As with most evil forces, the Dullahan has a weakness gold. The saint is said to have stood on the mountain now known as Croagh Patrick and expelled all the serpents and demons out of the Emerald Isle into the sea to drown. Unfortunately, that is not uncommon given how often people take them for Far Darrig or other malevolent creatures. Now known as Dearg-due, the vampire rises once a year, using her beauty to lure men to their deaths. The demon slid down a mountain away from the saint, but Patrick spotted her, and chased her down upon the fastest horse in Ireland, which was brought to him. Below is a list of demons and demoness names from theology, mythology, and demonology worldwide. Regardless of how she looks, its her wail that sends shivers up the spine of many, as it signals impending doom. [14] Other reports state that the creature resembles a centaur;[20] narratives are inconsistent in the finer details of the demon's description however. The kelpie galloped around Ireland, looking like a lost pony, attempting to trick women and children into riding on it. Take a look inside Dublin's most stylish townhouse, Number 31. The God of Death would provide his Fomori with victims, but the evil race was left to their own devices when Balor was killed by his son Lug, who shot him with a slingshot. Marrow-men are horribly ugly male sea-creatures, while the females or the Merrows are absolutely beautiful. The Dearg Due is one of several Irish mythical creatures / Irish monsters whose characteristics resemble that of a vampire. The Celtic deities are known from a variety of sources such as written Celtic mythology, ancient places of worship, statues, engravings, religious objects, as well as place and personal names. Many view them as a type of fairy, which is logical in a sense as the word banshee comes bean sidhe or fairy woman in Gaelic. Babalon, Thelemic godform of lust, carnality and the liberated woman. The Questing Beast, known to be quick, was hunted down by many a knight, and in Celtic myth was chased by King Pellinore, an Arthurian character. In the guide below, youll discover 32 Irish mythological creatures along with some snappy information on each one. Descriptions of her appearance vary, from an ugly old hag to a beautiful young woman, but all agree that the creatures blood curdling wail will be heard three times before someone dies. The pursuit was a long one, and Caorthannach knew St. Patrick would need water to quench his thirst along the way, so she spit fire as she fled, and poisoned every well she passed. [27][28][29][30] Established Orcadian tales were strongly influenced by Scandinavian mythology with a blending of traditional Celtic stories,[31] so the nuckelavee may have its roots in a mythical creature imported by the Norsemen fused with a traditional Celtic water horse.[3]. If you read our guide to the Cattle Raid of Cooley, one of the most famous battles in Irish Folklore, you may be familiar with this fella. The Leanan Sidhe appear to these hapless souls, offer inspiration by asking them to be her lover. Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples. In this guide, we tell the story of this Celtic mythological creature, and offer insight into where in Ireland it roamed (and where its now buried). These airborne shrieking demons may have had a goat-like appearance and were associated with violence and death. These spirits come from the west, flying in groups like flocks of birds, and try to enter a house where someone is dying to take away that persons soul. Not all fairy children are changelings. The Leanan Sidhe will then take their dead lover back into her lair, collect their blood into a cauldron, which is the source of her youth, beauty, and artistic inspiration. Have a question about Celtic folklore creatures that we havent answered? According to Irish folklore, Sluagh are dead sinners that come back as malicious spirits. She works as the chief editor of Symbol Sage but also takes the time to write on topics that interest her. Some tales describe the Bodach as a Celtic creature that plays tricks on kids. The scientific phenomenon known as Quantum Physics (Quantum Theory) has been discovered and is being widely embraced by many scientific leaders. Though the saint was desperately thirsty, he refused to drink from the poisoned wells and prayed for guidance. Caorthannach, thought by some to be the devils mother, is a demon that was fought off by St. Patrick when he banished the snakes out of Ireland. Farewell Its been a while, but Beck and Kip are still in my heart and drifting in between short story drabbles in my free time. He just keeps on riding, the horse keeps on running but when they stop a human dies. Another snake-like evil Celtic creature is the Questing Beast, a monster with the head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the backside of a lion, and the hooves of a deer. Going through all of them would take a whole book, so here weve listed the 14 most well-known and interesting legendary creatures in Celtic mythology. A famous Irish creature that some say teams up with the Dullahan is the Banshee. Another vampire myth in Celtic culture, the Dearg Due is a female demon. In Scottish folklore, she is said to be one with the immense ability to influence the weather. In the section below, youll find Celtic creatures that have graced many a battlefield and that are known to be skilled warriors. A year after her death, she rose from her grave as a vengeful spirit. Science and religion have been at divisive odds during Earths entire existenceuntil recently, that is. [25] In common with other mythical sea-monsters, with the possible exception of kelpies and the nuggle of Shetland, it is unable to wade through fresh flowing water,[19] therefore it can be escaped by crossing a stream. Leprechauns are not the only magical little people in Celtic mythology. The pursuit was a long one, and Caorthannach knew St. Patrick would need water to quench his thirst along the way, so she spitfire as she fled, and poisoned every well she passed. When the Tuatha De Danann, the peoples of the goddess Danu, came to the rescue. Patrick eventually made it to the Hawks Rock, where he waited for Caorthannach. Despite their name, the changelings are not actual shapeshifters. A country that had been a part of my life since I was 14 because of my love for Irish music and bands. These small faeries usually wear red caps and coats and, similar to the Clurichaun, love to play practical jokes on humans. The character of Merlin originally came from pagan mythology. No, it wont kill her, but at least youll hold her off until next year! Privacy Policy. In this article, well be going over some of the most legendary Celtic mythological creatures. It is believed that whoever listened to her play would die rather sooner than later. Rather than directly suck the blood of her victims, Leanan Sidhe got creative, and collected their blood in a giant red cauldron, which was the source of her beauty and artistic inspiration. I see nothing about Beag- also called Bec, the keeper of a magical well. If you read our guide to Irish Mythology, youll know that theres plenty of Irish mythological creatures that were known to be fierce in battle. Both a muse and a demon, Leanan Sidhe is another one of Irelands mythological vampires. The pair is said to whip the horses with a human spinal cord. ; Esoteric. Banshee - the Irish wailing ghost Liscorn37 These fine fellows, ancient Irish monsters and demons, have been terrifying the public since the dawn of Celtic mythology, especially at Halloween. If a Merrow wants to walk on land, she must abandon her cap or cape. