FAE MYTHOLOGY

Abarta (Irish)- A member of the Tuatha Dé Danaan who captured some of the Fianna and brought them to Annwn (the Otherworld).

Aengus Og (Irish) variations Angus Mac Og - Aonghus Og. A god of love, youth and beauty belonging to the Tuatha Dé Danaan.

Aí (Irish)- The poet of Tuatha Dé Danaan. Legend states that when his mother was pregnant a druid foretold that he would possess great powers.

Aibell (Irish) variations Aoibhill, Aiobhell Queen of the Munster fairies and a guardian spirit who dwelled at Craig Liath (the grey rock). Her name means "beautiful". She possessed a magic harp which legend states that those who heard it did not live long afterwards.

Aige (Irish) - A jealous druidress turned her into a fawn and she was then killed by the warriors of Meilge.

Aileach (Irish) - A fortress in Ulster where the gods and goddesses of Tuatha Dé Danaan decided to divide Ireland between each of them.

Aillén Mac Midhna (al-yen mac mee-o-na) variations Aillen Mac Miona (Irish)- A fairy musician from Annwn who came out of his cave each year to play his timpan (belled tambourine) at the feast of Samhain (Halloween). Every year he would burn down the palace of Tara after enchanting the residents with music. Eventually Fionn Mac Cumhail resisted the music by pressing his spear to his own forehead and then beheading Aillén.

Áine (aw-ne) (Irish) - A faery queen and goddess of love and fertility. She is associated with the moon and has occasionally been seen combing her hair in the middle of a lake. Daughter of high king, Eogabail, the foster son of sea god Mannanán Mac Lir. Her sister is Fenne or Finnen.

Ankou (Ahn-koo) Sometimes called the King of the Dead. He collects souls upon their death and escorts them to the land of the dead. Traveling with his own subjects he is a feared fairy that is mainly seen on November Eve.

Annwn (a-noon) (Welsh) - "Land of Shadows". A peaceful paradise which contained a fountain of rebirth. Arawn was the Lord of Annwn and was always accompanied by a pack of hounds.

Aoife (eef-eh) (Irish)- According to myth there are few different Aoifes. One is the daughter of Ard-Greimne, and sister of Scáthach, a warrior princess of the Land of Shadows (Anwnn). The second is the wife of ocean god Mannanán Mac Lir and stepmother to her own sister's four children. She became jealous of them and used magic to turn them into swans. The Children of Lir had to spend 900 years in various waters until they died under the care of a monk. When Aoife's foster father the Bodb Dearg found out what she had done he changed her into a demon of the air and she was never heard from again.

Aonbharr (Irish) - a magical horse which can travel on land and sea.

Arduinna - a gaul goddess of the moon, hunting and forests. Her sacred animal is the wild boar.

Aranrhod or Arianrod (Welsh) - Daughter of Don and sister of Gwydion, and mother to Dylan, a famous sea god.

Artio - a gaulish goddess bear goddess.

Asrai - An ancient water fairy in female or male form that lives in the sea. They are rarely seen and only at night. They are sometimes called sea ghosts because of their extremely pale, translucent skin. Legend states that they must not be exposed to the sun lest they dissolve into a pool of water

Badb (Irish) - goddess of death and battles. Her name signifies crow or raven.

Badb Catha -battle raven

Balor of the Evil Eye (Irish) - The most famous giant of the Fomorians he had one eye that destroyed anyone who was in its gaze.

Banba (Irish) -beautiful giantress. Daughter of Treon of the Land of the Shadows.

Banshee - see Bean-Sidhe or Bean-Nighe

Beag (Irish) - a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann, associated with a magic well.

Bean-Nighe - Sometimes called the "washer woman" because she sits on the banks of streams and rivers frantically washing bloodstains from a white shirt. She is similar to the Bean-Sidhe in that she also foretells death.

Bean-Sidhe - ( ban-shee ) This fairy woman is feared by humans because her wails and moaning foretell the impending death of someone near. She has been described as very beautiful, pale with long hair and fearsome red eyes which some say is from her constant weeping.

Bean-Fionn - Also called Jenny Greentooth, she is a malevolent fairy who lives underwater in streams and lakes. She can be either beautiful or hideous and is known to reach up from her watery depths and drag young children under the water with her.

Bean-Tighe - Sometimes called the "King of the Dead". He is similar to the Ankou in that he collects souls upon their death and escorts them to the land of the dead. Traveling his own familiar paths in black with a black cart he is mainly seen on November Eve.

Blodeuwedd (blod-AY-weth) - welsh meaning "flower-aspect" was made from the flowers of oak, broom and meadowsweet by Gwydion and Math to be the bride of Lieu Llaw-Gyffes. Later she was turned into an owl and was an outcast of all birds.

