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Leanan Sídhe
The ' (; ; , ) is a figure from Irish folklore. She is depicted as a beautiful woman of the ''Aos Sí'' ("people of the fairy mounds") who takes a human lover. Lovers of the ''leannán sídhe'' are said to live brief, though highly inspired, lives. The name comes from the Gaelic words for a sweetheart, lover, or concubine and the term for inhabitants of fairy mounds (fairy). While the leannán sídhe is most often depicted as a female fairy, there is at least one reference to a male leannán sídhe troubling a mortal woman. A version of the myth was popularized during the Celtic Revival in the late 19th-century. The leannán sídhe is mentioned by Jane Wilde, writing as "Speranza", in her 1887 ''Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland''. W. B. Yeats popularized his own 'newly-ancient' version of the leannán sídhe, emphasizing the spirit's almost vampiric tendencies. As he imagined it, the leannán sídhe is depicted as a beautiful muse who offers inspiratio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish Mythology
Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally Oral tradition, passed down orally in the Prehistoric Ireland, prehistoric era. In the History of Ireland (795–1169), early medieval era, myths were Early Irish literature, written down by Celtic Christianity, Christian scribes, who Christianized them to some extent. Irish mythology is the best-preserved branch of Celtic mythology. The myths are conventionally grouped into 'List of literary cycles, cycles'. The Mythological Cycle consists of tales and poems about the god-like Tuatha Dé Danann, who are based on Ireland's pagan deities, and other mythical races like the Fomorians. Important works in the cycle are the ''Lebor Gabála Érenn'' ("Book of Invasions"), a legendary history of Ireland, the ''Cath Maige Tuired'' ("Battle of Moytura"), and the ''Aided Chlainne Lir'' ("Children of Lir"). The Ulster Cycle consists of heroic legends relating to the Ulaid, the most important of whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hulder
A hulder (or huldra) is a seductive forest creature found in Scandinavian folklore. Her name derives from a root meaning "covered" or "secret". In Norwegian folklore, she is known as huldra ("the rchetypalhulder", though folklore presupposes that there is an entire Hulder race and not just a single individual). She is known as the skogsrå "forest spirit" or Tallemaja "pine tree Mary" in Swedish folklore, and in Sámi folklore. Her name suggests that she is originally the same being as the völva divine figure Huld and the German Holda. The word hulder is only used of a female; a "male hulder" is called a ''huldrekall'' and also appears in Norwegian folklore. This being is closely related to other underground dwellers, usually called ''tusser'' (sg., ''tusse''). Though described as beautiful, the huldra is noted for having a distinctive inhuman feature — an animal's hairy legs and tail, (usually a cow's or a fox's), and/or a back resembling a hollowed-out tree — ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irish Folklore
Irish folklore () refers to the folktales, balladry, music, dance and mythology of Ireland. It is the study and appreciation of how people lived. The folklore of Ireland includes banshees, fairies, leprechauns and other mythological creatures, and was typically shared orally by people gathering around, sharing stories. Many tales and legends were passed from generation to generation, so were the dances and song in the observing of important occasions such as weddings, wakes, birthdays and holidays or, handcraft traditions. Definition What constitutes Irish folklore may be rather fuzzy to those unfamiliar with Irish literature. Diarmuid Ó Giolláin, for one, declared that folklore was elusive to define clearly. Bo Almqvist (c. 1977) gave an all-encompassing definition that folklore covered "the totality of folk culture, spiritual and material", and included anything mentioned in Seán Ó Súilleabháin's ''A Handbook of Irish Folklore'' (1942). It was not until 1846 that th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Female Legendary Creatures
An organism's sex is female (symbol: ♀) if it produces the ovum (egg cell), the type of gamete (sex cell) that fuses with the male gamete (sperm cell) during sexual reproduction. A female has larger gametes than a male. Females and males are results of the anisogamous reproduction system, wherein gametes are of different sizes (unlike isogamy where they are the same size). The exact mechanism of female gamete evolution remains unknown. In species that have males and females, sex-determination may be based on either sex chromosomes, or environmental conditions. Most female mammals, including female humans, have two X chromosomes. Characteristics of organisms with a female sex vary between different species, having different female reproductive systems, with some species showing characteristics secondary to the reproductive system, as with mammary glands in mammals. In humans, the word ''female'' can also be used to refer to gender in the social sense of gender role or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairies
A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Celtic mythology, Celtic, Slavic paganism, Slavic, Germanic folklore, Germanic, and French folklore, French folklore), a form of Supernatural#Spirit, spirit, often with metaphysical, supernatural, or preternatural qualities. Myths and stories about fairies do not have a single origin but are rather a collection of folk beliefs from disparate sources. Various folk theories about the origins of fairies include casting them as either demoted angels or demons in a Christian mythology, Christian tradition, as deities in Paganism, Pagan belief systems, as Spirit (supernatural entity), spirits of the dead, as Prehistory, prehistoric precursors to humans, or as spirits of nature. The label of ''fairy'' has at times applied only to specific Magic (su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weiße Frauen
