Irish folklore is a rich and vibrant tradition deeply interwoven with the history, landscape, and cultural identity of Ireland. It encompasses a wide array of stories, beliefs, and characters that reflect a distinctive worldview, shaped by centuries of societal experiences, interactions with various cultures, and a profound connection to the land itself. ### Characteristics and Persistence of Irish Folklore The persistence of Irish folklore, particularly its fairy legends and ghost stories, is notable. While Dr. Corbett lamented the departure of English fairies, in Ireland, they are still prevalent, giving gifts to the kindly and plaguing the surly. This enduring presence suggests a deep-rooted belief system that has resisted attempts to eradicate or negatively stereotype Indian history and culture, as seen with the Iroquois in the Northeast. The "Spirit of the Age" and its associated skepticism have not significantly altered the "Celt," who remains a "visionary without scratching". Irish folk tales and bardic narratives have been meticulously preserved through oral tradition. Storytellers would gather, share their versions of tales, and even vote on the most accurate rendition, ensuring remarkable fidelity to ancient manuscripts, sometimes even correcting perceived errors in the written texts. This oral tradition, however, is not static; it is an "evolving tradition," capable of being "emancipatory" and true to the "subversive potential of folk culture". Historically, storytelling in Ireland was a primary form of winter entertainment, told to both adults and children, and was considered an "essential, spiritual occupation" in agricultural populations. Chapbooks like "The Royal Fairy Tales" and "The Hibernian Tales" also served as popular fairy literature. ### The World of Fairies (The Good People) Fairies, or _sheehogue_ (_sidheóg_), from the Irish _shee_ (fairy) in _banshee_, are known as _deenee shee_ (_daoine sidhe_), or "fairy people". Their origins are varied: some peasants consider them "fallen angels who were not good enough to be saved, nor bad enough to be lost," while the "Book of Armagh" refers to them as "the gods of the earth," and Irish antiquarians identify them with the _Tuatha De Danān_, the pagan gods of Ireland who diminished in size when no longer worshipped. Characteristics and interactions: - **Secrecy and Resentment:** Fairies are very secretive and "much resent being talked of," with stories of old women nearly "pinched into their graves" for discussing them. - **Powers and Perils:** They can paralyze men and cattle with "fairy darts" and their singing can cause girls to pine away and die. Many of Ireland's "old beautiful tunes" are said to be their music, caught by eavesdroppers. Conversely, fire is considered the "greatest of enemies to every sort of phantom". - **Changelings:** Fairies sometimes fancy mortals and carry them away, leaving a sickly fairy child or a bewitched log in their place. Overlooking a child with envy can give fairies power over it. An infallible way to identify a changeling is to lay it on fire, which will cause it to rush up the chimney with a cry if it is indeed a changeling. - **Dwelling Places:** Fairies are believed to dwell in Tir-na-n-Og, the "Country of the Young," where age and death do not exist. This realm has been seen in lake depths or on the horizon from western cliffs. They also inhabit "fairy hills" that are invisible and inaccessible, representing a passage into the "realm of the unconscious where the tick of time is not heard". - **Types of Fairies:** - **Trooping Fairies:** Described as "wee folk, good folk, trooping all together," wearing "Green jacket, red cap, And white owl’s feather". - **Solitary Fairies:** These are withered, old, and solitary, unlike the sociable trooping fairies. They dress without "fairy homeliness" and are often mischievous. Examples include: - **Lepracaun:** From Irish _leith brog_ (one-shoemaker), continuously makes shoes and has grown rich from buried treasure. - **Cluricaun:** Supposedly the Lepracaun on a spree, getting drunk in cellars. - **Far Darrig (Red Man):** Wears a red cap and coat, and engages solely in "gruesome joking". - **Fear-Gorta (Man of Hunger):** An emaciated phantom appearing during famine, bringing good luck to those who give alms. - **Merrow:** Sea-folk, not uncommon on wilder coasts. Male Merrows have "green teeth, green hair, pig’s eyes, and red noses," while females are beautiful, despite their fish tails and webbed fingers. They wear a red cap called a _cohullen druith_, which, if stolen, prevents them from returning to the sea. - **Pooka:** An "animal spirit," possibly derived from _poc_ (he-goat), associated with Shakespeare's "Puck." It lives on solitary mountains and old ruins and is sacred on November-day. - **Banshee:** An attendant fairy that follows "old families" and wails before a death, often