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Fairies

Cú Chulainn, also called Cuchulain, Cuchulinn, or Cuchullin is the central character of the Ulster (Ulaid) cycle in the in medieval Irish mythology and literature. Source: Public Domain

Five Popular Irish Mythology Stories (Video)

Irish mythology , steeped in the ancient lore of the Celts, presents a tapestry of captivating stories that have endured through generations. One such legend is "Fionn MacCumhaill and the Salmon of...
Beltane pagan celebration. Source: Karrrtinki / Adobe Stock.

5 Pagan Traditions That Will Leave You Spellbound (Video)

Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrating the beginning of summer and the renewal of life. The pagan traditions associated with it have survived through the centuries, with many still...
Canoti: The Sioux’s Malevolent Little Tree Dwellers

Canoti: The Sioux’s Malevolent Little Tree Dwellers

The canoti (or canotila) are small creatures found in Sioux culture , canoti meaning “tree-dweller” and canotila signifying “small tree-dweller.” Considered tiny messengers of beings who exist in the...
Hill of Tara, County Meath, Ireland

The Hill of Tara: Tracing the Footsteps of the High Kings of Ireland

The Hill of Tara is said to be one of the most ancient sacred sites in Ireland. Predating the Celts by thousands of years, the archaeological site is covered in tombs , monuments, and Neolithic...
Footprints, Fairies and even a Foreskin: 10 Bizarre Relics from History

Footprints, Fairies and even a Foreskin: 10 Bizarre Relics from History

From time immemorial, people had the need to venerate objects of great significance: religious relics, mythical symbols, or depictions of holy figures. And as if answering this need, the religious...
Faerie silhouette at night with a boy.		Source: 	fona / Adobe stock

The Time I Met The King of the Faeries

“One day you will be old enough to read fairy tales again!” – CS Lewis All my life I’ve been fascinated by faeries, as I grew up with European fairy tales, Walt Disney’s Tinker Bell and movies like...
Faery at sunset

Secret Lives of Elves and Faeries: The True Story of Rev Robert Kirk

Born in 1644 in Aberfoyle, a parish of Perthshire, Scotland, Reverend Robert Kirk is remembered for apparently making great strides in bridging the gap between the human and faery realms. He was the...
Fairy trees serve as the gateway for fairies to travel between worlds.

How Credible Are the Superstitions Surrounding the Mystical Irish Fairy Trees?

A fairy tree is a type of plant found in Irish folklore. Such trees are believed to be sacred to the fairies, and some believe that they serve as gateways between this realm and that of the fairies...
 Half-man, half-supernatural being living in nature

The Darker Side of Irish Fairy Lore: When Encounters Turn Dangerous

When we think of fairies many of the more popular tales tend to have an almost playful nature but it would be wrong to assume that this is means that fairies are always benign. Many accounts within...
A fanciful depiction of a leprechaun

The Carlingford Leprechauns: Protected by the European Union, But Are They Real?

Along with the harp and Saint Patrick, leprechauns have become iconic of Ireland. These mischievous fairies; with their green coats and hats, pots of gold at the edge of rainbows, and promise of...
Margaret Murray Unwrapping the Khnum-Nakht Mummy

Margaret Murray - Mother of Egyptology, Grandmother of Wicca, or Fairy Godmother?

Margaret Murray is one of the most mysterious Egyptologists. Although many researchers criticize her research, the story behind her writings scares anyone who is wary of the powers of witchcraft...
Not Just an Urban Legend: The Terrifying Ghostly Tales of the Lady in White

Not Just an Urban Legend: The Terrifying Ghostly Tales of the Lady in White

There is a famous “ghost” of a long-haired woman in a white dress in Quezon City, Philippines. According to legends, she died in a car accident while driving along Balete Drive. Her stories usually...
The Fool with Two Demons / Master of the Ingeborg Psalter

Fantasies from Evil Spirits? Faeries in the Medieval Imagination

“There are also others who say that they see women and girls dancing by night whom they call elvish folk, or faeries, and they believe that these can transform both men and women or, by leaving...
Sculpture of child, deriv.

Swapping Babies: The Disturbing Faerie Changeling Phenomenon

The worldwide stories of faerie changelings come under a group of motifs recorded in the Aarne-Thompson folklore index as F321: ‘Faerie steals child from cradle and leaves faerie substitute.’ The...
Newgrange: A Home for Magicians, Fairies, Gods, and Kings

Newgrange: A Home for Magicians, Fairies, Gods, and Kings

The Newgrange (New Grange) tumulus is found in County Meath, Ireland. This ancient site is connected to stories about magic, fairies, and incredible excavations. Newgrange is a part of the impressive...
Ben Bulben, Sligo County, Ireland.

Ben Bulben: An Irish Site that Inspires the Imagination

The name Ben Bulben, also spelt as Benbulbin or Benbulben, is said to be an anglicized version of the Irish Binn-Gulbain, meaning ‘Gulban’s Peak.’ This jaw-shaped rock formation (the word ‘gulban’...
Leprechaun hat

Leprechauns: The Little People of Irish Folklore

The Leprechaun is a much-loved and sometimes feared magical creature of Irish folk legend. Short in stature and with a long-beard and pot of gold, leprechauns were once believed to pervade the Irish...
The skeleton of the Rollright Stone “witch” (News Team International photo)

Skeleton of a High Status Spiritual Woman Unearthed Near Rollright Stones in England

Legend has it that centuries ago a witch turned a would-be king of England and his men and knights to stone, which still stand and are among the Rollright Stones circle at Warwickshire. Now a new...