Boann (Irish) - a water goddess and wife of Nechtan (water god) name means "she of white cattle"

Bogie - A male hobgoblin who is only up to evil and capricious acts of wrongdoing. He enjoys tormenting any traveler who is unfortunate enough to cross his path. Also called bogy, bug-a-boo, bogle or boggart.

Brigid (Irish)- a much beloved triple goddess of healing, smiths, fertility and poetry. Daughter of Dagda, her name means "fiery arrow".

Brownie - A scruffy small brown male fairy who wears dirty, torn clothing and likes to live with humans. They like to help with chores but also like to be left alone. They expect small rewards and will abandon a home when there is no extra milk and cakes left for them. The Brownie is generally helpful unless they are crossed then they become mean and ill-tempered

Caer - a fairy maiden loved by Aengus Og (the love god) who had dreamt of her before they met. When he found out who she was he asked her father for her hand, to which her father said he could marry her if he could find her, since she had taken the form of a swan.

Cait Sith (cait shee) - a Highland fairy cat that is as large as a dog, with a white spot on it's breast.

Cailleac Bhuer (call-y'ac V'fhoor) - Also called the Blue Hag or Stone Woman. She originates in Scotland and is an old woman of human size who walks by night with a walking stick made of holly with the carved head of a crow on top. A large carrion crow sits on her left shoulder and a touch from her magical staff means instant death to a human. If her staff is found unattended it will give its owner the power of enchantment.

Ceridwen (ker-ID-wen) (Welsh) - A Welsh sorceress and goddess of fertility. Mother of Afagddu, supposedly the ugliest man in the world. To help compensate for his looks she boiled a cauldron of knowledge for a year and a day so that he would be respected for his wisdom. Instead her other son Gwion Bach who was guarding it accidently acquired the knowledge when he sucked it from his finger.

Changeling - Some fairies love beautiful human babies and will steal them and leave an old, near-death fairy in their place. Humans have been known to place iron bars on or in their baby cradles to protect them from such thefts.

Cliodhna (Irish) - goddess of Beauty who fell in love with a mortal, Ciabhan of the Curling Locks. She had three magical birds that could sing the sick to sleep or cure them.

Corrigan - These female fairies are enchanted to forever roam the earth as beautiful blonde women by day and repulsive old hags by night. Legend states that if a mortal man loves the old hag and beautiful woman equally the enchantment is lifted.

Cyn Annwn (koon anoon) - Welsh hell hounds who are bone white with red ears.

Dagda - "the good god". An important high king of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, who rides a black horse named Acéin (ocean) and carries a magic club.

Dairine - (Dareen) a princess of Tara

Damona - a gaulish goddess her name means "the Divine Cow"

Dana (Irish) - synonymous with Danu, Anu and Don. Mother goddess from Ireland from who the Tuatha Dé Danann take their name. The high king Dagda is her son.

Dea Arduinna - a gaulish goddess shown seated on a wild boar. She ruled over the beasts of the forest.

Deirdre - "of the sorrows" according to myth the aging King Conchobhar Mac Nessa wanted to marry her but she was in love with Naoise with whom she ran away with to Alba. Nessa had Naoise killed and then forced Deirdre to marry him. Once married she remained sad and distant. When Nessa tired of her he handed her over to Naoise's assassin. Instead of sleeping with her lovers murderer she commited suicide by throwing herself off a running chariot. From each of the graves of Naoise and Deirdre grew a pine which eventually interwined and grew as one tree.

Domnu (Irish) - goddess of the Fomorians. Mother goddess of undersea dwellers.

Druids - The Druids were important figures in Celtic Ireland and held positions as advisors, judges and teachers. Draoi-id means "oak knowledge". They were male and female and it took up to 20 years to learn all of the Druidical laws. Evans-Wentz in the book Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries states that they were magicians and prophets and they could foretell the future and interpret the secret will of the fairies.

Dubh - a druidress who used her magic powers to drown her husbands lover. In return her husband had her drown in what became known as Dubh's Pool.

Duergarrs (Doo-ay-gahrs) - A male dwarf fairy approximately 2 feet tall. They are unfriendly to humans and guard fairy paths and hills.

Dylan - "son of the wave", a welsh sea god who as soon as he sprang from his mother's womb (Arianrhod) he jumped into the sea and swam as well as any fish.

Éire (Irish) - goddess of Ireland

Elves - Elves are small and thin with pointed ears and sinewy bodies. Despite their small stature they are very intelligent and industrious and play a major part in the land of fairy.

Epona - "divine horse", a celtic horse goddess either depicted riding a mare or with a horse and foal.

