Oilliphéist
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The Oilliphéist ( ga, ollphéist, ) is a sea serpent-like monster in Irish mythology and
folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
. These monsters were believed to inhabit many lakes and rivers in Ireland and there are many legends of saints and heroes fighting them. In one story, the Oilliphéist cuts the route of the River Shannon when it hears that Saint Patrick has come to drive out it and its kind. In a comic addition to the story, the monster swallows a drunken piper named ''Ó Ruairc'' (
O'Rourke O'Rourke ( ga, Ó Ruairc) is an Irish Gaelic clan based most prominently in what is today County Leitrim. The family were the historic rulers of Breifne and later West Breifne until the 17th century. The O'Rourke Clan Chieftain is at odds with ...
). The piper is either unaware of his predicament or is completely unperturbed and continues to play inside the Oilliphéist's stomach. The monster becomes so annoyed with Ó Ruairc's music that it coughs him up and spits him out. It is believed by Chris Cairney that this story and one involving Caoránach helped influence and inspire the legend of the
Loch Ness Monster The Loch Ness Monster ( gd, Uilebheist Loch Nis), affectionately known as Nessie, is a creature in Scottish folklore that is said to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is often described as large, long-necked, and with one or mor ...
. Other stories of the Oilliphéist exist. One has a girl named Sionnan, grand daughter of
Manannán mac Lir Manannán or Manann, also known as Manannán mac Lir ("son of the sea"), is a warrior and king of the Otherworld in Irish mythology who is associated with the sea and often interpreted as a sea god, usually as a member of the Tuatha Dé Dana ...
, anger the Salmon of Knowledge by throwing stones at it. In revenge the fish summons and asks an Oilliphéist to attack the girl which it does and ultimately ends up killing her.


Caoránach

In
Irish folklore Irish folklore ( ga, béaloideas) refers to the folktales, balladry, music, dance, and so forth, ultimately, all of folk culture. Irish folklore, when mentioned to many people, conjures up images of banshees, fairies, leprechauns and people gat ...
, Caoránach (sometimes Coal) was an Oilliphéist and said to be the mother of demons who was banished by Saint Patrick to Lough Dearg in Donegal, Ulster. According to earlier legend
Fionn mac Cumhaill Fionn mac Cumhaill ( ; Old and mga, Find or ''mac Cumail'' or ''mac Umaill''), often anglicized Finn McCool or MacCool, is a hero in Irish mythology, as well as in later Scottish and Manx folklore. He is leader of the ''Fianna'' bands of y ...
and the
Fianna ''Fianna'' ( , ; singular ''Fian''; gd, Fèinne ) were small warrior-hunter bands in Gaelic Ireland during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages. A ''fian'' was made up of freeborn young males, often aristocrats, "who had left fosterage but had ...
were asked to slay a Hag in the Lough Dearg region. She was struck by an arrow from a large distance and as such her body was lost. Eventually the Fianna happened upon her body and were warned to not break the thigh bone as it would release a dangerous monster. One person named Conan broke the bone and released a small hairy worm. This worm quickly grew into a large sea monster named Caoránach that began to eat the cattle in the land. After almost all the cattle in Ulster were eaten the locals blamed Conan for the trouble, enraged he entered the monsters mouth with a sword and killed it. Lough Dearg is named after the blood that came out of Caoránach dyes the rocks red. In a more Christianised version of the story, Saint Patrick arrives to the area and is told about the monster's existence. He arrived at the region and continued to argue with the beast before slaying it himself. Its blood dyed the lake red and in some tales Saint Patrick then declared the lake should be called Lough Derg from then on. In some variants of the tale Saint Patrick failed at this and the monster lives in Lough Derg to this day.


See also

* Muirdris *
Each-uisge The each-uisge (, literally " water horse") is a water spirit in Scottish folklore, known as the each-uisce (anglicized as ''aughisky'' or ''ech-ushkya'') in Ireland and cabyll-ushtey on the Isle of Man. It usually takes the form of a horse, an ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oillipheist Aos Sí European dragons Fairies Fantasy creatures Irish folklore Irish legendary creatures Mythological monsters Scottish legendary creatures Tuatha Dé Danann Sea serpents