The Bocánaigh were airborne shrieking demons that haunted battlefields and areas of combat encouraging and exulting in the bloodshed below.

Their job is to herald death by keening, weeping, wailing, and shrieking (though this is more Banshee domain). These creatures more actively encouraged the bloodshed of war. They didn’t just watch. They didn’t just hover above the fray. They pushed. They whispered. They screamed. They drove men and women to greater violence with every screech.

The demons of the air, as monastic scholars later called them more actively encouraged the bloodshed of war. Not neutral. Not observers. They were participants. Their screams were weapons. Their presence was a command.

The Morrigan Connection - Queens of Warfare

The Bananachs were also said to be close cousins of the Morrigan and the Badbs. Related to Morrígan Badb Nemain all part of the same tradition of supernatural war-beings. The Morrigan was a Celtic version of the Nordic Valkyrie, she took the shape of different animals most often a crow named Badb. She often inspired warriors to be heroic and brave in Celtic folklore. Many battles in Celtic folklore attribute victory to the guiding hand of the Morrigan.

The Morrigan is depicted as the wife of The Dagda and she is the wife Niet the god of war. While in her shape-shifted form of Badb she is said to be the wife Niet the god of war. Morrigan’s name is translated to the phantom queen. It is most likely the inspiration for Arthurian legends as the evil sister Morgana. Some historians suggest that the tale of King Arthur is inspired by more of a cultural battle between Britonnic and Celtic cultural wars. The Morrigan is a phantom queen, wife of The Dagda, wife of Nét (Niet) the god of war, shape-shifter crow Badb, inspiration for Morgana le Fay.

With their attraction to violence and sex and occasional monstrous guises the various war-goddesses of Irish mythology do bear some resemblance to the original female trolls of Scandinavia Germany and England. The Morrigan was the queen of warfare. She came and went. She took many faces. She took many forms. And she never stopped.

Comparisons to Valkyries - Scandinavian Echoes

While comparisons between the Bánánaigh and the Scandinavian Valkyrjer are obvious and probably correct there may also be some similarities with the Trolls of Germanic tradition. These supernatural beings in the original Germanic and Scandinavian myths are very different from their folkloric descendants. The Bocanáigh in Irish were related to the Pucas who might be their descendants or themselves weakened with the passage of time.

The word is old. The word Púca. Old as the first stories. Old as the first fires. Old as the first battles.

The Otherworldly Links - Tuatha Dé Danann Connection

Given that several female figures belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danann are closely associated with warfare and in a form similar to that of the Bánánaigh there is little doubt that they belong to the same community of Otherworld beings. These creatures are part of the formal mythological record written down by monks from the 7th century onward. These creatures appear in the earliest Irish texts and you’ll find them in the great tales of the Tuatha De Danann the Ulster Cycle and the Fenian Cycle. The heroes of Irish mythology needed worthy opponents and the old manuscripts gave them plenty.

The heroes of Irish mythology needed worthy opponents. The gods needed worthy enemies. The men and women of Ulster needed worthy opponents. And the demons of the air gave them plenty.

Terrible Visions - The Unforgiven Dead

The Sluagh are unforgiven dead who wander earth hunting souls for the devil. Sluagh are not welcome in heaven or hell so they wander earth hunting souls for the devil. They can be invisible, change their appearance, and fly at night. They might sound like a whirlwind of ravens flapping their wings, cawing, ready to attack. They are skilled trackers and once they have your scent there is no hope. Sluagh attack with the west winds and even today cautious people close their west windows when the winds pick up. According to the ancients sluaghs are faeries gone amuck, warped and twisted without fear, reason, or mercy, related to the banánachs.

The wind itself had a mind. And it was hungry. Close your windows. Close them. It is during the darkest winter nights that we sit inside our houses and listen to the wind hammering at our windows and doors as if it had a mind and will of its own. The old people of Ireland believed that was the literal truth that there were demons of the air or demna aeoir thronging about.

The Abhartach - Walking Dead from Iranc

The Abhartach was a magical dwarf and a cruel chieftain due to his evil rule a neighbor chieftain slayed him and buried him standing up. Abhartach escaped the grave as a walking dead and wreaked havoc drinking the blood of anyone he came across. Abhartach was so powerful he could drain blood from his victim just by standing near them. Now it’s widely known that Bram Stoker’s Dracula has close ties to Ireland.

