Hello! Hi! Are you surprised to see me so soon!? Good! I'm here to make your Friday's better by giving you what you didn't even know you needed:
IRISH MYTHOLOGY
I can hear you now, screaming your head off in excitement.
.......
That's excitement right? And not fear?
I'll also be hosting a Q&A 1 hour chat on twitter to discuss the topic of the blog every Friday! If you want to follow along, just use the hashtag #fairiefriday for twitter where you can ask questions or impart knowledge on the folklore/being of the day, and I'll answer it! C'mon, you know you want to. Join the cool fae, every one else is!
The Q&A on twitter will be held every Friday on the topic of the blog posts (according to Katie Time)
12:30 pm California Time (because it's where I live)
8:30 pm Irish Time (and Scotland and England)
9:30 pm Germany Time (and Sweden too I think!)
6:30 am Australian Time (This would be a Saturday for you. I feel so bad about this Aussie friends! I'll take a poll to see if I should have a second round of Q&A discussion at 5:30 p.m. your time!)
I'll be focusing (for the time being) largely on Irish mythology and folklore. But to do that, we need to separate that from other mythologies that got thrown into the pot.
Don't get me started on that pot, it makes me really really mad.
Now, like any good storyteller we need to start at the beginning. Or at least, as beginning as we can get! But before we can even go there, we're going to do a fun exercise! Ready? Great!
when you think of the word fairy, what do you see? Don't think too hard, just let the image pop into your head. Got it? Okay.
I bet you pictured a tiny being with wings, or butterfly wings, and slitted pupils with very vibrant eye colors. Colors with fancy names like 'magenta' and 'violet' and 'cerulean blue'. I bet you pictured them glowing and flitting amongst the canopy of tree leaves like dust motes.
Oh my friends. My fine little rainbow-snow friends.
What you're picturing is not a fairie, but a faerie or 'fairy'. That specific spelling, along with the word 'fae' comes from France and eventually into English (England) vernacular. In fact, what you're describing is what one in Ireland, Scotland, and England would be known as a pixie. A tiny, itty bitty being of light that is most commonly thought to be the physical energy of a plant or tree. Think of it like the tree's energy, but instead of a wall of white, you get a ton of little pixie beings.
You know who you can blame--besides Disney and Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow--for this image?
I can hear you now, screaming your head off in excitement.
.......
That's excitement right? And not fear?
From now on until I exhaust myself (or go crazy) I'm going to dedicated every Friday to Faeries. See, didn't I just make your day?
I'll also be hosting a Q&A 1 hour chat on twitter to discuss the topic of the blog every Friday! If you want to follow along, just use the hashtag #fairiefriday for twitter where you can ask questions or impart knowledge on the folklore/being of the day, and I'll answer it! C'mon, you know you want to. Join the cool fae, every one else is!
The Q&A on twitter will be held every Friday on the topic of the blog posts (according to Katie Time)
12:30 pm California Time (because it's where I live)
8:30 pm Irish Time (and Scotland and England)
9:30 pm Germany Time (and Sweden too I think!)
6:30 am Australian Time (This would be a Saturday for you. I feel so bad about this Aussie friends! I'll take a poll to see if I should have a second round of Q&A discussion at 5:30 p.m. your time!)
I'll be focusing (for the time being) largely on Irish mythology and folklore. But to do that, we need to separate that from other mythologies that got thrown into the pot.
Don't get me started on that pot, it makes me really really mad.
Now, like any good storyteller we need to start at the beginning. Or at least, as beginning as we can get! But before we can even go there, we're going to do a fun exercise! Ready? Great!
when you think of the word fairy, what do you see? Don't think too hard, just let the image pop into your head. Got it? Okay.
I bet you pictured a tiny being with wings, or butterfly wings, and slitted pupils with very vibrant eye colors. Colors with fancy names like 'magenta' and 'violet' and 'cerulean blue'. I bet you pictured them glowing and flitting amongst the canopy of tree leaves like dust motes.
Oh my friends. My fine little rainbow-snow friends.
No.
What you're picturing is not a fairie, but a faerie or 'fairy'. That specific spelling, along with the word 'fae' comes from France and eventually into English (England) vernacular. In fact, what you're describing is what one in Ireland, Scotland, and England would be known as a pixie. A tiny, itty bitty being of light that is most commonly thought to be the physical energy of a plant or tree. Think of it like the tree's energy, but instead of a wall of white, you get a ton of little pixie beings.
You know who you can blame--besides Disney and Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow--for this image?
THESE TWO GIRLS RIGHT HERE.
