In the Irish language the word for faery is shidhe (shee), derived from the Hidustani word siddhi meaning "something which controls the elements". Irish mythology tell us that faeries were once much more involved with the human world than they are now. In County Roscommon where documented faery sightings are numerous, there are accounts of faerie seeking human physicians and wise women for healing, and asking for food and shelter in winter. Queen Maeve of Connacht had good relations with the faery folk of her region, and she was rewarded for her kindness towards them with healing powers and travel spells. Etain, the Queen of the Tuatha de Danann, was once a human woman wooed into Faeryland by her future consort, King Midhir.

In the Irish myth cycles the earliest invaders of the island were faery races. The most famous were the Tuatha de Danann (people of the Goddess Dana), who were said to have ruled Ireland for nearly a thousand years. After their defeat by the Milesians, a cousin race of the Celts, the Tuatha stayed underground to become the faeries and Gnomes of Ireland

The Isle of Man in the stormy Irish Sea is rich with faery lore, much of it shared with Ireland and Scotland even though the island is retained as part of Great Britain. Even the island's name is intimately tied up with Irish mythology. Man was named for Manann, the Irish God of the Sea. The Isle was said to have been created by the Giant-God of Ireland, Finn MacCool, who, with his massive hands, scooped out Lough (Lake) Neagh in northern Ireland and hurled the land into the Irish Sea. Faery sightings on the Isle of Man are still very common, and virtually no one visits this mist-shrouded island of mystery comes away a nonbeliever in the little folk whom the natives refer to as the Little Fellas.

Strange, nonhuman singing and music is often heard from the Manx glens at night, and natives dare not venture there. Some have claimed to see faery footprints in the light of day where the music was heard the night before. On Dalby Mountain, if you put your ear to the ground you can hear what natives call Sheean-ny-Feaynid (Sound of the Infinite), believed to be the voices of underground dwelling fairies.

Scottish faeries resemble Irish ones in both manner and appearance, which should not be surprising because of the shared history, culture, language, and migration patterns of these two countries. In Scotland the word for faery is sith, and is pronounced "shee", the same as in the Irish language.

Scottish faeries are broadly divided into two well-known opposing categories, the Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. Seelie is roughly translated into English as "blessed", and unseelie as "damned". These trooping faeries fly on their Rades rather than parade, and have a vaporous physical form reminiscent of ghosts and other discarnate spirits. The howling Rades of the Unseelie Court were feard throughout the Highlands, where the populace believed them to live under the huge, stony bens (mountains) which cover much of the land. They were hideous to behold, so much so that folklore tells us that those who came face to face with this evil host were most often struck dead with fear.

In contrast, the Seelie Court was made up of the most benevolent faery spirits, and was most often felt to be present at the changing of the seasons. Through the air the Seelie Court ride their beautiful white faery horses, and the most ancient Scottish mythology tells us that these blessed ones and their pets were among the first inhabitants of Scotland.




Land of Origin:
Brittany

Other Names:
Death, the Grim Reaper, Father Time. Element: Ankou, like the deities, is part of all elements, including the elusive fifth element, spirit.

Appearance and Temperament:
Ankou (Ahn-koo) is the personification of death who comes to collect the souls of passed-over humans. He is male, dark, and rather Dickensian with his black-robed costume pulled up high about his head. No one living has ever seen his face, for to do so would be to die. Ankou shows no interest in humans or their lives, he merely does his job.

Lore:
Ankou came from Ireland from the Celtic lore of Brittany in northern France, where he has largely been forgotten. The Irish term for physical death, an bas (awn bays), is rarely used to refer to the entity of Death, but rather the state of death.
Ankou drives a black cart, though some say it is really a small coach or even a hearse, drawn by four black horses in which he comes to collect the souls of those recently passed over and escort them into the Land of the Dead. In Ireland's County Roscommon there is a documented story of a mother and daughter who would hear the music and the rattle of carriage wheels, they could never see a thing. An old Irish proverb says, "When Ankou comes, he will not go away empty." In Ireland, Ankou is always classified as a faery rather than a ghost or some other type of spirit, and he is given more of a personality than he is accorded in many other lands.
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Land of Origin:
Ireland

Other Names:
Washer of the Shrouds, Washer at the Banks, Washer at the Ford. Banshee is the Anglicized spelling, the one commonly used in Canada and the United States. She is called Cointeach in Scotland, a word which literally means "one who keens." The Cornish call her Cyhiraeth. The Welsh know her as either Cyoerraeth or Gwyach y Rhibyn, meaning "Hag of the Dribble," and to the Welsh she can sometimes appear as a male. In Brittany
they called her EurCunnere Noe.

Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
The Beansidhe (Banshee), or "woman faery," is another well-known and much feared Irish faery, though some might classify her as a ghost. She is always female and always appears in a filmy, full-sized human form. Long stringy hair partially covered with a hood, and a white gown or shroud are part of her attire, as is a wet and ghost-like appearance, as if she had just been fished from a moss-covered lake. Her appearance varies by region. In Donegal she is green-robed, and in County Mayo she is black-clad. In Cornwall she is said to have long black teeth.

Lore:
The Beansidhe's keening (mourning wail) can be heard at night prior to a death, and her lamentations are still heard all over Ireland when death is near. Usually these faeries are attached to a particular family or locale, though the latter is not so common. Many believe the Beansidhe to be attached only to the old noble families of Ireland, those of Milesian descent. The origins of the Beansidhe have been lost in time, but it is reasonable to assume that she represents a mother-form from the Irish land of the dead, Tir-na-nog.

In old Ireland Tir-na-nog was also known as the "land of the women," and it was believed that upon physical death a soul was reabsorbed into the womb of the Great Mother, or into some other woman form, to await rebirth. Some persons who have heard a Beansidhe do not report her
mournful keening as being frightening at all, but oddly comforting. But the majority find her sound bone-chilling and terrifying. Occasionally a Beansidhe is seen at a river washing the winding sheets which will soon
become a shroud. The "washer at the ford" is an old Celtic legend which stems from this belief. To see the washer meant that a major life-changing event was about to occur, and it was a fearsome sight. If later that night any of your candles burned in a winding pattern - like a shroud - you would know that death was to visit your own household. In Scotland she has been seen squatting near the door of the one about to die. In Cornwall she stands near the window of the one about to die and flaps her wings against the glass. In doing this she is often mistaken for a crow, the bird associated with the Crone Goddess in Celtic mythology. Special keening (caoine) music used at wakes in Ireland is said to have come from the Beansidhe's own lamentations.

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Land of Origin:
Brittany

Other Names:
Korrigans

Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
This changeable faery came to Cornwall from Breton France, where she is still well known. Corrigans appear as blonde females by night and repulsive hags by day.

Lore:
The Corrigan may be a devalued version of the Celtic Triple Goddess known as the Morrigan, who is three Crone Goddesses in one. Or she may be a myth which underscores the devaluation of women, especially elderly women. Men who see her by night are never able to forget her, and some pine away for want of her. Stories exist concerning men who marry a Corrigan only to discover in the morning the true nature of their wives. Other legends state that if a man genuinely loves her in her night form and is open-minded enough to continue loving her in the morning, that she will become human and remain beautiful both night and day.


Land of Origin:
Celtic countries

Other Names:
Tree Spirits, Tree Ladies, Druidesses, Hamadryads. In Gaelic they are sometimes called Sidhe Draoi, which means "Faery Druids."

Element:
Air

Appearance and Temperament:
Dryads are tree-dwelling spirits from whom the female Druidic order took its name. They are playful creatures who seem totally androgynous, though they are always referred to as female. This labeling is simply a guess, for they are seen as not much more than enchanting wisps of pure light, sometimes gently colored, in tree heights. Dryads seem open to human contact, but are very capricious, and it would be hard to tell if one was in the mood to help, play, or just tease.

Lore:
Dryads prefer willow trees to all others, though they live in all of the 13 Celtic sacred trees. Faery willows which lodge Dryads are said to walk about at night seeking new locations to lay down their roots. Some persons have said that they have learned much unrecorded tree lore by observing how the Dryads' songs and appearance subtly alters as they flit from tree to tree. It was the Dryads who gave the secrets of tree magick to the Druids and aided them in learning about divination and astral travel. The Dryads make beautiful music with their voices, sounds which are very compelling to humans. And while no human has been harmed by following these irresistible sounds, caution is advised lest you be tempted to stay overlong in the astral realm. Dryads may have been native to Greece, where they were called Drayades and were also female tree spirits. The most famous Greek Dryad was Daphne, who was pursued by Apollo and turned into a laurel after repeating a prayer to a Virgin Goddess. The Greeks also had male tree spirits known as Drus, and tree-bound faeries called Hamadryads. Unlike Celtic Dryads, Hamadryads could not move from tree to tree but spent their entire lives in only one. There they were born, lived, and died.