The walking dead. The power of standing and draining. Bram Stoker came later. He took inspiration from those who came before. From those who lived in the shadows and whispered to those who listened.

DearglDule - The Blood Sucker of Red Skin

Dearg Due was a tragic tale of a beautiful woman forced to marry a cruel man instead of her lover. Dearg Due wasted away and died. The only one to mourn her death was her lost love. Now the story turns from tragic to horrifying. Her rage brings her from the grave seeking revenge from those who wronged her. She goes to her father and kills him. Next she visits her husband and sinks her teeth into his neck drinking his blood. This creates an unsatiable bloodlust. Using her beauty she lures men to her and feasts on their blood killing many. Until one day she simply disappears. She is supposedly buried under Strongbows tree in Waterford. Ah the Dearg Due, she may linger in the shadows of the more famous Abhartach, but she is no less terrifying. Her name red bloodsucker suits her well – she’s a cunning predator who seduces men only to drain them of their blood.

The tragic. The horrifying. The bloodlust. The rage. The beauty that turns to terror. That is Irish folklore.

The Dullahan - The Headless Rider

The Dullahan is a headless horseman who rides a horse or drives the death coach to collect souls of the dead. His whip is made from a human spine and he carries his decomposing head in his arm. If you stumble upon him while collecting souls he will run you down and take your soul too. Once he speaks your name you are marked and there is nothing you can do. Now it’s widely known that Bram Stoker’s Dracula has close ties to Ireland.

The headless rider. The spine whip. The decomposing head held in one arm. He waited at the crossroads. He waited at the village gate. He waited for you.

The Banshee - Female Shrieker

The Banshee is probably the most well-known Irish creature. The word derives from Bean bon meaning woman and si or sidhe meaning fairy. Her job is to herald death by keening, weeping, wailing, and shrieking. Sometimes they may take an unexpecting victim on their way to the dying person. Also they might shriek and wail to drive a person insane. The banshee Bean sí is a woman of the Sí, older Sidhe, one of the divine people who went underground into the fairy mounds after the Tuatha De Danann lost Ireland. She comes from the same world as Brigid and Manannán mac Lir. Her wails and screams heard at night foretell a death in the family—but only if your family’s Irish.

Irish poet W.B. Yeats described the banshee as an attendant fairy that follows the old families and none but them. The queen of the banshees Clíodhna was a goddess of love and beauty accompanied by birds that cured illness. But she also lured sailors to their deaths. For this she was punished by the sea god Manaanán MacLir. Now when she left the Otherworld to be with her lover MacLir drowned her with a wave hence the legend. The Bánánaigh which meant white or female wraiths and they in turn were related to the Banshee. Although the Banshee merely prophecised death rather than flitting over fields of combat.

The wail that comes out of the night. The scream that foretells the end. The woman of the mounds. The fairy folk. The death that approaches. The banshee.

Water Monsters - Oillipheist the Serpent

Oillipheist ol a fisht is a huge water serpent that lurks in rivers and lakes. Oillipheist has control of water, causing floods as well as storms. It is so big it can swallow ships whole. Its gaze will paralyze victims while it drags them to their watery death. The Oilliphéist is one of the ancient Celtic folklore creatures as old and fearsome as Ireland’s rivers and lakes. These dragon-like monsters vast as the sea itself were known to stir from the depths, darkening the waters with their coils. They were not easily bested, mind you, and even Saint Patrick himself had his battles with these great beasts.

The waters were never quiet. They never were. The serpent lurked beneath the surface. The floods came. The storms gathered. The water horse, the each Uisce, was known in various regions.

The Each Uiscé - The Water Horse

Throughout the lands where Gaelic was spoken, the legend of the water horse was whispered by many a fireside. Or sometimes told in a hurry by someone running the other direction. There are many lakes in Ireland and most of them aren’t very large, but they run still, dark, and deep. The Each-Uisce as the water horse or horse-eel was known in various regions.

The waters whispered. They held secrets. They held dangers.

The Wolf Men - The Legion of Lagnech

When Ireland’s kings called upon them, these mighty warriors, descendants of Laignech Fáelad himself, would rise to defend the land. Cloaked in the spirit of the wolf, their howl could chill even the bravest. These wolf-men held a magic as old as the stones beneath their feet. Irish mythological creatures have stirred the shadows woven into tales whispered by firelight and guarded through generations of storytellers. For thousands of years Irish mythological creatures have stirred the shadows woven into tales. Celtic mythological creatures embodied the fears, hopes, and wonders of Ireland’s people from ancient times to modern day. Celtic mythological creatures come in all shapes and sizes, from harmless spirits to fearsome beasts lurking in the shadows. In Celtic mythology, some of these beings enchant with quiet mischief while others instil terror with a single glance.

