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{{Italic title}}{{Short description|Supernatural race in Irish and Scottish mythology}}
{{Redirect|Sidhe}} {{Redirect|Sidhe}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2015}}
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{{Culture of Ireland}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}


The '''''aos sí''''' ({{IPA-ga|iːs ˈʃiː}}, "{{Respell|ees shee}}", older form '''''aes sídhe''''' {{IPA-ga|eːs ˈʃiːðʲə|}}), "{{Respell|ays sheeth-uh}}") is the ] term for a ] race in ] and ], (usually spelled Sìth, however pronounced the same) comparable to the ] or ]. They are said to live underground in fairy mounds, across the western sea, or in an invisible world that coexists with the world of humans. This world is described in the '']'' (recorded in the ]) as a ] in which the ''aos sí'' walk amongst the living. In the ], ''aos sí'' means "people of the mounds" (the ]s are known in Irish as "the ''sídhe''"). In Irish literature the people of the mounds are also called '''''daoine sídhe''''' {{IPA-ga|ˈdiːnʲə ˈʃiːə|}}; in Scottish mythology they are '''''daoine sìth'''''. They are variously said to be the ancestors, the spirits of nature, or goddesses and gods. '''''{{lang|ga|Aos sí}}''''' ({{IPA-ga|iːsˠ ˈʃiː|pron}}; English approximation: {{IPAc-en|i:|s|_|ˈ|ʃ|i:}} {{respell|eess|_|SHEE}}; older form: {{lang|ga|'''aes sídhe'''}} {{IPA-ga|eːsˠ ˈʃiːə|}}) is the ] name for a ] race in ], similar to ]. They are said to descend from the ] or the gods of ].<ref name="croker">{{cite book |last=Croker |first=T. Crofton |editor=Thomas Wright |date=2001 |title=Fairy Legends and the Traditions of the South of Ireland |publisher=Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints |location=Ann Arbor |isbn=0-8201-1535-5}}</ref>


The name ''aos sí'' means "folk of the ''sí''"; these are the ]s in which they are said to dwell, which are seen as portals to an ]. Such abodes are referred to in English as 'shee', 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'. The ''aos sí'' interact with humans and the human world. They are variously said to be the ancestors, the spirits of nature, or goddesses and gods.<ref name="Wentz">] (1966, 1990) . Gerrards Cross, Colin Smythe Humanities Press {{ISBN|0-901072-51-6}}</ref>
Some ] and ]s including well-known and influential authors such as ] refer to ''aos sí'' simply as "the ''sídhe''" (lit.: mounds).<ref>{{Cite book
|title=The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats
|last=Yeats
|first=William Butler
|authorlink=
|last2=
|first2=
|editorn-last=
|editorn-first=
|edition=
|volume=
|year=1908
|origyear=
|page=3
|pages=
|publisher=Shakespeare Head
|place=Stratford-on-Avon, UK
|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=1pcnAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA227&lpg=PA227&dq=yeats+sidhe&source=bl&ots=kxSeo-qejp&sig=6yQf35Crixs6em7idJk3-L5FBfE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vi9dUO_iEqGkigKYioGoAQ&ved=0CI8BEOgBMBA#v=onepage&q=sidhe&f=false
|accessdate=
|isbn=
|oclc=
}}</ref>


In modern Irish, they are also called '''''daoine sí'''''; in Scottish Gaelic '''''daoine sìth'''''<ref>{{cite book |last=Dwelly |first=Edward |title=Faclair Gàidhlìg air son nan sgoiltean: Le dealbhan, agus a h-uile facal anns na faclairean Gàidhlig eile |date=1902 |place=Herne Bay |publisher=E. MacDonald |page=846 |url=https://archive.org/details/faclairgidhl03dweluoft |access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref> ('folk of the fairy mounds').<ref>James MacKillop, ''A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), s.v. ''daoine sídhe''.</ref>
Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, in his 1853 address to the Royal Asiatic Society


