Thebaobh-shìth (Scottish Gaelic pronunciation:[ˈpɤːvˈhiː], literally "fairy witch" or "fairy hag" inScottish Gaelic, pluralbaobhan-sìthScottish Gaelic pronunciation:[ˈpɤːvanˈʃiː]) is a femalefairy in thefolklore of theScottish Highlands, though they also share certain characteristics in common with thesuccubus.[1] They appear as beautiful women who seduce their victims before attacking them and killing them.[1]
There are numerous stories about the baobhan-sìth with a general theme of hunters being attacked in the wilderness at night. In the tale recorded by Mackenzie, there were four men who went hunting and took shelter for the night in a lonelyshieling or hut. One of the men supplied vocal music while the others began dancing. The men expressed a desire for partners to dance with, and soon after that four women entered the hut.Katharine Briggs suggested that the baobhan-sìth was unable to catch the fourth man among the horses because of theiron with which the horses were shod, iron being a traditionalfairy vulnerability.[1]
In a similar tale one of the men noticed that the women had deer hooves instead of feet and fled from them. He returned the next morning to find that the other hunters had their "throats cut and chests laid open".[2][3]
In a third story the hunters took refuge in a cave. Each of the men said he wished his own sweetheart were there that night, but one of them, named Macphee, who was accompanied by his black dog, said he preferred his wife to remain at home. At that moment a group of young women entered the cave, and the men who had wished for their sweethearts were killed. Macphee was protected by his dog who drove the women from the cave.[2][4]
One recurring motif in these stories is that the baobhan-sìth appear almost immediately after the hunters express their desire for female companionship. This is connected with a traditional Scottish belief that if one were to make a wish at night without also invoking God's protection, then that wish would be granted in some terrible manner.[3]
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