From powerful Celtic Gods who ruled the land to mischievous faeries dancing in hidden glens, each creature features prominently in Irish folklore. The ancient appear in the oldest Irish battle-literature including the Táin. These creatures are terrifying and almost impossible to picture but all of them were considered real by the people who first told these stories. And so it was when dragons still flew and champions walked the earth that the men of the Fir Bolg had lordship over all of Ireland.

Fairies of Two Natures - Seelie and Unseelie

Fairies are among the best-known Irish folklore creatures with their presence appearing in everything from Disney movies to video games. In Irish tradition, faeries are central figures divided into two groups: The Seelie who are friendly and helpful, and The Unseelie who often have darker, mischievous intentions. The Púca is a shapeshifter, it can take different forms and its character sits somewhere between mischievous and genuinely dangerous. The word is old, it appears in Irish writings from the 8th century and the Púca has been part of Irish supernatural life ever since. The Leprechaun is arguably the best known of the many Celtic creatures, mainly due to its association with Ireland. In Irish folklore these elf-like creatures are tricksters who cannot be trusted and will deceive you whenever possible. Contrary to popular belief, the Leprechaun has nothing to do with the term the Luck of the Irish. The Far Darrig Red Man is a mischievous faerie in Irish mythology often depicted wearing a red coat and cap. Known for their dark hairy skin, long snouts, and skinny tails, these Rat Boys revel in practical jokes. From powerful Celtic Gods who ruled the land to mischievous faeries dancing in hidden glens, each creature features prominently in Irish folklore.

Fairies danced in the glens. They danced in the night. They danced in the shadows and the stories.

Celtic Deities - The Gods Who Watched

Celtic mythology comes from Western European Celtic peoples who were spread across the continent from Germany to Spain and the British Isles from the Bronze Age 3000 BCE to 1100 BCE. Like American indigenous peoples, the Celts didn’t build their language for writing and much of their traditions and mythologies were passed down orally by the druids of Celtic society. For over 3000 years the druids of Celtic society passed down their traditions and mythologies orally. Christian monks arrived on the scene in 431 CE and they began creating a written canon for Celtic mythology. When Christian monks arrived on the scene in 431 CE they began creating a written canon for Celtic mythology that still exists as the world’s best relic in their mythological teachings. Unfortunately for us, Christians of the time take creative freedom with their writings and may only sometimes portray the most accurate accounts of other cultures. The result is a mythology inspired by more heavily recorded cultures like the Greeks and Romans. Due to the significant disparity between the different subsets of Celtic mythology, our information on the Celtic gods spans several other stories, cultures, and theories. This results in nearly 300 gods mentioned by name in the primary source material. Here is a list of the 10 most recognized Celtic deities and their close relative Norse and Greek counterparts.

Celtic mythology spans centuries. It spans cultures. It spans the very air itself.

The Dagda - Father of All

The Dagda’s name translates to The Good God, described as the leader of the Celtic pantheon. Physically he is depicted as a large, bearded man carrying a club around. In many ways, The Dagda has assumed the role of the Norse Odin in Celtic mythology as the most powerful god in the Celtic mythos. Like Greek Zeus, The Dagda fathers most of the well-known Irish Celt gods and rules from his divine throne. He is primarily associated with the club and cauldron as symbols of wisdom, strength, and abundance. Much like the other gods of Celtic mythology, The Dagda is said to belong to a race of supernatural beings called the Tuatha dé Danann. Danu is The Dagda’s counterpart and the matriarch of power in the Celtic pantheon. Some sources describe her as a mortal woman who is the ancestral figure to the Gods. Some speculation remains about her role in the creation myth of the Celts. Only a few accurate physical representations of Danu exist today. Still, the symbols often associated with Danu are the fish, seagulls, horses, water, wind, crowns, keys, gold, amber, and the triple goddess symbol. The triple goddess symbol is supposed to represent the maiden, mother, and the crone, the three stages of a woman’s life cycle.

The Dagda was the father. The Dagda was the leader. The Dagda was good—and terrible.