accompanied by the _coach-a-bower_ (an immense black coach mounted by a coffin and drawn by headless horses). ### Ghosts, Witches, and Other Beings **Ghosts (_Thevshi_ or _Tash_)** are believed to exist in an intermediary state, held by "earthly longing or affection, or some duty unfulfilled, or anger against the living". Those who die suddenly are more prone to become haunting ghosts, moving furniture to attract attention. **Witches and Fairy Doctors** draw their powers from opposing sources: witches from "evil spirits and her own malignant will," and fairy doctors from the fairies themselves, or an inherent "temperament". Witch spells often involve "the dead hand" or the ability to change into animal forms like a hare, cat, or wolf. Some beliefs suggest witches can go out at night as "fox souls" to do mischief. Tales about witches, particularly in Gloucestershire folklore, are numerous and often express "time-honoured misogyny". **Giants** are seen as the transformed "pagan heroes of Ireland" like Fin M’Coul, who grew larger in popular imagination after the pagan gods became fairies. Other notable creatures and beliefs include: - **White Trout:** Many holy wells in Ireland are haunted by "blessed trout," sometimes carrying marks from past desecrations. - **Serpent Myths:** Despite Ireland having no native serpents, a serpent myth was invented, attributing their expulsion to Saint Patrick. The serpent in occult lore is often associated with wisdom and potent power. - **The External Soul:** A recurring motif in Irish (and other Celtic) tales is the idea of a giant's or beast's soul residing outside its body, often in an egg hidden within a series of nested animals. This concept is also found in popular tales where a person's strength is tied to their hair. ### Stories, Themes, and Cultural Intersections Irish folklore is rich with themes of magic, transformation, and the interplay between the human and supernatural worlds. The Celtic culture itself was very strong in Europe, with a "high moment around 500 B.C.," and its mythology, particularly the Mother Goddess tradition, was dominant before the Germanic warrior people arrived and their gods retreated into fairy hills. The Arthurian romances, with their Celtic themes of the Grail and hero quests, represent an attempt in the Middle Ages to "assimilate and bring together" the contrasting native nature-oriented mythologies with the socially oriented mythology brought in by Christianity. History frequently marks itself on myth, transforming major events like migrations, natural disasters, and encounters with Europeans into mythically resonant incidents. These tales serve to "celebrate, mourn, and honor the past". However, some aspects of cultural history are less romanticized. For example, the sources note the "negative stereotyping" of Highlanders and the brutal feudal system maintained by clan chiefs. The "uncomfortable reality" of Ireland's "feudal" and "paralyzed" culture, as seen in Joyce's texts, reveals a society slow to change despite nationalist movements. The land itself is deeply integrated into Irish stories. Notable landscape features, often considered sacred, are associated with local myths and legends, forming a "vibrant mythscape" that coexists with and informs the perception of the physical landscape. Storytelling can "enchant" landscapes, rooting human communities in the land. Efforts to "re-story" the land and deepen local people's relationship with their environment, such as through projects like "The Listening Place" in Somerset, aim to connect personal renewal with nature's well-being. While the "ecological credentials of indigenous peoples are not impeccable," their "knowledge of culture–nature interdependence" offers valuable "imaginative counter-discourses" for industrial civilization. The telling of traditional tales about local ecology, though complicated by political sensitivities when told by outsiders, serves to mediate knowledge and feeling for the land and its creatures. The connection between storytelling and identity is strong. The Scottish Enlightenment, for example, shows how a national identity was shaped, in part, by its intellectual output and the embrace of oral traditions, influencing figures like Walter Scott. However, the later intellectual landscape in Scotland saw a shift from philosophers to masters of fantasy and escapist literature. Similarly, the idea that a nation's language expresses its unique character (as posited by Herder) resonated in discussions of Irish identity and language, which Henry VIII had once prohibited for its perceived divisiveness. Overall, Irish folklore, as presented in these sources, is a dynamic and multifaceted tradition that serves not only for entertainment but also as a means of transmitting cultural values, spiritual instruction, and a deep, enduring connection to the collective memory and physical landscape.