Daoine Sidhe
"Light and Dark" by Shane Tyree
Irish folklore begins at the talk of the Tuatha Dé Danann (remember them from the first lesson?), a mythological race that has since moved on from Ireland and to magical Tir Na Nog, an island only reachable if one is a being of magic. Think of it as the equivalent of Avalon in the Arthurian legends or Tolkien's Valinor (the land where all the elves migrated after leaving Middle-Earth). Tir Na Nog is also the equivalent to the faery world, where the Fey reside parallel to humans.
Those of the Tuatha Dé Danann who remained have since been called the Daoine Sidhe, or the Aos Sí. In Scottish--and eventually Irish--folklore, the Daoine Sidhe are split up further into separate courts of the fae: The Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. The Seelie Court is to light what the Unseelie Court is to dark. Basically, your typical "good" and "evil" separation. The Seelie Court rules the fae folk of the morning, the holy and benevolent, the majestic and warm. Whereas the Unseelie Court rules the fae of the night, the unholy and malevolent, the cruel and cold.
The Seelie Court is filled with the beautiful faerie entities that many expect the fae folk to be. Those of the "higher-ranked" Seelie are typically enchanting, beautiful and gorgeous beyond measure, enough so that any mortal that set eyes upon them would fall deeply in love. The Seelie faeries are generally honorable and loving. They believe in the idea of love as a transcendent quality, oftentimes matching themselves with humans they deem beautiful. For the Seelie, beauty and youth are the necessary elements that determine their interactions with mortals. Then, of course, there are certain creatures of the Seelie Court that can be known at times to play mischief upon mortals. However, their actions, while inconvenient, never amount to true and violent harm.
The Unseelie Court is filled with fae folk that abhor the mortal realm, often approaching humans with the intent of bringing destruction in their wake. It is NOT a pleasant experience when it comes to encountering any faery of the Unseelie. The Unseelie is the polar opposite of the Seelie. These faeries are ugly, malicious, and downright evil. They are the hideous orcs to the beautiful elves, the dark side of the moon. Where the Seelie saw responsibility in their magical powers, the Unseelie saw their "glamour" (or power) as the ends to every means; the Unseelie faeries used their magic for whatever purpose that served their wants. The Unseelie spit at honor. They decide everything by putting their passions first. They are practically the lowest of the lows, and they don't care what anyone--let alone mortals--think on the matter.
Those of the Tuatha Dé Danann who remained have since been called the Daoine Sidhe, or the Aos Sí. In Scottish--and eventually Irish--folklore, the Daoine Sidhe are split up further into separate courts of the fae: The Seelie Court and the Unseelie Court. The Seelie Court is to light what the Unseelie Court is to dark. Basically, your typical "good" and "evil" separation. The Seelie Court rules the fae folk of the morning, the holy and benevolent, the majestic and warm. Whereas the Unseelie Court rules the fae of the night, the unholy and malevolent, the cruel and cold.
The Seelie Court is filled with the beautiful faerie entities that many expect the fae folk to be. Those of the "higher-ranked" Seelie are typically enchanting, beautiful and gorgeous beyond measure, enough so that any mortal that set eyes upon them would fall deeply in love. The Seelie faeries are generally honorable and loving. They believe in the idea of love as a transcendent quality, oftentimes matching themselves with humans they deem beautiful. For the Seelie, beauty and youth are the necessary elements that determine their interactions with mortals. Then, of course, there are certain creatures of the Seelie Court that can be known at times to play mischief upon mortals. However, their actions, while inconvenient, never amount to true and violent harm.
The Unseelie Court is filled with fae folk that abhor the mortal realm, often approaching humans with the intent of bringing destruction in their wake. It is NOT a pleasant experience when it comes to encountering any faery of the Unseelie. The Unseelie is the polar opposite of the Seelie. These faeries are ugly, malicious, and downright evil. They are the hideous orcs to the beautiful elves, the dark side of the moon. Where the Seelie saw responsibility in their magical powers, the Unseelie saw their "glamour" (or power) as the ends to every means; the Unseelie faeries used their magic for whatever purpose that served their wants. The Unseelie spit at honor. They decide everything by putting their passions first. They are practically the lowest of the lows, and they don't care what anyone--let alone mortals--think on the matter.
