Need help with Irish legends

[SnakeEyes]

A long time ago, I read (or heard) somewhere about an Irish legend of what I think were the 'Faerie People' or the 'Faerie Men'. I know some tales around such creatures (you know the stuff ::drunkenmonkey ), but this one I think was twisted by the introduction of christianity...

These folk were slightly taller than the average man, around 6'5" or so, with fairly dark skin. They are said to steal children from the streets and take them away never to be returned. I seem to remember something about them wandering around shortly before dusk, but I may have that mixed up. ::blink

Any one recognise it? I have tried to find it everywhere on the web (my local library is useless) but have so far found nothing. ::wacko This is really starting to bug me now and I would appreciate anything you know on the subject.

Oh, and being the person I am, any wierd folktales and legends/myths you happen to know about. ::biggrin

Cheers,

SnakeEyes

::thumbsup

[Ayre el KaBeer]

If you're into that kind of thing, give Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Fiest a look, it's pretty damned good.

[SnakeEyes]

Oooh! The author of the Riftwar Sagas! I might just do that.

Cheers mate! ::thumbsup

::sad It's not gonna stop that legend bugging me though....

[Bahamut810]

I just got a book on thoes legends today...gimme a few days to look through it

[SnakeEyes]

I await eagerly for your verdict... *twiddles thumbs*

Which book is it?

[Arcanum_V]

Here are a couple possibilities for further research, all drawn from Carol Rose's Spirits, Fairies, Lebrechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia:

Bodach, Bodach Glas

This is the name of a frightening spirit and a form of the Celtic bugbear.  The Bodach, which means Old Man in Scottish Gaelic, was thought to enter human houses at night by way of the chimney in order to carry off naughty children.  [. . .]

(Scottish, not Irish, and through the chimney rather than off the streets, but the motif is similar.)

Corpán Síde

The Irish Gaelic words for a changeling, also known as Síod Brad.

Cross-referenced to the "Changeling"entry, which summarizes the common European folklore motif of healthy children being stolen by fairies and exchanged for the fairies' unhealthy infants. This is a pretty common motif in European folklore, and indeed, folklore around the world. It's usually understood as a pre-scientific way of explaining Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The more evolved version is usually understood as a cautionary tale to keep children from getting injured and to teach them to obey adults: if you go into the woods (or out on the streets at night) or disobey, you'll be taken by bugbears/fairies/ogres/Baba Yaga/goblins, etc.

Daoine Sidhe, Daoine O'Sidhe

These are the fairies of Irish folklore, also known as the Daoine Beaga, which means the Little Folk.  They are the descended race of the heroic spirits, the Tuatha dé Danann of Celtic mythology.  The Daoine Sidhe may resemble humans, but they can shape shift and even become invisible.  The inhabit the sidh (the Long Barrows from which they are named), the loughs, the forests, wild places, and solitary thorn trees.  They are akin to the Sleeth Ma of Highland Gaelic folklore.  Like human realms, the Daoine Sidhe have their own kings and queens, who are often renowned for healing the sick and warding off disease.  These spirits are the sociable Trooping Fairies, who enjoy featsing, dancing, and parading, especially on the Celtic festivals of Beltaine and Samhain.  They can be quite boisterously malicious, and they enjoy battles, stirring up dust storms, stealing human brides and babies, and inflicting blight and other problems on human beings.  The Daoine Sidhe may be propitiated with offerings of milk, but to avert their less favorable intentions they are referred to by euphemisms such as the Gentry, the Good People, the Little People, or the Wee Folk.

Rose includes a bibliography of primary sources at the end of this article (as she does in all of the entries of this wonderful encyclopedia). If this seems like the right avenue of further research, let me know and I'll post those.

Fir Bholg, Fir Bolgs

In the folklore and traditions of Ireland, these were the first inhabitants before being defeated by the Tuatha dé Danann.  The Fir Bolgs were really three tribes called the Fir Domnann (the Men of Domnu), of North Munster, Fir Gallion (the Men of Gallion) of South Munster, and the Fir Bolgs (the Men of Bolg) of Connaught.  They were thickset and dark, giving rise to the names Corca-Oidce (People of Darkness) and Corca-Duibhne (People of the Night).  After their defeat they retreated to the mountains, caves, and forests, where they practiced their magic arts and became the first Little People of Ireland.

Based on your description of this hobgoblin, it sounds like it could be a Fir Bolg legend, perhaps a later variation to warn children against the dangers of urban living.

[SnakeEyes]

::wow Man, you're f-ing great for those, I love ya! ::thumbsup ::biggrin ::smile Have one on me! ::drunkenmonkey

But I'm not sure about that Fir Bholg link... as they aren't one of the 'little people' so famous in Ireland, but you may be right in a later version being a warning for children...

Hehe... ::hehe Guess what I found while scouring the web... the legend of the Bahamut!

The arabic version aparently goes there's darkness, then water, then the great fish Bahamut, on which stands the great bull (with a thousand legs, eyes, mouths and ears or something), which holds up a ruby mountain on it's shoulders, on which stands an angel, which holds up the Earth! (before some gimp screwed it up and turned it into a ball)

D'ya think that's where Terry Pratchett got the Great A'Tuin (The giant space turtle) from?

[Arcanum_V]

D'ya think that's where Terry Pratchett got the Great A'Tuin (The giant space turtle) from?

Some Hindu mythology postulates that the world rests on the shoulders of four elephants that stand on the back of a turtle, and I suspect that's where Pratchett got his imagery.

[Edit]

Now I don't suspect it: I know it.

Quoted from an interview with Pratchett:

When did you have the idea for the Discworld and what inspired it?

Well the physical shape of it is based on one of the myths of mankind. The idea that the world is flat and goes through space on the back of a giant turtle is one of the great common place myths of the world. I feel that I have always known about that I think I must have found it in books on astronomy when I was a kid. It features a lot in Hindu mythology for example. I just chose that because it was a naturally ridiculous world. I didn't think about it very much, I knew about the mythology and I just wanted a crazy world to set things on - the crazier the better, because I wanted the people to be quite normal but I wanted the world to be crazy.

[SnakeEyes]

cool... I didn't know that. I've only heard (and read) two interviews with him... and one was completely on the animated adaption of Soul Music...