5 Curiosities about irish folklore
Irish folklore is rich in myths and legends that have been passed down through generations, affecting how many Irish people see, experience, and move through the world - from their interpretation of events to their explanation for misfortune.
Expanding far beyond the notorious leprechaun, here are five curiosities about the folklore we have inherited.
Fairy rings
Fairy rings are a sure-fire means to stoke fear in many Irish people. A fairy circle is a naturally occurring ring of mushrooms. While seemingly benign to the uninitiated eye, Irish people know better than to disturb them - in fact, you shouldn’t so much as step inside of one! Understood to be portals to the fairy world, these rings are said to be manned by powerful fairies who are quick to enact revenge. Punishments range from years of bad luck to death, plain and simple. Some people have even blamed the disturbance of fairy rings for the 2008 recession!
2. The screaming stone
The Lia Fáil, or the Stone of Destiny, is at the Hill of Tara in County Meath, historically the inauguration place of the High Kings of Ireland. The stone is said to be endowed with magical powers: the story goes, when the rightful High King of Ireland touches it, it lets out a scream. (I don’t lend too much truth to the tale - I myself have touched it to no avail!)
3. The banshee in the fireplace
The banshee is the formidable fairy woman who heralds death. She is often depicted as sporting long hair and a grey cloak, with eyes bloodshot from her weeping. Her wail is said to be the first warning of a family member’s death. She may also shriek, scream, or keen. My childhood is full of memories from before the takeover of electric fireplaces, when windy winter fires would make wailing sounds that the adults around me would deem “banshee cries”.
4. One third of Irish people believe in leprechauns
Although I promised a departure from leprechaun talk, it would be criminal to entirely exclude these famed figures. According to a 2011 survey by Cooley Distillery, 33% of Irish people think leprechauns are real. 55% of respondents said they believed the mischievous little men had existed in the past. Perhaps 14 years on, such questions would earn a few more groans than they did back then; these days, many Irish people are keen to distance themselves from the drunken leprechaun stereotypes that proliferate abroad.
5. Niamh Chinn Óir’s yearning goes unrivaled
Born in Tír na nÓg (the Land of Youth), Niamh Chinn Óir was apparently unimpressed by the potential suitors on offer in her own vicinity. She had heard tales of the beauty of an Irishman named Oisín, and became enthralled with the idea of him. So much so that she crossed over to the mortal world to find him, cast a love spell on him, and bring him back to her homeland of immortality and eternal youth. That’s a hopeless romantic who’s unafraid to make the first move. But even a woman as passionate as she couldn’t hold him down - their story ends tragically when, after some hundred years, Oisín returns to Ireland and meets his (albeit timely) death.
Writer/copyeditor: Mia Craven
