There are many different faerie organizations. Each has its own hierarchy and local legends. In Scotland there is the Sellie Court, a group of rather beneficial spirits, who may none-the-less play the occasional trick on a mortal. The Selie Court are some of the more aristrocratic faeries, and are known as tropping, or heroic faeries. The dark Unsellie Court deserves special mention, and a serious warning.

The great Tuatha de Danann of Ireland flead to Tir Nan Og after their defeat by the Milesians, however those who remained in Ireland became the Daoine Sidhe. Side (Shee) is gaelic for 'people of the hills' Orriginally it referred to the mounds in which faeries lived, though it has now come to reffer to the inhabitants as well. With the introduction of christianity to Ireland, the Daoine Sidhe diminished in importance, and also shrank in size, from the gigantic Tuatha de Danann to that of more traditionally sized faeries. Their king is Finvarra, who like all of his clan is a skilled warrior. He is also fond of chess playing and womanizing. Despite the fact that his wife, Donagh, is one of the most beautiful women above or below the ground, he is known to abduct brides-to-be. Like the Seelie Court, the Daoine Sidhe, enjoy riding and are famous for their faerie steeds, which can carry a rider faster than the wind over land or water.

Another group of faeries in Ireland inhabit the Lough Lean. their ruler is O'Donoghue who rides forth from the lake every May Day on a war steed to ride into the surrounding mist.

Whales has perhaps more clans of faeries than any other area. In Glastonburry Tor, famous from Arturian legends, Gwyn ap Nudd rules over the Plant Annwn (roughly- family of hades). Whoever eats of their food is doomed to remain forever. The welsh Gwyllion, mountain faeries, have a disturbing habbit of sitting on rocks on either side of a path and staring silently at passers by. The Tylwyth Teg (Terlooeth teig) can only be seen by mortals who first rub their eyes with a special faerie oinment, so strong is their glaymor.

However the most famous Welsh faeries are the Gwrgedd Annwn (Gwrageh anoon), the water faeries who are though to live in a submerged town beneath a lake. They are occasionally known to take human husbands, but if the mortal should strike his wife, then she wil leave him, never to return. Long ago, on every New Year's Day, a door would appear in the side of a great rock next to a certain lake. Those who entered found that it lead to a passage that ended on the island in the middle of the lake. This island was a beatiful garden kept by the Gwrgedd Annwn, who would serve wonderful food to the travelers and treat them as honored guests. They warned the fortunate mortals that the doorway was a secret and that nothing could be taken from the garden. One mortal took a single flower from the garden and as soon as he touched the soil of earth, all of the other other travelers were expelled and the doorway was closed, never to reopen again.

The Cornish small people are reduced in size every time they use their shape-changing abilities. They grow smaller and smaller, finally ending their days as ants. For obvious reasons, it is considered in Cornwall unlucky to kill ants.

In the Orkneys, the sea faeries are known as Selkies, who appear seal-like. The females will often shed their seal skins and walk upon the shore as beautiful damsels. If a man should take the seal-skin, he can force the Selkie to become his wife. If she should ever find her skin however, she will leave with it never to return.


This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page
1