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Aos Sí

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Supernatural race in Irish and Scottish mythology
"Sidhe" redirects here. For other uses, seeSidhe (disambiguation).
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Riders of the Sidhe (1911), painting byJohn Duncan

Aos sí (pronounced[iːsˠˈʃiː]; English approximation:/iːsˈʃiː/eessSHEE; older form:aes sídhe[eːsˠˈʃiːə]) is theIrish name for asupernatural race inGaelic folklore, similar toelves. They are said to descend from theTuatha Dé Danann or the gods ofIrish mythology.[1]

The nameaos sí means "folk of thesí"; these are theburial mounds in which they are said to dwell, which are seen as portals to anOtherworld. Such abodes are referred to in English as 'shee', 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'. Theaos sí interact with humans and the human world. They are variously said to be the ancestors, the spirits of nature, or goddesses and gods.[2]

In modern Irish, they are also calleddaoine sí; in Scottish Gaelicdaoine sìth[3] ('folk of the fairy mounds').[4]

Etymology

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In theIrish language,aos sí, earlieraes sídhe, means "folk of the fairy mounds". InOld Irish, it wasáes síde.[5] The wordsí orsídh in Irish means a fairy mound or ancient burial mound, which were seen as portals to anOtherworld. It is derived fromproto-Celtic*sīdos ('abode'), and is related to the English words 'seat' and 'settle'.[6]

David Fitzgerald conjectured that the wordsídh was synonymous with "immortal" and is compared with words such assídsat ("they wait/remain"),síthbeo ("lasting"),sídhbuan ("perpetual"), andsídhbe ("long life"). In most of the tales concerning thesí, a great age or long life is implied.[7]

In medieval literature

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In medieval Irish literature, the namesaes síde andfír síde (folk of thesíd) are equivalent to the termsTuath Dé andTuatha Dé Danann. The only difference is thatTuath Dé tends to be used in contexts of legendary history and mythology.[8]

Writing in the 7th century, the Irish bishopTírechán described thesídh folk as "earthly gods" (Latin:dei terreni).[8] The 8th centuryFiacc's Hymn says that the Irish adored thesídh folk before the coming ofSaint Patrick.[8]

In Irish folklore

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Due to the oral nature of Irish folklore, the exact origins of the fairies are not well defined. There are enough stories to support two possible origins. The fairies could either befallen angels or the descendants of theTuatha Dé Danann; in the latter case, this is equivalent withaos sí.[9] In the former case, it is said that the fairies are angels who have fallen from heaven, but whose sins were not great enough to warrant hell.[1]

In manyGaelic tales, theaos sí are later literary versions of theTuatha Dé Danann ("People of theGoddess Danu")—the deities and deified ancestors ofIrish mythology. Some sources describe them as the survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into theOtherworld when fleeing the mortal Sons ofMíl Espáine who, like many other early invaders of Ireland, came from Iberia. As part of the terms of their surrender to theMilesians, theTuatha Dé Danann agreed to retreat and dwell underground.

In folk belief and practice, theaos sí are often appeased with offerings and care is taken to avoid angering or insulting them. Often, they are not named directly, but rather spoken of as "The Good Neighbours", "The Fair Folk", or simply "The Folk". The most common names for them,aos sí,aes sídhe,daoine sídhe (singularduine sídhe) anddaoine sìth mean, literally, "people of the mounds" (referring to thesídhe). Theaos sí are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous.

Aos sí are seen as fierce guardians of their abodes—whether a fairy hill, afairy ring, a special tree (often awhitethorn) or a particularloch or wood. It is believed that infringing on these spaces will cause theaos sí to retaliate in an effort to remove the people or objects that invaded their homes. Many of these tales contribute to thechangeling myth inwest Europeanfolklore, with theaos sí kidnapping trespassers or replacing their children with changelings as a punishment for transgressing. Theaos sí are often connected to certain times of year and hours; as theGaelic Otherworld is believed to come closer to the mortal world at the times of dusk and dawn, theaos sí correspondingly become easier to encounter. Some festivals such asSamhain,Bealtaine andMidsummer are also associated with theaos sí.

Thesídhe

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Asídh (anglicized 'shee') is burial mound (tumuli) associated with theaos sí. In modern Irish, the word issí (pluralsíthe); in Scottish Gaelic it issìth (pluralsìthean); in Old Irish it issíd (pluralsíde).[5] Thesesídhe are referred to in English as 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'.[6]

In some later English-language texts, the wordsídhe is incorrectly used both for the mounds and the people of the mounds. For example,W. B. Yeats, writing in 1908, referred to theaos sí simply as "thesídhe".[10] However,sidh in older texts refers specifically to "the palaces, courts, halls or residences" of the otherworldly beings that supposedly inhabit them.[11]

Other names in Irish folklore

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TheAos sí are known by many names in Ireland, among them:[7]