Etain - (aideen) an Irish fairy queen from the Tuatha Dé Danaan who was reincarnated many times. She was the second wife of King Midir when Midir's first wife became jealous and had a druid cast a spell so that she was reborn as a mortal. To make it hard for Midir to find Etain the druid first changed her into a pool of water, a worm and then finally a fly. At a banquet King Etars wife accidentally swallowed a fly that had flown into her cup of wine and then she became pregnant with Etain. As the mortal Etain grew up King Eochaidh and his brother Aillill fell in love with her. King Midir eventually found her and reawakened her memories of her past life as an immortal queen in the fairy realm. In a game of chess he won her back from King Eochaidh.

Ethlinn (Irish) - daughter of Balor of the Evil Eye.

Ethné (Irish)- exiled from the Tuatha Dé Danaan. She wanders the hills in vain as a mortal listening to the disembodied voices of the fairies so she can return.

Fairy Trees - All trees are sacred to fairies but the ones most mentioned in fairy lore include: Oak, Ash, Apple, Hazel, Rowan, Holly, Willow, Elder, Alder, Hawthorn and Blackthorn. Willows have been known to uproot themselves on dark nights and follow solitary travelers through the woods. Hazel nuts were thought to instill wisdom and fertility and apples: power and youth.

Fairies/Faeries - The word "fairies" now encompasses all of the inhabitants of Fairyland including the Daoine Sidhe of the Highlands. The Tuatha Dé Danaan of Ireland. The Tylwth Teg of Wales. The Seelie and Unseelie-Court and the Trooping and Solitary fairies. Other names given to the fairy race include: Daoine Maithe 'the good people', the Sidhe race, the Gentry, the "People of Peace", "the still-folk", the "silent moving folk", the Sith , the Fair-Family, Fair-Folk, and the Fées.

Fand (Irish) - "The Pearl of Beauty", wife of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir.

Fir Darrigs (Fear Durgs) - Also called Rat Boys. They are very unpleasant fairies with fat ugly features, hairy skin and long snouts which make them look like large rats. They like to trick humans and other fairies out of their possessions and they love to eat rotten fish and food.

Fomorians (Irish) - One of the first inhabitants of Ireland who were considered demons because of their misshapen bodies and violent acts. The Highland Fomorians were a race of giants and not as evil as them.

Gancanagh (Gon-cawn-ah) - A legendary beautiful male fairy who enjoys seducing mortal women to fall in love with him and then disappearing only to leave them to search for him until their deaths.

Ghillie Dhu (Gillee Doo) - These are tree fairies who disguise themselves as leaves and love to play pranks on human travelers who unknowingly have ventured into their forest.

The Glastig (clee-stickh) - An infamous fairy who is believed to no longer exist. A beautiful woman fairy of human size who attempts to lure mortal human males to be her companion and is friendly until they notice her goat hooves. Then she either drowns them or drains them of their blood.

Gnomes or Dwarves - Earth fairies who age very quickly. They seem to have been born old and they live for hundreds of years. They are very intelligent and they make their homes in hollowed out trees or partly underground. They vary in personalities and temperament.

Gwragedd Annwn (Gwer-geth Ai-noon) - A beautiful blond fairy of human size who is helpful and kind to humans. She lives near lakes.

Gwyllions - Either male or female they live in the mountains and tend goats but also have a disturbing habit of sitting on rocks above roads and staring eerily at passing travelers.

Goblins and Hobgoblins - A name given by humans to the mean, mischievous elves who sometimes haunt their homes.

Grian (Irish)- solar female deity

Gwen (Welsh) - "The White Swan" daughter of Cynwal

Irnan (Irish) - sorceress who spinned a magic web

Knockers - Dwarf fairies who live underground and are expert miners

Leanan-Sidhe (lan-awn-shee) - the Fairy Mistress similar to the Lhiannan-Shee, except she is given a more benevolent description by Lady Wilde in Ancient Legends of Ireland: 'The Leanan-Sidhe, or the spirit of life, was supposed to be the inspirer of the poet and singer, as the Ban-Sidhe was the spirit of death, the foreteller of doom.' Her inspiration comes at a price, in that poets and artists fueled by her die an early death.

Leprechauns - A solitary male fairy with the cunning ability to steal or find treasure. He loves riddles and dares others to find the treasure that he has hidden, sometimes so well that he himself cannot find it.

Lhiannan-Shee (lannan-shee) - A beautiful vampiric fairy who has been said to either drain her victims of blood or collect it in a cauldron where she performs spells and rituals to keep herself youthful and beautiful.

Lunantisidhe (Loo-nan-tee-shee) - An extremely thin, wiry old hairless man with pointed ears, long teeth, arms and fingers. He travels in a group that climbs and lives in the Blackthorn trees. They despise humans and will go to great lengths to harm them if their beloved trees are trodden upon.

Macha (Irish)- a triple goddess of war. Wife of Nemed, then wife of Nuada.