The Seelie Court
"Hobgoblin" by Melissa Findley
Hobgoblin
The hobgoblin is perhaps one of the most troublesome creatures in the Seelie Court. Make no mistake, it is a friendly creature, most often helpful in a family household. Hobgoblins are mostly depicted as small and hairy men. In a household, hobgoblins tend to do all the dusting and the ironing--very helpful when it comes to keeping a clean house. They don't do it for free, of course. Usually, those living in the house offer hobgoblins various foods as gifts for their helpfulness. Take care not to give them clothes, however, those would only banish them from the house. A notable hobgoblin is Puck, but we will get to him in a bit.
Brownie
Like the hobgoblin, brownies are the popular household spirits in Scotland and England. These creatures live in houses and do various tasks around the house. They are also small, little men, and they work only at night, just after the humans have gone to bed--they are mortal-shy and do not like being seen by humans. As proper courtesy, humans usually leave out milk or honey as gifts. Brandon Mull's Fablehaven actually makes use of the lore of the brownie; in the story, they are well-known for their nightly fixes around the house of Fablehaven. Similar to the hobgoblin, once owners begin to "pay" the brownies for their services, the brownies disappear and never return.
Leprechaun
Oh, yes. The leprechaun. I'm pretty sure the legends surrounding this little man is well-known at this point. Even if all you know of him is from a cereal brand, there is some folklore truth to the leprechaun's attraction to the shiny. Gold, that is. They hoard gold (not necessarily putting them under the end of a rainbow), and if anyone does find a leprechaun, that person is rumored to obtain a set of three wishes. But there is more to the leprechaun than the usual legend. For one, though thought to be small men, leprechauns are actually the tallest of the Daoine Sidh (Neil Gaiman often mentions this fact in American Gods, actually). Secondly, they're really good shoemakers.
Selkie
The selkie is exactly what the Seelie Court is described as: beautiful. The selkie is a faery of the water. These shapeshifters are famous in Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland, and are well-known for their seal skins. Selkies, when in the water, appear as seals, and only by shedding these seal skins do they become male or female. A mortal, once seeing their beauty, falls in love, and for the most part, some selkies even take mortal spouses. This doesn't last long, unfortunately, because selkies always yearn to return to the water. They make for sad love stories, but at least they don't kill their partners. That in itself is a good thing.
The hobgoblin is perhaps one of the most troublesome creatures in the Seelie Court. Make no mistake, it is a friendly creature, most often helpful in a family household. Hobgoblins are mostly depicted as small and hairy men. In a household, hobgoblins tend to do all the dusting and the ironing--very helpful when it comes to keeping a clean house. They don't do it for free, of course. Usually, those living in the house offer hobgoblins various foods as gifts for their helpfulness. Take care not to give them clothes, however, those would only banish them from the house. A notable hobgoblin is Puck, but we will get to him in a bit.
Brownie
Like the hobgoblin, brownies are the popular household spirits in Scotland and England. These creatures live in houses and do various tasks around the house. They are also small, little men, and they work only at night, just after the humans have gone to bed--they are mortal-shy and do not like being seen by humans. As proper courtesy, humans usually leave out milk or honey as gifts. Brandon Mull's Fablehaven actually makes use of the lore of the brownie; in the story, they are well-known for their nightly fixes around the house of Fablehaven. Similar to the hobgoblin, once owners begin to "pay" the brownies for their services, the brownies disappear and never return.
Leprechaun
Oh, yes. The leprechaun. I'm pretty sure the legends surrounding this little man is well-known at this point. Even if all you know of him is from a cereal brand, there is some folklore truth to the leprechaun's attraction to the shiny. Gold, that is. They hoard gold (not necessarily putting them under the end of a rainbow), and if anyone does find a leprechaun, that person is rumored to obtain a set of three wishes. But there is more to the leprechaun than the usual legend. For one, though thought to be small men, leprechauns are actually the tallest of the Daoine Sidh (Neil Gaiman often mentions this fact in American Gods, actually). Secondly, they're really good shoemakers.
Selkie
The selkie is exactly what the Seelie Court is described as: beautiful. The selkie is a faery of the water. These shapeshifters are famous in Iceland, Ireland, and Scotland, and are well-known for their seal skins. Selkies, when in the water, appear as seals, and only by shedding these seal skins do they become male or female. A mortal, once seeing their beauty, falls in love, and for the most part, some selkies even take mortal spouses. This doesn't last long, unfortunately, because selkies always yearn to return to the water. They make for sad love stories, but at least they don't kill their partners. That in itself is a good thing.