The Morrigan - Queen Badb

The Morrigan was a Celtic version of the Nordic Valkyrie, she took the shape of different animals, most often a crow named Badb. She often inspired warriors to be heroic and brave in Celtic folklore. Many battles in Celtic folklore attribute victory to the guiding hand of the Morrigan. The Morrigan is depicted as the wife of The Dagda and she is the wife Niet the god of war. While in her shape-shifted form of Badb she is said to be the wife Niet the god of war. Morrigan’s name is translated to the phantom queen. It is most likely the inspiration for Arthurian legends as the evil sister Morgana. Some historians suggest that the tale of King Arthur is inspired by more of a cultural battle between Britonnic and Celtic cultural wars. The Morrigan is a phantom queen, wife of The Dagda, wife of Nét (Niet) the god of war, shape-shifter crow Badb, inspiration for Morgana le Fay.

The phantom queen. The crow. The shapeshifter. The Morrigan.

Aengus - The Gigd of Love

Aengus is a Celtic god of love and the son of The Dagda. He has played an integral role in many Irish myths since the height of Celtic culture. Being the god of love, the most famous story of Aengus is his love story with Caer Ibormeith. As a woman who becomes a swan due to a curse during Samhain Halloween she becomes part of Celtic myth. Aengus claims to know her even as a swan and when he finds them they fly away together in happiness. His name in Irish means vigorous and he is known for carrying around several mythical artifacts. Just because Aengus is a lover doesn’t mean he isn’t a fighter because he carries two swords. He was the god of love who carried swords and artifacts, seeking his swan bride Caer Ibormeith.

The god of love carried swords. He sought his swan bride. He was vigorous. He was young. He was powerful.

Cliodhna - Garden of Beauty

If Aengus is the god of love his goddess counterpart would be Cliodhna, the goddess of beauty. She surrounds herself with brightly colored birds that eat from a tree from the Otherworld. Instead of Eve’s fruit-eating being humanity’s doom, Cliodhna uses it to heal those sick and suffering from famine. Her story sometimes turns dark when she drowns crossing the sea for her mortal lover. Depending on the retelling of the story, she may die and become another entity known as the queen of the banshees. Funnily enough Cliodhna’s legend of kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland became popular after the ruler of Blarney Castle prayed to her. She told him whoever kisses the blarney stone will be granted the ability to deceive. Her symbol in Celtic culture is the three birds. The queen of the banshees Clíodhna was a goddess of love and beauty accompanied by birds that cured illness. But she also lured sailors to their deaths. For this she was punished by the sea god Manaanán MacLir. Now when she left the Otherworld to be with her lover, MacLir drowned her with a wave hence the legend.

The goddess of beauty and death. Birds that heal and that deceive.

Lugh - The Master Craftsman

Lugh is an Irish mythological warrior god who is considered the creator of several sporting events from Celtic culture. He often carries with him a flaming sphere and rides a white horse into battle along with his trusty hound Failinis. He is a young warrior who is large and handsome with bright red cheeks and bronzed skin. Several stories of Lugh show him as the king of humans. Most of his stories align with a sort of demigodfolk hero rather than an actual god. Lugh’s command of storms brings Thor to mind as his Nordic counterpart. A story of him slaying a god named Balor the evil god of chaos draws similarities to Loki’s killing of Baldr. Lugh is often depicted as a master craftsman with no equal. He is responsible for creating Ireland’s version of the Olympic games. Most recreational activities like chess and fishing are associated with Lugh and he is a great king and man in most myths. He ends abruptly when the grandchildren of The Dagda kill him in revenge for killing their father Cermait. He was the master craftsman, creator of Irish games, warrior king who died at the hands of the Dagda’s grandchildren.

The craftsman. The warrior. The king. The death.

Brigit - Goddess of Protection

Brigit is the daughter of The Dagda and the goddess of protection and wisdom in Celtic mythology. She is like Greek Athena and many believe she is the inspiration for Saint Brigid in the Christian faith. She is known for being a physician and protecting those who need it like domesticated animals. She is the goddess adored by poets and a radiant beauty for all. Her name means the high one in old Irish. The Celts worshiped her in conjunction with Lugh due to her abilities in smithing and crafting. She is also a bastion of light and her symbols include fire, wells, and cattle. Many deities share a name with Brigit in Celtic and other cultural traditions. Tales of her create the basis for modern ideas of motherly family households. She was the daughter of The Dagda, goddess of poetry, smithing, and healing, like Greek Athena, inspiration for Saint Brigid.