The Cottingly Fairies. Look 'em up. People in the 1900's thought this was real, guys. REAL EVIDENCE. Including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. (you know, the bro who wrote Sherlock Holmes)
Of course, picture books we grow up with also contribute to the fact.
Unless of course, you're Irish.
Then you know better. You know they aren't tiny winged creatures drinking from tiny delicate tea cups and wearing flower petals for clothing and riding bunny rabbits. OH NO. YOU. KNOW. BETTER.
So for the topic today lets start at the (nearly) beginning:
Unless of course, you're Irish.
Then you know better. You know they aren't tiny winged creatures drinking from tiny delicate tea cups and wearing flower petals for clothing and riding bunny rabbits. OH NO. YOU. KNOW. BETTER.
So for the topic today lets start at the (nearly) beginning:
THE TUATHA DE DANANN
These race of people come from a far away place and landed on Ireland's shores. They were tall. They were (are) a beautiful, fierce, and--unfortunately for the Fomorians--smart people, who knew magic AND science. Oh dear.
The way you pronounce this scary looking name is "tow-ha Dey Dan-an". This translates to "children/tribes/people of [the goddess] Danu." They were, for all intents and purposes, demi gods (or perhaps full. The father of them was never described or mentioned, at least that I'm aware of).
They are described as being 7 feet tall, though they have been known to change size and shape at will. They do not die of sickness, or cold of night, or chilly snow. But they could be killed by spear, bow, knife, and other such weapons. (Does this sound familiar? It should. Tolkien largely based his Elvish race on the Tuatha De Danann)
The way you pronounce this scary looking name is "tow-ha Dey Dan-an". This translates to "children/tribes/people of [the goddess] Danu." They were, for all intents and purposes, demi gods (or perhaps full. The father of them was never described or mentioned, at least that I'm aware of).
They are described as being 7 feet tall, though they have been known to change size and shape at will. They do not die of sickness, or cold of night, or chilly snow. But they could be killed by spear, bow, knife, and other such weapons. (Does this sound familiar? It should. Tolkien largely based his Elvish race on the Tuatha De Danann)
The Tuatha De Danann are truly an amazing people, that, funnily enough, aren't from Ireland originally. They came from four cities to the north of Ireland--Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Finias, where they gained their magical, musical, and scientific skills.
One of my favorite, and striking things about them is how fearless they were, how ready they were to embrace a future and land they knew nothing of. When they arrived in droves by ship, they burnt all of their ships so they couldn't go back. But you know what the people of Ireland thought? They thought they were magicians coming in on roiling black clouds of magical smoke. It wasn't. It was just the burning of hundreds of ships. No biggie.
I have a lot of respect for these people. 'People'? They go by many names, but never, I repeat never should they be called fairies. It's disrespectful. The Good Folk, the Good Neighbors, The Neighbors, the Gentry, those are all fine. But it's bad luck on you and yours to call them *looks around* fairies.
One of my favorite, and striking things about them is how fearless they were, how ready they were to embrace a future and land they knew nothing of. When they arrived in droves by ship, they burnt all of their ships so they couldn't go back. But you know what the people of Ireland thought? They thought they were magicians coming in on roiling black clouds of magical smoke. It wasn't. It was just the burning of hundreds of ships. No biggie.
I have a lot of respect for these people. 'People'? They go by many names, but never, I repeat never should they be called fairies. It's disrespectful. The Good Folk, the Good Neighbors, The Neighbors, the Gentry, those are all fine. But it's bad luck on you and yours to call them *looks around* fairies.
There's no need--like in Scotland and England--for 'good fairies' and 'bad fairies'. Oh no. The Tuatha De Danann have you covered all in one go. If they're having a good day and you happen to say hello to them, or make way for them on the road, or offer them food or drink? Well hey you just earned yourself good luck and 500 real gold coins for the rest of your life!
But if they're having a bad day and you do the same thing? 500 years bad luck on you and your family and never shall you catch fish in the sea nor live in good health.
And these rewards and curses, my friends, are real. If you want to know just how real check out the new stories that still get air time/belief. Ask me on the Twitter chat at 12:30 pm (California time)!
By and large this race of people love good drink, good food, good music, good stories, good battles, and boooooy do they love hurly. And GAA. And basically any other sport that someone could seriously get killed in. SO MUCH FUN. There are also many a story, by the way, of them marrying humans--not just stealing people or babies. Dealing the Good Folk was an every day occurrence. And if you go to a remote enough village--still is today.
But Katie, I hear you say, if they're so bad-ass and stuff, where are they?
FUNNY THING. THEY KIND OF LOST A WAR. THE WAR.