Notable Seelies:
Of the most mischievous of the hobgoblins, none can beat good ole' Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck ("puck" is also the alternative name used to refer to the more mischievous creatures of the hobgoblin family). Some people might recognize the name Puck, as his most prominent appearance is that of a faery under the command of Faery King Oberon and his Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare). Even in the story, Puck causes quite a bit of trouble, though nothing so serious that leads to a downright tragedy.
Another notable faery I wanted to discuss is of a more modern make. I'm talking about Dobby the House-Elf. That's right. Didn't think there'd be a Harry Potter character here, didja? In all respects, Dobby isn't so much a house-elf than a hobgoblin. He is practically a house faerie, serving under a specific household, or, in the house-elf's case, a specific family. If given clothes, he is set free and--more than likely--stops working for the family he's serving. So if you're wondering what kind of faerie creature Dobby and his fellow house-elves are, now you know.
Of the most mischievous of the hobgoblins, none can beat good ole' Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck ("puck" is also the alternative name used to refer to the more mischievous creatures of the hobgoblin family). Some people might recognize the name Puck, as his most prominent appearance is that of a faery under the command of Faery King Oberon and his Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Shakespeare). Even in the story, Puck causes quite a bit of trouble, though nothing so serious that leads to a downright tragedy.
Another notable faery I wanted to discuss is of a more modern make. I'm talking about Dobby the House-Elf. That's right. Didn't think there'd be a Harry Potter character here, didja? In all respects, Dobby isn't so much a house-elf than a hobgoblin. He is practically a house faerie, serving under a specific household, or, in the house-elf's case, a specific family. If given clothes, he is set free and--more than likely--stops working for the family he's serving. So if you're wondering what kind of faerie creature Dobby and his fellow house-elves are, now you know.
The Unseelie Court
"Dullahan" from Alluria Publishing
Dullahan
The dullahan is a scary Unseelie in Irish folklore. It has also inspired works such as Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If you haven't guessed by now, the dullahan is none other than a headless horseman. According to folklore, nothing can stop the coming of the dullahan. People can lock their doors and bar the roads, but if the dullahan is after someone, chances are that person's already a dead man/woman. The dullahan is a scary sight. His headless body sits atop a menacing black horse; on one hand, a whip made of a human's spine, on the other, his head, tucked safely next to him. The story goes that wherever the dullahan stops is where the next death would be.
Boggart
If you're saying "Oh, look! A creature from Harry Potter! I know what that is!" then prepare to be debunked. A boggart is not a shapeshifter that turns into your worst fears. In fact, a boggart is the Unseelie version of a brownie. Some tales even go to say that a boggart is the result of an abused brownie, a brownie angry enough at mortals to morph into the destructive Seelie household faerie. If cursed with a boggart in the household, chances are that the family will remain cursed until the boggart tires of them or dies (good luck with it dying, though...faeries tend to outlive mortals for centuries on end). Some boggarts are also known to live under bridges. It is customary to greet these boggarts, otherwise who knows what bad luck might visit the person who passes by and doesn't say hello.
Each Uisge
This water creature is kind of like a kelpie (a water spirit in the general shape of a horse). Except for the whole "drowning riders" bit, of course. Each uisge are shapeshifters, though their main shape is that of a horse. In human form, each uisge usually take on the appearance of handsome males, seducing young women into following them down to the depths of the water. Men are also tempted to ride these magical horses, and--while inland, the each uisge can be seen as benign--the minute the each uisge find water, they cling to their riders and drag them to the sea. Prominent around the Scottish Highlands, young women are warned off from speaking to handsome young strangers wishing to get acquainted with them. A good warning, too. Who knows when these unknown, scrumptious men would turn into magical horses out to drown them.
Finfolk
Another set of monsters from the water out to drown the poor mortals. The finfolk are the malevolent water spirits of the merfolk. They have the same charms as the the rest of the merfolk, except that when they're done seducing their victims, well, you know the deal with evil spirits. The finfolk are also shapeshifters (what is it with evil sea monsters and shapeshifting?), and once they capture/abduct their chosen mortal, they force marriage on said mortal and then doom the poor thing into a lifetime of faery servitude. Pretty romantic, eh? Some legends go so far to reason that the Finfolk look for mortal spouses in order to keep their everlasting beauty (those Finwives really don't want to become Finhags...).