The guardian. The healer. The poet. Brigit.

Taranis - The Thunder God

Taranis is the Celtic god of thunder and has drawn most parallels to the Nordic Thor. Both of their names come from similar dialects and they both tend to be seen as worker gods. Thor carries a hammer and Taranis carries a wheel. Many Gaelic artifacts depict Taranis, one of the most recognizable figures in Celtic mythology. Like Thor in Norse mythology, there are several images of Taranis fighting a giant serpent. He is a tall bearded man and his symbols include the wheel and a lightning bolt. He was the thunder god of the Celts, carrying the wheel, parallel to Thor.

The thunder. The wheel. The lightning. Taranis.

Balor - The Evil Eye King

Balor is the Celtic god of chaos and leader of a demonic race called the Formorians. They were believed to have threatened the Irish Celtic people. He usually is depicted as having one eye or three which when opened causes a wave of destruction like the Greek Cyclops. As a result, seven different coverings usually cover his third eye to ensure destruction isn’t caused when not intended. If you have ever heard of the term eyes in the back of your head, they may refer to Balor. In J.R.R. Tolkien, the eye of Sauron is likely an idea he originated from Balor symbolism. Balor of the evil eye was a giant king of the Formorians who were malevolent supernatural beings who are eternal enemies to the Tuath De Danann. He had a large eye somewhat like a cyclops. When he opened his evil eye he caused mass destruction to everything he looks upon. Birog, a woman fairy or druidess, saves one son Lugh who later slays Balor. A story of him slaying a god named Balor the evil god of chaos draws similarities to Loki’s killing of Baldr. He was the king of chaos, leader of Formorians, with the evil eye that caused destruction.

The evil eye. The destruction. The chaos. Balor.

Aine and Danu - Fairy Queens of Otherworld

Aine is the fairy goddess of joy and is often confused with Danu. One thing Aine is responsible for in the myths is changing the seasons. When seasons changed for farmers during the Celts it brought wealth to the community. The most famous story of Aine is when she enacted revenge on a king for trying to force himself on her. She maimed him and ensured that anyone who saw him would know of his acts and he would feel shame. There is also an old Irish law that claims only a fresh face could rule which may have origins in this fold tale. One of the most popular old Irish holidays, the Midsummer Night, is held in her honor as she has the power to grow crops and create rain. In legend she looks like a red mare and has the symbol of the rising sun. While we can never be sure whether the gods of the Celtic myth exist in their vacuum or are just offshoots of previous Greco-Roman archetypes. It is evident that Celtic mythology played a significant role in current human mythology and beliefs. Popular holidays like Christmas and Halloween start here in Celtic cultural celebrations. Irish legends from time immemorial have a great deal to say about the land of the fairies, the home of the Tuatha De Danann or the world of the Sidhe. There are those who claim it lies beneath fairy mounds or on the other side of deep caves where Druids once held tryst and shared magical secrets. While other tales tell of heroes and adventurers who visit the land of the Sidhe. For it was by Tiernas hand we know that High King Cormac went missing for a time. Aine was the goddess of joy, changed the seasons, avenged her honor, symbol of the red mare.

The goddess of joy. The goddess of seasons. The goddess of revenge. Aine and Danu.

The Land of the Fairies - Tuatha De Danann Home

In the mildest mists of Ireland’s consciousness, the land of the fairies, the home of the Tuatha De Danann, or the world of the Sidhe, lay just beyond reach. There are those who claim it lies beneath fairy mounds or on the other side of deep caves where Druids once held tryst and shared magical secrets. While other tales tell of heroes and adventurers who visit the land of the Sidhe. For it was by Tiernas hand we know that High King Cormac went missing for a time.

The land of the fairies. The home of the gods. The world of the Sidhe. Beyond reach. Just beyond.

The Curses of Ireland - Geases and Mallachts

It was the custom in Ireland of old to lay geases upon champions, heroes, and warriors. These were magical forbiddings, deeds they must not do, or disaster would follow, and no disaster fell so hard upon a man who broke his geases. Cursing of various sorts has a history as long and rich as Ireland’s own, stretching from the very earliest tales of the first settlers in Ireland all the way to the modern day. Whether a quick muttered malediction on someone who had crossed you or an elaborate lengthy poem intended to satirise and ruin the legacy of a king, the mallacht or curse. The tying of elaborate knots to bind a wish or curse is an ancient practise in Ireland. Different knots had different spiritual meanings, as with the St Bridgits crosses, rushes woven into a Christian icon.