==Etymology==
""The Scythian warlords of the Sidhe (a transcendent intellect called the Web of the Wise) originated in the Carpathians and Russian steppe-lands to become a migratory race who took their culture far and wide - as far as Ireland to the West and Mongolia to the East. Indeed, the very name of Ur (the capital of Sumer) came from the Scythian word Ur, meaning 'Lord', while the settlement of Anu was not in Sumer where one might expect to find it, but hundreds of miles to the north on the Caspian Sea.<ref>http://books.google.com.kh/books?id=1xOsBWv2pckC&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=British+Assyriologist+Sir+Henry+Creswicke+Rawlinson,+in+his+1853+address+to+the+Royal+Asiatic+Society+that+the+Scythians+from+the+Black+Sea+regions+were+the+early+occupiers+of+Akkad+in+Mesopotamia+-+a+fact+which+we+encountered+in+Chapter+4.+Even+Scythian+writings+from+1000+years+before+the+earliest+Sumerian+script+%2829%29+are+identical+to+those+of+early+Akkad.&source=bl&ots=vJpTgkYwOx&sig=FkTan7rLpT9GXcpNlNzII4wW6AM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VQIoUo2zFKnYigeuuIH4DQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=British%20Assyriologist%20Sir%20Henry%20Creswicke%20Rawlinson%2C%20in%20his%201853%20address%20to%20the%20Royal%20Asiatic%20Society%20that%20the%20Scythians%20from%20the%20Black%20Sea%20regions%20were%20the%20early%20occupiers%20of%20Akkad%20in%20Mesopotamia%20-%20a%20fact%20which%20we%20encountered%20in%20Chapter%204.%20Even%20Scythian%20writings%20from%201000%20years%20before%20the%20earliest%20Sumerian%20script%20%2829%29%20are%20identical%20to%20those%20of%20early%20Akkad.&f=false</ref>
In the ], ''aos sí'', earlier ''aes sídhe'', means "folk of the fairy mounds". In ], it was ''áes síde''.<ref name="DIL">]: ''''</ref> The word ''sí'' or ''sídh'' in Irish means a fairy mound or ancient burial mound, which were seen as portals to an ]. It is derived from ] ''*sīdos'' ('abode'), and is related to the English words 'seat' and 'settle'.<ref name="Williams 30">{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Mark |title=Ireland's Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth |year=2018 |publisher=] |isbn=9781400883325 |oclc=1100668003 |pages=30-31}}</ref>


David Fitzgerald conjectured that the word ''sídh'' was synonymous with "immortal" and is compared with words such as ''sídsat'' ("they wait/remain"), ''síthbeo'' ("lasting"), ''sídhbuan'' ("perpetual"), and ''sídhbe'' ("long life"). In most of the tales concerning the ''sí'', a great age or long life is implied.<ref name="sidhe">{{cite book |last1=Fitzgerald |first1=David |title=Popular Tales of Ireland |date=1880 |publisher=Revue Celtique |pages=174–176 |url=https://archive.org/details/revueceltiqu04pari/page/174/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=6 November 2021}}</ref>
==In Gaelic mythology==
In many ]ic tales the ''aos sí'' are later, literary versions of the ] ("People of the Goddess Danu") – the deities and deified ancestors of Irish mythology. Some sources describe them as the survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into the ] after they were defeated by the ] – the mortal Sons of ] who, like many other early invaders of Ireland, came from Iberia. ], an Irish historian of the late 17th century, equates Iberia with the Land of the Dead.


==In Gaelic folklore== ==In medieval literature==
In medieval Irish literature, the names ''aes síde'' and ''fír síde'' (folk of the ''síd'') are equivalent to the terms '']'' and ''Tuatha Dé Danann''. The only difference is that ''Tuath Dé'' tends to be used in contexts of legendary history and mythology.<ref name="Carey">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Tuath Dé |encyclopedia=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |year=2006 |last=Carey |first=John |author-link=John Carey (Celticist) |editor-last=Koch |editor-first=John T. |editor-link=John T. Koch |publisher=] |isbn=9781851094400 |oclc=62381207 |pages=1693-1697}}</ref>
In folk belief and practice, the ''aos sí'' are often appeased with offerings, and care is taken to avoid angering or insulting them. Often they are not named directly, but rather spoken of as "The Good Neighbors", "The Fair Folk", or simply "The Folk". The most common names for them, ''aos sí'', ''aes sídhe'', ''daoine sídhe'' (singular ''duine sídhe'') and ''daoine sìth'' mean, literally, "people of the mounds" (referring to the sidhe). The ''aos sí'' are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous.


Writing in the 7th century, the Irish bishop ] described the ''sídh'' folk as "earthly gods" ({{langx|la|dei terreni}}).<ref name="Carey"/> The 8th century ''Fiacc's Hymn'' says that the Irish adored the ''sídh'' folk before the coming of ].<ref name="Carey"/>
''Aos sí'' are sometimes seen as fierce guardians of their abodes – whether a fairy hill, a fairy ring, a special tree (often a ]) or a particular ] or wood. The ] is seen as closer at the times of dusk and dawn, therefore this is a special time to the ''aos sí'', as are some festivals such as ], ] and ].