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. The Gauls inhabited the region corresponding to modern-day France, Belgium, Switzerland, southern and western Germany, Luxembourg and northern Italy. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. In common with many other sea-monsters, it is unable to tolerate fresh water, therefore, those it is pursuing have only to cross a river or stream to be rid of it. They spoke Hispano-Celtic languages. Many of these myths were suppressed by Roman conquerors, with their first widespread recordings dating from the early medieval period. Another snake-like evil Celtic creature is the Questing Beast, a monster with the head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the backside of a lion and the hooves of a deer. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Another possible theory, however, is that Bram Stroker took the idea from the Irish Abhartach. [6], Stories of mythical Orcadian demons are recorded in the 16th-century Latin manuscripts of Jo Ben,[a] who may have been referring to the nuckelavee in his description of the Orkney island of Stronsay. As with Dearg-due, to prevent the undead Leanan Sidhe from rising, one must put a cairn of stones over her resting place. Regardless of what they were or looked like in any myth, their powerful screams always meant that death was just around the corner and someone close to you was about to die. [3] Traill Dennison only describes a man's head with a "mouth projected like that of a pig". Dearg-due, an Irish name meaning "red blood sucker," is a female demon that seduces men and then drains them of their blood. Love Irish history? Demons from Celtic mythology. The ancient Celts had. Abbadon, (Christian Origin) comes from Christian demonology. A famous Irish creature that some say teams up with the Dullahan is the Banshee. First up is arguably the scariest of the many Irish mythology creatures / Irish monsters the Abhartach. We usually associate vampires with Romania, as the inspiration of Bram Stokers Dracula was likely Vlad the Impaler. Today, the leprechaun has also become a mascot for St. Patricks Day, as well as a favorite design in Irish souvenirs. But despite living in several countries, my love for Ireland remains the same. They say these mythical water horses are often spotted in Scotland, but they are part of Irish folklore as well. She controlled the weather and the winds and was popular among many Irish poets. The leprechaun is often described to be a small, jolly elf-like creature with a ginger beard and green hat. Researchers believe they originated from a branch of the great Celtic race, which passed through Europe, rounded the continent's shores, and finally, made Ireland their resting place. The product soda ash was an alkali mainly used to treat acidic soil,[5][14] although as time went on its commercial importance in soap and glass manufacture increased. The faeries are a huge part of Irish folklore and are split into two categories. She was buried near Strongbows Tree in Waterford, and one night, she rose from her grave to seek revenge on her father and husband, sucking their blood until they dropped dead. Annnnd were back to creepy Celtic monsters again, next, with the Bnnach. In Celtic mythology, Balor is the name of the evil version of the god of death. She lived on Craig Liath and played a magic harp. The Cwn Annwn are the hunting dogs of Arawn, Lord of the Otherworld and are associated with the Welsh form of the Wild Hunt. The Church nicked some of their Gods for promotional sainthood purposes and thus began the conversion process. For these reasons, the cat was often believed to be a spy for evil beings lurking outside the home. While he was spying on his fathers druids, the noisome vapours of a spell entered his eye. Photo by Ververidis Vasilis/shutterstock.com. Now, if youve spent any time reading about Irish folklore, youll know that there are quite a few Irish mythological creatures out there, and that they, ehm,vary in their type. The Daoine Maithe are usually kind creatures but becomes cruel when mistreated. In old Irish folklore, the Cailleach was said to be a hag that was responsible for the creation of earth. The beasts constant cry was said to sound like the bark of 30 dogs. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The ancient Celtic mythology included more than 400 Celtic gods and goddesses, and their roles ranged from presiding over rivers to leading armies into battle. Some versions of this legend say that the Dullahan throws buckets of blood at people he passes, while other say he simply calls out the name of the mortal that will soon die. When a deformed fairy is born, however, which apparently common for them, the fairies would steal a human child and put their deformed child in its place. A dwarf poet and a musician, Abcn was a member of the fearless Tuatha D Danann. All Rights Reserved. Rather than directly suck the blood of her victims, Leanan Sidhe got creative and collected their blood in a giant red cauldron, which was the source of her beauty and artistic inspiration. The Celtic variant of mermaids, merrows have human feet instead of tails but their feet are flat and have webbed fingers to help them swim better. This was David Humes great insight, when he formulated his famous problem of induction. The Irish version of zombies, the Fear Gorta are not your typical, dumb, brain-eating monsters. A guardian of the Dl gCais (an Irish clan), Aibell is the Fairy Queen of Thomond. I could also sha. Celtic mythology is so rich that even though we have access to just a fraction that has survived through the ages, that fraction still contains dozens of different unique and fantastic myths and mythological creatures. While Unseelie fairies have dark agendas and are known to be troublesome, Seelie fairies are helpful and happy. [11][b], The nuckelavee is a mythical sea-creature that appears as a horse-like demon when it ventures onto land. The poems, sagas, and recorded oral histories of Celtic mythology. Hmm. A supernatural being with long snouts and skinny tails, the Far Darrig are actually closely related to leprechauns in Irish mythology. According to the Celtic legend, an Irish woman who was known throughout the country for her beauty, fell in love with a local peasant, which was unacceptable to her father.