Land of Origin:
Cornwall and Wales

Other Names:
None

known Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
Ellyllons are small inland lake faeries who
transport themselves by riding on eggshells. Their attitude toward humans is undetermined.

Lore:
These are faeries who are guardians of the domain of the Lady of the Lake from the Arthurian myths. They live at the bottom of Dosmary Pool, a lake in Cornwall, and are shielded by the illusion of water.


Land of Origin:
Scotland

Other Names:
Sea Gardeners, the Lady's Own.

Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
The Fin Folk are anthropomorphic faeries who have made it clear that they wish to avoid humans, they they seem not to wish us any harm.

Lore:
No one has ever met the Fin Folk outside of mythology, but there are mythological and faery tale stories about a small number of chosen humans who have been taken beneath the lochs of Scotland to be shown the Fin Folk's splendid underwater world, which is said to be a utopian miniature kingdom encased in glass on loch bottoms. The Fin Folk's favorite pastime is gardening, and their underwater world is a paradise of vibrantly colored flowers and lush foliage.


Land of Origin:
Ireland

Other Names:
In Scotland and Cornwall he is the Ganconer.

Element:
Air

Appearance and Temperament:
The Gancanagh (Gon-cawn-ah) is a male faery who materializes in lonely places and attempts to seduce human females, who will eventually die of love for him.

Lore:
The Gancanagh is rarely seen any more, giving rise to rumors that he, the last of his kind, has died. His trademark is an Irish clay pipe which he is always either holding in his hand or has clenched in his teeth. If you notice a man in a lonely place who has a pipe but he is not actually smoking, this may be the Gancanagh. Faeries hate smoke, and cannot inhale the stuff at all. Feminists speculate that this faery is no more than a fear-form created to control women by frightening them into staying close to home.

Land of Origin:
Scotland

Other Names: Moor Sprites

Element:
Earth or Air

Appearance and Temperament:
Like other Pixies, the Heather Pixies have clear or golden auras and delicate, translucent wings. But these faeries are attracted specifically to the moors and to the heather which covers them. They are not averse to human contact, but do not seek us out. They have a pranksterish nature.

Lore:
The word Pixie may be related somehow to the Picts, the early inhabitants of Scotland. Scottish faery lore says that Heather Pixies enjoy spinning flax.

Land of Origin:
The Isle of Man

Other Names:
Sea Sprites, Manx, Undines.

Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
These Manx sea guardians are very small faeries, only a few inches high, who guard the stormy Irish Sea and are beloved of the Sea God Manann. They are both male and female and are beautiful to see. A green-blue aura of light is said to dance around them. They are fierce guardians but are still disposed to help all living creatures in need on the sea if they are specifically asked to do so. Lore: Irish Sea Water Guardians merit their own entry because their lore differs significantly from other Sea Sprites and Undines. They are quite definitively the guardians of the Irish Seas and not merely its elemental creatures. When not playing in the water they are in the service of the Sea God Manann. The Water Guardians sail on broken eggshells through the Irish Seas and surf on seashells during storms. Sailors in the Irish Seas often feared nearing Man for all the faeries in its waters. Irish Sea Water
Guardians enjoy the company of playful marine life such as dolphins and groupers and will readily assist ailing fish. They have been known to come to aid humans, but they must first be asked for their assistance in clear and precise terms.

Land of Origin:
Brittany

Other Names:
Korrs or Kores.
A similar faery in Cornwall is called the Pyrenee.

Element:
Earth

Appearance and Temperament:
These elven creatures always appear to be male. They have hairy bodies, spindly legs, and bird-like arms, but sport huge heads in comparison. They have wild spiky hair and long pointed noses. Compared to the rest of their body, their facial features are huge. Their hairy bodies resemble those of monkeys, and they have cloven feet and loud hooting laughter. Scaring humans is a part of their life, and they take their task seriously.