  • Aingil Anúabhair: "Proud angels"
  • Daoine Uaisle: "The noble folk"
  • Daoine maithe: "Good people"
  • Deamhan Aerig: "Air demons"
  • Dream Anúabhair: "Excessively proud [people]"
  • Sídhfir: "fairy men"
  • Sídheógaídhe: "Young Moundlings"
  • Slúagh Cille: "Host of the churchyard"
  • Slúagh na Marbh: "Host of the dead"
  • Slúagh Sídhe: "Mound host"
  • Slúagh-Sídhe-Thúatha-Dé-Danann: "Mound host of the Túatha Dé Danann"
  • na Uaisle: "The noble" or "The gentry"

Types

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Thebanshee orbean sídhe (fromOld Irish:ban síde), which means "woman of thesídhe",[12] has come to indicate any supernatural woman of Ireland who announces a coming death by wailing andkeening. Her counterpart inScottish mythology is thebean sìth (sometimes spelledbean-sìdh). Other varieties ofaos sí anddaoine sìth include the Scottishbean-nighe (the washerwoman who is seen washing the bloody clothing orarmour of the person who is doomed to die), theleanan sídhe (the "fairy lover"), thecat-sìth (a fairy cat), and thecù-sìth (a fairy dog).

Thesluagh sídhe—"the fairy host"—is sometimes depicted in Irish and Scottish lore as a crowd of airborne spirits, perhaps the cursed, evil or restless dead. Thesiabhra (anglicised as "sheevra"), may be a type of these lesser spirits, prone to evil and mischief.[13][14] However, anUlster folk song also uses "sheevra" simply to mean "spirit" or "fairy".[15]

List

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Creideamh Sí

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Hawthorn tree, considered in local Irish lore (andCeltic folklore in general) to be sacred to theaos sí

Creideamh Sí isIrish for the "Fairy Faith", a term for the collection of beliefs and practices observed by those who wish to keep good relationships with theaos sí and avoid angering them.[2] General belief in the Celtic otherworld, the existence ofaos sí and the ability of theaos sí to influence the local area and its people are all beliefs characteristic of theCreideamh Sí. It is characterised as an aspect of Irish popular religion and exists syncretically with folk Christianity.[16]

Effort is made by those who believe to appease localaos sí through food and drink. The custom of offering milk and traditional foods—such as baked goods, apples or berries—to theaos sí has survived through the Christian era into the present day in parts of Ireland, Scotland and the diaspora.[2] Those who maintain some degree of belief in theaos sí also are careful to leave their sacred places alone and protect them from damage through road or housing construction.[2][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^abCroker, T. Crofton (2001). Thomas Wright (ed.).Fairy Legends and the Traditions of the South of Ireland. Ann Arbor: Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints.ISBN 0-8201-1535-5.
  2. ^abcdEvans Wentz, W. Y. (1966, 1990)The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries. Gerrards Cross, Colin Smythe Humanities PressISBN 0-901072-51-6
  3. ^Dwelly, Edward (1902).Faclair Gàidhlìg air son nan sgoiltean: Le dealbhan, agus a h-uile facal anns na faclairean Gàidhlig eile. Herne Bay: E. MacDonald. p. 846. Retrieved29 August 2022.
  4. ^James MacKillop,A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), s.v.daoine sídhe.
  5. ^abDictionary of the Irish Language:síd, síth
  6. ^abWilliams, Mark (2018).Ireland's Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth.Princeton University Press. pp. 30–31.ISBN 9781400883325.OCLC 1100668003.
  7. ^abFitzgerald, David (1880).Popular Tales of Ireland. Revue Celtique. pp. 174–176. Retrieved6 November 2021.
  8. ^abcCarey, John (2006). "Tuath Dé". InKoch, John T. (ed.).Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia.ABC-Clio. pp. 1693–1697.ISBN 9781851094400.OCLC 62381207.
  9. ^Yeates, W. B. (1977).Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland. Buckinghamshire: Collin Smythe Gerrards Cross.ISBN 0-900675-59-4.
  10. ^Yeats, William Butler (1908).The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Stratford-on-Avon, UK: Shakespeare Head. p. 3.
  11. ^O'Curry, E., Lectures on Manuscript Materials, Dublin 1861, p. 504, quoted by Evans-Wentz 1966, p. 291
  12. ^Dictionary of the Irish Language:síd, síth andben
  13. ^MacKillop, James (2004)Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
  14. ^Joyce, P.W.A Social History of Ancient Ireland, Vol. 1, p. 271
  15. ^"The Gartan Mother's Lullaby" published 1904 inThe Songs of Uladh, lyrics by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell)
  16. ^Ó Giolláin, Diarmuid (1991)."The fairy belief and official religion in Ireland".The Good People: New Fairylore Essays:199–214. Retrieved9 April 2024.
  17. ^Lenihan, Eddie; Carolyn Eve Green (2004).Meeting the Other Crowd; The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. chapter comments.ISBN 978-1585423071.

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Secondary sources

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Tertiary sources

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