The dullahan is a scary Unseelie in Irish folklore. It has also inspired works such as Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. If you haven't guessed by now, the dullahan is none other than a headless horseman. According to folklore, nothing can stop the coming of the dullahan. People can lock their doors and bar the roads, but if the dullahan is after someone, chances are that person's already a dead man/woman. The dullahan is a scary sight. His headless body sits atop a menacing black horse; on one hand, a whip made of a human's spine, on the other, his head, tucked safely next to him. The story goes that wherever the dullahan stops is where the next death would be.
Boggart
If you're saying "Oh, look! A creature from Harry Potter! I know what that is!" then prepare to be debunked. A boggart is not a shapeshifter that turns into your worst fears. In fact, a boggart is the Unseelie version of a brownie. Some tales even go to say that a boggart is the result of an abused brownie, a brownie angry enough at mortals to morph into the destructive Seelie household faerie. If cursed with a boggart in the household, chances are that the family will remain cursed until the boggart tires of them or dies (good luck with it dying, though...faeries tend to outlive mortals for centuries on end). Some boggarts are also known to live under bridges. It is customary to greet these boggarts, otherwise who knows what bad luck might visit the person who passes by and doesn't say hello.
Each Uisge
This water creature is kind of like a kelpie (a water spirit in the general shape of a horse). Except for the whole "drowning riders" bit, of course. Each uisge are shapeshifters, though their main shape is that of a horse. In human form, each uisge usually take on the appearance of handsome males, seducing young women into following them down to the depths of the water. Men are also tempted to ride these magical horses, and--while inland, the each uisge can be seen as benign--the minute the each uisge find water, they cling to their riders and drag them to the sea. Prominent around the Scottish Highlands, young women are warned off from speaking to handsome young strangers wishing to get acquainted with them. A good warning, too. Who knows when these unknown, scrumptious men would turn into magical horses out to drown them.
Finfolk
Another set of monsters from the water out to drown the poor mortals. The finfolk are the malevolent water spirits of the merfolk. They have the same charms as the the rest of the merfolk, except that when they're done seducing their victims, well, you know the deal with evil spirits. The finfolk are also shapeshifters (what is it with evil sea monsters and shapeshifting?), and once they capture/abduct their chosen mortal, they force marriage on said mortal and then doom the poor thing into a lifetime of faery servitude. Pretty romantic, eh? Some legends go so far to reason that the Finfolk look for mortal spouses in order to keep their everlasting beauty (those Finwives really don't want to become Finhags...).
Notable Unseelies:
This particular Unseelie is nothing like the creatures mentioned in the lesson, but I find that I at least have to mention the hellhounds in this lesson. Hellhounds are pretty obvious when it comes to the Seelie versus Unseelie courts. Among the most prominent of the hellhounds is Black Shuck, or the Doom Dog. This faery, in the form of a large black dog and flaming eyes, brings ill luck to whoever sees it. The Black Shuck is alluded to in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of Baskervilles.
And, of course, on that same train of thought, here's another Harry Potter faery for you! The Grim is mentioned quite a few times in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In fact, Ron Weasley even mentions the fact that his uncle Bilius died of fright after having seen the Grim first-hand. This particular hellhound even shows up in a book titled Death Omens. Just like the hellhound Black Shuck, the Grim foretells doom, death, or destruction in its wake.
This particular Unseelie is nothing like the creatures mentioned in the lesson, but I find that I at least have to mention the hellhounds in this lesson. Hellhounds are pretty obvious when it comes to the Seelie versus Unseelie courts. Among the most prominent of the hellhounds is Black Shuck, or the Doom Dog. This faery, in the form of a large black dog and flaming eyes, brings ill luck to whoever sees it. The Black Shuck is alluded to in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of Baskervilles.
And, of course, on that same train of thought, here's another Harry Potter faery for you! The Grim is mentioned quite a few times in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. In fact, Ron Weasley even mentions the fact that his uncle Bilius died of fright after having seen the Grim first-hand. This particular hellhound even shows up in a book titled Death Omens. Just like the hellhound Black Shuck, the Grim foretells doom, death, or destruction in its wake.