Lore:
Korreds are the faery guardians of the dolmens (stone altars) and standing stones of Celtic Brittany. Faery lore in France says that it was the Korreds themselves who brought the stones to Brittany and erected them. They are frightening to look at, and they like it that way so that they can scare away humans who come to disturb the stones, who are on insincere spiritual quests, or who confuse spiritual enlightenment with personal power and ego boosting. These are one of the very few faeries impervious to the grounding power of metal, which they are said to feed upon. If you approach the standing stones with reverence and an open mind and heart, you have nothing to fear from the Korreds.

Land of Origin:
Ireland

Other Names:
In Slavic lands they are known as Leshes and in Russia as Zuibotschniks (Zoo-botch-nicks), whose cries are audible and who appear to travel in a small whirlwind. A similar faery in Germany is called a Leshiye and can assume the shape of an owl or a wolf. In Russia this faery is called a Vodyaniye and loves to drink.

Element:
Air

Appearance and Temperament:
The Lesidhe (Lay-shee) is a guardian of the forests who is always disguised as foliage. They appear to be androgynous and, even though they are usually found in groups, they seem to have little to do with one another. Therefore they can be classified as solitaries rather than trooping faeries. Unless one gets up and walks about it is hard to distinguish them from the green plants and trees they hide among.

Lore:
Lesidhes like to mimic mockingbirds to confuse hikers and travelers, and over time they have learned to make even more confusing human sounds. It is believed that they have come to dislike humans for their callous treatment of the environment. The recorded reports
of contact with them have all been unfavorable. Though no Lesidhe has ever actually harmed anyone, their pranks are nasty, usually involving trying to lose people in deep woods.

Land of Origin:
Scotland

Other Names:
None

Known Element:
Water

Appearance and Temperament:
There is only one Ly Erg. He dresses like a soldier and can only be distinguished from a real one by his small size and his red right hand. Lore: The Ly Erg is seen as a portent of death, but unlike so many such portents, this is one with whom you have a second chance at life. It is reported that he will stop his mark on a road or path (especially if it is near water) and challenge you with a raising of his red right hand. The best thing to do in this instance is to retreat, because if you allow him to engage you in combat you will die within a fortnight. His red hand is said to be the result of many years of bloodstains from those he has killed in combat. The Ly Erg is a part of Scottish folklore which has almost been forgotten, and there are fewer and fewer accounts of him in extant texts over the past two centuries.



In England, a hob is a type of house faery who protects the kitchen.Leave a little offering of sweet milk and bread on your stove for thehobs to encourage their presence.In Ireland, the Tuatha de Danann are active just before Samhain andwill bless your home for a small portion of your harvest. But any cropleft unharvested after sundown on October 31st is taken by thePhookas, baneful faeries who render the crop unfit to eat. SpelledPwca in Wales, these baneful faeries will remain active until spring!  In Scandinavian countries, faeries are most active at Ostara, theSpring Equinox, when they come to collect a portion of the Sabbatfeast. If they are denied this they will cause much havoc untilMidsummer when the payment of food can be doubled, or again ignored,in which case you best pack up & move to another country because theirreign of havoc will ensue until next Ostara.To ensure Faery good will, especially if you seek them out, it is anexcellent idea to leave the last fruit of any harvest out for theFaeries, and also a small portion of any of your Sabbat feasts.It is traditional in many Pagan sects to leave left over food fromthe Esbat (full moon) feasts to the Faeries. Other Pagan traditions goeven further & decree any food left out at night cannot be eaten byhumans or animals & should be regarded as a gift to the Fae.  In Cornwall & Russia it is a folk custom never to scold a child who has spilled milk, for this is seen as a gift to the Faeries & scolding would make it seem as if it were given grudgingly. This is probably the origin of the popular doggerel, "Don't cry over spilled milk."



Alder

Apple

Ash

Birch

Bluebell

Buckthorn

Clover

Cowslips

Elder

Fairy Ring Mushroom

Foxglove   

Hazel

Oak

Pansies

Primroses

Ragwort

Rowan

St. John's Wort

Toadstools

White Oak Bark

Wild Thyme

Willow




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