The curse. The malediction. The knot. The mallacht.

The Poets Prophets - Keepers of the Myths

It’s well known that the people of Ireland are gifted in poetry, music, writing, and the arts. But there is one who moves through the misty glens and dappled glades of Ireland and it is the poets who whisper to her in the darkest hours of the night. This fairy who moves through Ireland and it is the poets who whisper to her in the darkest hours of the night, hoping for an answer.

The poets. The whispers. The misty glens. The fairy. The answer.

Spirits of War - The Last Shrieks

In olden times in Ireland women would fight alongside the men fierce and unbowed and accorded the honour of warriors too. The mighty heroes and warriors of ancient Ireland understood well that the greater part of battles were fought in the hearts and minds of men and women. Irish legends have this peculiar property so long and so often have they been repeated down through the millennia. Oftentimes one tale might cross into another, over and back, and leave its track behind. Some stories are far older than they might seem and some contain shadows and echoes stretching back to the very beginning. The ancient appear in the oldest Irish battle-literature including the Táin. These creatures are terrifying and almost impossible to picture but all of them were considered real by the people who first told these stories.

In olden times in Ireland women would fight alongside the men fierce and unbowed and accorded the honour of warriors too. The mighty heroes and warriors of ancient Ireland understood well that the greater part of battles were fought in the hearts and minds of men and women. Irish legends have this peculiar property so long and so often have they been repeated down through the millennia. Oftentimes one tale might cross into another, over and back, and leave its track behind. Some stories are far older than they might seem and some contain shadows and echoes stretching back to the very beginning. The ancient appear in the oldest Irish battle-literature including the Táin. These creatures are terrifying and almost impossible to picture but all of them were considered real by the people who first told these stories. The heroes of Irish mythology needed worthy opponents and the old manuscripts gave them plenty. These creatures are part of the formal mythological record written down by monks from the 7th century onward drawing on traditions older still.

It is during the darkest winter nights that we sit inside our houses and listen to the wind hammering at our windows and doors. The old people of Ireland believed that was the literal truth that there were demons of the air or demna aeoir thronging about. Some of the most ancient Irish myths and legends tell of the Bocanachs and the Bananachs known to the people of Ireland as fierce spirits of the air that were drawn to scenes of battle and bloodshed. Whenever armies gathered to test their might, the sky overhead would be filled with shrieking demons dancing to the sounds of swords clashing and bloodshed. The Bocanáigh and Bánánaigh are the supernatural demons and battle-spectres of the Irish world. The bocánach is male, the bánánach female. They fill the air above battlefields screaming and driving warriors to greater fear and greater violence. They appear in the Táin Bó Cúailnge the great cattle-raid of Ulster screaming in the sky above the armies as they clash. They fill the air above battlefields screaming and driving warriors to greater fear and greater violence.

The demons of the air. The shrieks above battlefields. The demons of the air.

Echoes in the Modern World

Irish mythological creatures have stirred the shadows woven into tales whispered by firelight and guarded through generations of storytellers. For thousands of years Irish mythological creatures have stirred the shadows woven into tales. Celtic mythological creatures embodied the fears, hopes, and wonders of Ireland’s people from ancient times to modern day. Celtic mythological creatures come in all shapes and sizes, from harmless spirits to fearsome beasts lurking in the shadows. From powerful Celtic Gods who ruled the land to mischievous faeries dancing in hidden glens, each creature features prominently in Irish folklore. The scene of this great battle can be found on the map of the ford. Irish legends from time immemorial have a great deal to say about the land of the fairies, the home of the Tuatha De Danann or the world of the Sidhe. While we can never be sure whether the gods of the Celtic myth exist in their vacuum or are just offshoots of previous Greco-Roman archetypes. If these stories and gods teach us anything, everything we do to make sense of our place in the world, which we explored in the past, and with their help, we may come closer to discovering the truth about ourselves. And so it was when dragons still flew and champions walked the earth that the men of the Fir Bolg had lordship over all of Ireland. The heroes of Irish mythology needed worthy opponents and the old manuscripts gave them plenty. These creatures are part of the formal mythological record written down by monks from the 7th century onward drawing on traditions older still.

And then the dark held the rest.