==In Irish folklore==
==The ''sídhe'': abodes of the ''aes sídhe''==
Due to the oral nature of Irish folklore, the exact origins of the fairies are not well defined. There are enough stories to support two possible origins. The fairies could either be ]s or the descendants of the ]; in the latter case, this is equivalent with ''aos sí''.<ref>{{cite book| last = Yeates| first = W. B.| year = 1977| title = Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland| publisher = Collin Smythe Gerrards Cross| location = Buckinghamshire| isbn = 0-900675-59-4}}</ref> In the former case, it is said that the fairies are angels who have fallen from heaven, but whose sins were not great enough to warrant hell.<ref name="croker" />
As part of the terms of their surrender to the Milesians the Tuatha Dé Danann agreed to retreat and dwell underground in the ''sídhe'' (modern Irish: ''sí''; Scottish Gaelic: ''sìth''; Old Irish ''síde'', singular ''síd''), the hills or earthen mounds that dot the Irish landscape. In some later ] each tribe of the ] was given its own mound.


In many ]ic tales, the ''aos sí'' are later literary versions of the ] ("People of the ]")—the deities and deified ancestors of ]. Some sources describe them as the survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into the ] when fleeing the mortal Sons of ] who, like many other early invaders of Ireland, came from Iberia. As part of the terms of their surrender to the ], the ] agreed to retreat and dwell underground.
In a number of later English language texts the word ''sídhe'' is used both for the mounds and the people of the mounds. However ''sidh'' in older texts refers specifically to "the palaces, courts, halls or residences" of the ghostly beings that, according to Gaedhelic mythology, inhabit them.<ref>O'Curry, E., Lectures on Manuscript Materials, Dublin 1861, p504, quoted by Evans-Wentz 1966, p291</ref>


In folk belief and practice, the ''aos sí'' are often appeased with offerings and care is taken to avoid angering or insulting them. Often, they are not named directly, but rather spoken of as "The Good Neighbours", "The Fair Folk", or simply "The Folk". The most common names for them, ''aos sí'', ''aes sídhe'', ''daoine sídhe'' (singular ''duine sídhe'') and ''daoine sìth'' mean, literally, "people of the mounds" (referring to the ''sídhe''). The ''aos sí'' are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous.
The fact that many of these ''sídhe'' have been found to be ancient burial mounds{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} has contributed to the theory that the ''aos sí'' were the pre-Celtic occupants of Ireland. "The Book of Invasions", "The Annals of the Four Masters", and oral history support this view.


''Aos sí'' are seen as fierce guardians of their abodes—whether a fairy hill, a ], a special tree (often a ]) or a particular ] or wood. It is believed that infringing on these spaces will cause the ''aos sí'' to retaliate in an effort to remove the people or objects that invaded their homes. Many of these tales contribute to the ] myth in ] ], with the ''aos sí'' kidnapping trespassers or replacing their children with changelings as a punishment for transgressing. The ''aos sí'' are often connected to certain times of year and hours; as the ] is believed to come closer to the mortal world at the times of dusk and dawn, the ''aos sí'' correspondingly become easier to encounter. Some festivals such as ], ] and ] are also associated with the ''aos sí.''
Others present these stories as mythology deriving from Greek cultural influence, deriving arguments mainly from ]’s "]", which portrays the basic moral foundation and plantation techniques of the citizens of Greece and describes the races of men, created by the Greek deities. However, these views have been deemed unlikely, and the so called influence can be reasonably explained by the similar moral foundations stemming from the two cultures' ] background.


===The ''sídhe''===
The story of the Aes Sídhe is found all over Scotland and Ireland, many tales referring to how the Norse invaders drove Scottish inhabitants underground to live in the hills. This part of the legend contributes to the ] myth in west European folklore.
A ''sídh'' (anglicized 'shee') is burial mound (]) associated with the ''aos sí''. In modern Irish, the word is ''sí'' (plural ''síthe''); in Scottish Gaelic it is ''sìth'' (plural ''sìthean''); in Old Irish it is ''síd'' (plural ''síde'').<ref name="DIL" /> These ''sídhe'' are referred to in English as 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'.<ref name="Williams 30"/>