In German folklore, the Weiße Frauen (, meaning White Women) are elf-like spirits which may derive from Germanic paganism in the form of legends of light elves (Old Norse: ''Ljósálfar''). The Netherlands, Dutch Witte Wieven are traceable at least as far back as the 7th century, and their mistranslation as ''White Women'' instead of the original ''Wise Women'' can be explained by the Dutch word wit also meaning white. They are described as beautiful and incantation, enchanted creatures who appear at noon and can be seen sitting in the sunshine brushing their hair or bathing in a brook. They may be guarding treasure or haunting castles. They entreat mortals to break their spell, but this is always unsuccessful. The mythology dates back at least to the Middle Ages and was known in the present-day area of Germany. Origins ''Weiße Frauen'' literally means "white ladies" in German language, German. The association with the color white and their appearance in sunlight is thought by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Succubus
A succubus () is a female demon who is described in various folklore as appearing in the dreams of male humans in order to seduce them. Repeated interactions between a succubus and a man will lead to sexual activity, a bond forming between them, and ultimately sexual intercourse, as she requires semen to survive. The establishment and perpetuation of such a relationship enables the production of a hybrid offspring known as a cambion, but at the expense of the man, whose mental and physical health will deteriorate rapidly, eventually resulting in his death if the succubus continues courting him for a protracted period. In modern representations, a succubus is often depicted as a beautiful seductress or enchantress, rather than as demonic or frightening, to attract people instead of repulsing them. The male counterpart to the succubus is the incubus. Historically, folkloric belief in succubi was motivated by distressing nighttime phenomena, chiefly wet dreams and sleep paralysi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Soucouyant
A soucouyant, among other names, is a kind of shape-shifting, blood-sucking hag present in Caribbean folklore. Names The spirit has several regional names: * Ol' Higue or Ole Haig in Guyana, Belize and Jamaica * Asema in Suriname * Hag in The Bahamas and Barbados * Soucouyant or soucriant in Saint Lucia, Louisiana, Trinidad, and elsewhere in the Caribbean Legend The Soucouyant is a folklore character who appears as a reclusive old woman (or man) by day. By night, they strip off their wrinkled skin and put it in a mortar. In the form of a fireball, they fly across the dark sky in search of a victim. The Soucouyants can enter the home of their victim through any sized hole such as cracks and keyholes. Soucouyants suck humans' blood from their arms, necks, legs and other soft regions while the victim sleeps, leaving black and blue marks on the body in the morning.Courtesy The Heritage Library via the Trinidad Guardian If the soucouyant draws too much blood, it is believed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sayona
{{One source, date=August 2014 La Sayona is a legend from Venezuela, represented by the vengeful spirit of a woman that shows up only to men that have love affairs out of their marriages. The name "Sayona" refers to the cloth the ghost wears which is a long white dress similar to a medieval undergarment. The legend claims that when this woman appears she asks for a ride, and after a while when the victim tries to see her face, he notices that she has instead a skull with horrible teeth.Domínguez, Luis Arturo. 1990. Encuentro con el folklore en Venezuela. Editorial Kapelusz Venezolana. Caracas. Legend The legend says that "La Sayona" was a young woman named Casilda. She lived in a small town in the plains of Venezuela and was the most beautiful girl there. She was married to a great man, caring and loving. Casilda and her husband had a baby boy. One day, Casilda was swimming naked in a nearby river and a villager saw her. After that, the man would always follow her and watch he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samodiva (mythology)
The samodiva (; plural: samodivi, ), samovila (; plural: samovili, ) or vila (; plural: vili, ), are woodland fairies or nymphs found in South and West Slavic folklore. Etymology One of the hypotheses of the etymology of the word is that it comes from the Indo-European root *', meaning 'follow', 'chase', or 'blow', for . The component has a function to highlight. The origin of is uncertain. The main hypothesis is that there are traces of *', 'god'. Appearance Samodivas are commonly depicted as ethereal maidens with long, loose hair, and in some cases, wings. They are typically dressed in free-flowing, feathered white gowns, which give them the power of flight. Samodivas are often described as having blonde or red hair, tall, slender women with pale, glowing skin and fiery eyes. Sometimes, they are described as having a veil which could hold all their power. If they get deprived of their veil, they lose all their power. Habitat According to Bulgarian folklore, Samodivas can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rusalka
In Slavic folklore, the rusalka (plural: rusalki; , plural: русалки; , plural: ''rusałki'') is a female entity, often malicious toward mankind and frequently associated with water. It has counterparts in other parts of Europe, such as the French Melusine and the Germanic Nixie (water spirit), Nixie. Folklorists have proposed a variety of origins for the entity, including that they may originally stem from Slavic paganism, where they may have been seen as benevolent spirits. Rusalki appear in a variety of media in modern popular culture, particularly in Slavic language-speaking countries, where they frequently resemble the concept of the mermaid. In northern Russia, the rusalka was also known by various names such as the Vodyanoy#Vodyanitsa, vodyanitsa (or vodyanikha/vodyantikha; ; Literal meaning, lit. "she from the water" or "the water maiden"), kupalka (; "bather"), shutovka (; "joker", "jester" or "prankster") and loskotukha (or shchekotukha, shchekotunya; ; "tickler" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