Maeve - goddess of sovereignty

Manannán Mac Lir (Irish) - A major sea god, the son of Lir. He ruled from Emain Ablach (Emain of the Apple Trees) an island paradise in the Land of Promise. His wife is Fand. A noble leader he possesses an invincible sword and invulnerable helmet and armor.

Mermaids - Also called the merpeople, merrows. A generally gentle female fairy who lives in the sea with a human torso and fish tail. They sometimes travel upstream and have been known to take human lovers to their underwater kingdoms.

Merman - A male counterpart of the mermaid. They also have human torsos and fish tails but are not as interested in humankind as the mermaids. They are wilder with pigs eyes, red noses and green hair and tend to enjoy the stormier aspects of the sea.

Mórrigán (Irish) - a major triple goddess of war, death and slaughter. Her name means great queen. She is interchangeable with Macha, Badb and Nemain. Her favorite shape is that of the crow or raven.

Nair (Irish) - name means "modesty". A goddess who took the high king Crebhán to the otherworld and gave him fantastic treasures.

Nantsovetta - a gaulish goddess connected with water

Nemain - a war goddess and wife of Neit. She hovers over battlefields inspiring battle madness. Nemain means venomous, Macha (personification of battle), Dea (hateful), Badb (fury) and Morrigan (great queen)

Olwen (Welsh) - means "she of white track" named because of four white trefoils that spring up wherever she trods. A Formorian.

Oonagh (Irish) - wife of Fionnbharr. Dwelt in the sidhe (hill) of Meadhna.

Phookas - A destructive fairy that travels in a pack, they have the body of a goat or horse and the head of a human male. Fairies and humans fear them and avoid them at all cost.

Pixies - A small, winged fairy with a large head, pointy ears, nose and eyebrows. They are mischievous and love fancy clothing made to resemble their favorite flowers. They love dancing, singing and merry making.

Rhiannon (Welsh) - Her name means "maid of Annwn" or "great Queen". Originally promised to Gwawl, Rhiannon was seen by Pwyll, a chieftain of Dyfed, when she was riding on a magnificent white horse. When Rhiannon rejected Gwawl and married Pwyll her household fell under a curse in which her first born son vanished and was presumed dead at her hand. Her son was eventually restored to life and she named him Pryderi which means "care". According to legend Rhiannon's birds sang more sweetly than any mortal bird and were said to have magical powers.

Robin Goodfellow or Puck - This male fairy looks like a satyr with a boys head and the body of a goat. He is playful and loves to play his pipes throughout the forests which entices all the animals and fairies alike to follow his melodious music.

Sadb (Irish)- daughter of Badb Deara. Turned into a fawn by the "Dark Druid"

Scáthach nUanaind (Irish) - her names means "shadowy", also known as Scáthach Buanand (victorious). The most famous celtic female warrior from the Land of Shadows she ran a military academy where men received training in the martial arts. Her most famous pupil was Cuchulainn to whom she gave a spear named Gae-Bolg or "belly spear", once inside the enemies stomach it opened up 30 barbs which would then tear the stomach apart.

The Seelie-Court - Seelie means "blessed", and this court consists of all the noble and kind fairies whose inner code of fair and good ethics contrast that of the Unseelie Court.

Selkies - Selkies appear as seals but are able to shed their sealskins and walk on land in female or male form.

Sirona - a gaul goddess whose name means "star"

Spriggans - A fairy monster who is able to inflate himself and float along the countryside. They sometimes appears as rocks or stones and create havoc on those who cross their paths.

Sulevia - a gaul goddess of the art of healing.

Taliesin - "Shining Brow". A welsh wizard who was the first to acquire the gift of prophecy.

Tara - The ancient hill fort that became the capital of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. It was a meeting place for fairy kings and visiting dignitaries.

Tir Nan Og or Tir Na N-og (teer na nogue) - "Land of the Young" an earthly paradise where time stopped and the grass was always green and the flowers blossoming. A land of beauty where there was much music, feasting, loving and hunting.

Trooping Fairies - Fairies are sometimes divided into two classes which includes the trooping or solitary fairies. Solitary generally being the less friendly of the two.

Tuatha Dé Danann (Too-ah-day Thay-nan) - Also called the Gentry. They are the earliest fairies. Their goddess was Dana. They are the origin of the fairy race.

Tylwyth Teg (terlooeth teig) - A Welsh name for the "fair race". Given to represent all fairies whom they believed lived in matriarchal clans.

The Unseelie Court - These are the damned or unblessed of the fairy race and they consist of all that is evil and ignoble in fairyland.

Will-o'-the-Wisp - Also called Fairy Lights, Elf-fire, Hobbedy's Lantern or Night Whispers. Small winged fairies whose glowing lights can be seen at dusk in the meadows and grassy hills.