In some later English-language texts, the word ''sídhe'' is incorrectly used both for the mounds and the people of the mounds. For example, ], writing in 1908, referred to the ''aos sí'' simply as "the ''sídhe''".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats|last=Yeats|first=William Butler|author-link=W. B. Yeats|year=1908|page=3|publisher=Shakespeare Head|place=Stratford-on-Avon, UK|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1pcnAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA227 }}</ref> However, ''sidh'' in older texts refers specifically to "the palaces, courts, halls or residences" of the otherworldly beings that supposedly inhabit them.<ref>O'Curry, E., Lectures on Manuscript Materials, Dublin 1861, p. 504, quoted by Evans-Wentz 1966, p. 291</ref>
==Types of ''aos sí''==
The ] or ''bean sídhe'', which means "woman of the ''sídhe''", has come to indicate any supernatural women of Ireland who announce a coming death by wailing and ]. Her counterpart in ] is the ''bean sìth'' (sometimes spelled ''bean-sìdh''). Other varieties of ''aos sí'' and ''daoine sìth'' include the Scottish '']'': the washerwoman who is seen washing the bloody clothing or armour of the person who is doomed to die; the '']'': the "fairy lover"; the '']'': a fairy cat; and the '']'': fairy dog.


===Other names in Irish folklore===
The '']'' — "the fairy host" — is sometimes depicted in Irish and Scottish lore as a crowd of airborne spirits, perhaps the cursed, evil or restless dead. The ''siabhra'' (anglicized as "sheevra"), may be a type of these lesser spirits, prone to evil and mischief.<ref name=síabair>MacKillop, James (2004) ''''</ref><ref name=siabra>Joyce, P.W. , Vol. 1, p. 271</ref> However an ] folk song also uses "sheevra" simply to mean "spirit" or "fairy".<ref name=Gartan> published 1904 in ''The Songs of Uladh'', lyrics by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell)</ref>
The ''Aos sí'' are known by many names in Ireland, among them:<ref name="sidhe" />
* ''Aingil Anúabhair'': "Proud angels"
* ''Daoine Uaisle': "The noble folk"
* ''Daoine maithe'': "Good people"
* ''Deamhan Aerig'': "Air demons"
* ''Dream Anúabhair'': "Excessively proud "
* ''Sídhfir'': "fairy men"
* ''Sídheógaídhe'': "Young Moundlings"
* ''Slúagh Cille'': "Host of the churchyard"
* ''Slúagh na Marbh'': "Host of the dead"
* ''Slúagh Sídhe'': "Mound host"
* ''Slúagh-Sídhe-Thúatha-Dé-Danann'': "Mound host of the Túatha Dé Danann"
* ''na Uaisle'': "The noble" or "The gentry"

==Types==
The ] or ''bean sídhe'' (from {{langx|sga|ban síde}}), which means "woman of the ''sídhe''",<ref>]: '''' and ''''</ref> has come to indicate any supernatural woman of Ireland who announces a coming death by wailing and ]. Her counterpart in ] is the ''bean sìth'' (sometimes spelled ''bean-sìdh''). Other varieties of ''aos sí'' and ''daoine sìth'' include the Scottish '']'' (the washerwoman who is seen washing the bloody clothing or ] of the person who is doomed to die), the '']'' (the "fairy lover"), the '']'' (a fairy cat), and the '']'' (a fairy dog).

The '']''—"the fairy host"—is sometimes depicted in Irish and Scottish lore as a crowd of airborne spirits, perhaps the cursed, evil or restless dead. The ''siabhra'' (anglicised as "sheevra"), may be a type of these lesser spirits, prone to evil and mischief.<ref>MacKillop, James (2004) ''''</ref><ref>Joyce, P.W. , Vol. 1, p. 271</ref> However, an ] folk song also uses "sheevra" simply to mean "spirit" or "fairy".<ref> published 1904 in ''The Songs of Uladh'', lyrics by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell)</ref>


===List=== ===List===
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* ]
*] (Note: not to be confused with the similarly named Abhartach, a Gaelic prototype of Dracula)
* ]
*]
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*] * '']''/]
* ]
*]
* '']''
*]
*] * '']''
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
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* ]
*]
*] * ]
*] * ]
* ]
*]
* ]
*]/]
* ]
*]
* '']''
*]
* ]
*]
* ]
*]
* ]
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* ]
* ]/]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
{{div col end}}