And during those battles a lot of them died. Yes. DIED. Because again, they're killable by mortal means. And for some reason that I still can't comprehend they lost a war with humans. That's right, they fought humans and lost. And some stupid human was smart enough to trick them. Effectively what happened was this: If the Tuatha De Danann lost, they would get the lower half of the land. If they won, the human party (trying to take over Ireland) would leave.
The Tuatha De Danann agreed. And lost. And then, again for some reason I can't comprehend, when the Tuatha De Danann asked which half of Ireland they were to keep, the humans laughed their evil laughs and said, "The lower half, as in, the underground". It can also be taken to mean "beyond the veil" or "the otherworld". In essence the Tuatha De Danann, who were so good at word play, got tricked out of this world.
But if they're having a bad day and you do the same thing? 500 years bad luck on you and your family and never shall you catch fish in the sea nor live in good health.
And these rewards and curses, my friends, are real. If you want to know just how real check out the new stories that still get air time/belief. Ask me on the Twitter chat at 12:30 pm (California time)!
By and large this race of people love good drink, good food, good music, good stories, good battles, and boooooy do they love hurly. And GAA. And basically any other sport that someone could seriously get killed in. SO MUCH FUN. There are also many a story, by the way, of them marrying humans--not just stealing people or babies. Dealing the Good Folk was an every day occurrence. And if you go to a remote enough village--still is today.
But Katie, I hear you say, if they're so bad-ass and stuff, where are they?
FUNNY THING. THEY KIND OF LOST A WAR. THE WAR.
 |
| Poor Cu Cuchulainn. He was one of my favorites. |
And during those battles a lot of them died. Yes. DIED. Because again, they're killable by mortal means. And for some reason that I still can't comprehend they lost a war with humans. That's right, they fought humans and lost. And some stupid human was smart enough to trick them. Effectively what happened was this: If the Tuatha De Danann lost, they would get the lower half of the land. If they won, the human party (trying to take over Ireland) would leave.
The Tuatha De Danann agreed. And lost. And then, again for some reason I can't comprehend, when the Tuatha De Danann asked which half of Ireland they were to keep, the humans laughed their evil laughs and said, "The lower half, as in, the underground". It can also be taken to mean "beyond the veil" or "the otherworld". In essence the Tuatha De Danann, who were so good at word play, got tricked out of this world.
LITERALLY.
And so they were sent below ground or to 'the otherworld' to rule and live.
Thus ends--but doesn't end--the reign of the Tuatha De Danann. Those who came to Ireland and changed and shaped its people---and some say the actual land itself. A race of people who were (and are, if you believe) as mystical as they were brave, as likely to reward you as curse you, and who made the sweetest music just as they made the deadliest weapons.
This is only a brief overview of the Tuatha De Danann. If you have questions, I'll be hosting the Q&A on twitter tomorrow (Friday) at 12:30pm (California time)
NEXT WEEKS TOPIC: MIDIR, ETAIN, AND AENGUS OG; IRELANDS COOLEST LOVE STORY
And so they were sent below ground or to 'the otherworld' to rule and live.
Thus ends--but doesn't end--the reign of the Tuatha De Danann. Those who came to Ireland and changed and shaped its people---and some say the actual land itself. A race of people who were (and are, if you believe) as mystical as they were brave, as likely to reward you as curse you, and who made the sweetest music just as they made the deadliest weapons.
This is only a brief overview of the Tuatha De Danann. If you have questions, I'll be hosting the Q&A on twitter tomorrow (Friday) at 12:30pm (California time)
NEXT WEEKS TOPIC: MIDIR, ETAIN, AND AENGUS OG; IRELANDS COOLEST LOVE STORY
(no but seriously, it's an amazing love story)
Thanks for sticking through this! I hope you learned fun things! I hope you have questions! Hell, I hope it inspired questions! And I love learning, so if you have info, SHARE WITH ME AND THE WORLD ON THE TWITTER Q&A TOMORROW USING THE #fairiefriday hashtag!
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If you enjoy Irish mythology you can purchase my YA book, Brenna Morgan and The Iron Key, here!
Or if you're unsure or are just lazy and don't want to read the back of a book, then check out this amazing amazing book trailer for it!
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If you enjoy Irish mythology you can purchase my YA book, Brenna Morgan and The Iron Key, here!
Or if you're unsure or are just lazy and don't want to read the back of a book, then check out this amazing amazing book trailer for it!
Wow, what a book trailer!!!! This is fantastic. I might just have to buy the book:-)
ReplyDeleteAwwww gosh thank you Julie! I'm so glad you liked it! I was very blessed to have friends who have talent, time, and love enough for me to do it! Lol!
ReplyDelete