==''Creideamh Sí''==
] tree, considered in local Irish lore (and ] in general) to be sacred to the ''aos sí'']]
''Creideamh Sí'' is ] for the "Fairy Faith", a term for the collection of beliefs and practices observed by those who wish to keep good relationships with the ''aos sí'' and avoid angering them.<ref name="Wentz" /> General belief in the Celtic otherworld, the existence of ''aos sí'' and the ability of the ''aos sí'' to influence the local area and its people are all beliefs characteristic of the ''Creideamh Sí''. It is characterised as an aspect of Irish popular religion and exists syncretically with folk Christianity. <ref> {{cite journal |last1= Ó Giolláin|first1=Diarmuid|date= 1991 |title= The fairy belief and official religion in Ireland|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=hsPXQIYAAAAJ&citation_for_view=hsPXQIYAAAAJ:d1gkVwhDpl0C |journal=The Good People: New Fairylore Essays|pages= 199–214|access-date= 2024-04-09}}</ref>

Effort is made by those who believe to appease local ''aos sí'' through food and drink. The custom of offering milk and traditional foods—such as baked goods, apples or berries—to the ''aos sí'' has survived through the Christian era into the present day in parts of Ireland, Scotland and the diaspora.<ref name="Wentz" /> Those who maintain some degree of belief in the ''aos sí'' also are careful to leave their sacred places alone and protect them from damage through road or housing construction.<ref name="Wentz" /><ref>{{cite book| last = Lenihan| first = Eddie|author2=Carolyn Eve Green| title = ''Meeting the Other Crowd; The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland''| publisher = Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin| year = 2004| location = New York| isbn = 978-1585423071| no-pp = true| page = chapter comments}}</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
*] *]
*]
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] (Arab mythical being)
*]
*]
*]
*] *]


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===Primary sources=== ===Primary sources===
*] (The Book of Invasions) in ] (The Book of Leinster) * '']'' (''The Book of Invasions'') in '']'' (''The Book of Leinster'')
*] (The Annals of the Four Masters) * '']'' (''The Annals of the Four Masters'')
*] (The Book of Ballymote) * '']'' (''The Book of Ballymote'')
*] (The Book of the Dun Cow) * '']'' (''The Book of the Dun Cow'')
*] (The Yellow Book of Lecan) * '']'' (''The Yellow Book of Lecan'')
*] (The Great Book of Lecan) * '']'' (''The Great Book of Lecan'')


===Secondary sources=== ===Secondary sources===
*Briggs, Katharine (1978) ''The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends''. New York, Pantheon * ] (1978). ''The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends''. New York: Pantheon.
* Briody, Mícheál (2008, 2016) ''The Irish Folklore Commission 1935–1970: History, Ideology, Methodology'' Helsinki Finnish Literature Society {{ISBN|978-951-746-947-0}} and ''Studia Fennica Foloristica'' 17 {{ISSN|1235-1946}} Retrieved on
*Carmichael, Alexander (1992) ''Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations''. Hudson, NY Lindisfarne. ISBN 0-940262-50-9
* ] (1967) ''A Treasury of Irish Folklore: The Stories, Traditions, Legends, Humor, Wisdom, Ballads, and Songs of the Irish People''. New York Crown Publishers {{ISBN|0517420465}} Retrieved from Opensource via Archive.org
*De Jubainville, H. D'Arbois and ] (1903), The Irish Mythological Cycle and Celtic Mythology
* ] and ] (1903). ''The Irish Mythological Cycle and Celtic Mythology''. Dublin Hodges, Figgis, and Company. Retrieved from Indiana University Library via Archive.org
*Evans-Wentz, W. Y. (1966, 1990) ''The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries''. New York, Citadel
* ] (1911). ''The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries''. London: Oxford University Press. Retrieved from University of California Library via Archive.org
*], ''A History of Ireland''
* Gantz, Jeffrey (1981) ''Early Irish Myths and Sagas'' London, Penguin {{ISBN|0140443975}}; {{ISBN|9780140443974}}
*MacKillop, James (1998). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. London: Oxford. ISBN 0-19-860967-1
* ] ( 1866) ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn: The History of Ireland'' ] (Trans) New York. James B. Kirker Retrieved from Boston College Libraries via Archive.org also republished as ] ( 1902–14) ''Foras Feasa ar Éirinn: The History of Ireland'' ] and ] (eds.) 4 vols. London David Nutt for the ]. Retrieved from University of Toronto Library via Archive.org
*Nennius, ''The History of Britum''
* ]. (1892) ''Fairy Mythology''. London: George Bell & Sons, Retrieved from Project Gutenberg
*Rolleston, T.W. (1902) ''Celtic Mythology''
* Koch, John T. (2005). ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia Vol. 1'' A-Celti. Oxford. ABC-Clio. {{ISBN|9781851094400}} Retrieved on
* MacKillop, James (1986). ''Fionn Mac Cumhail: Celtic Myth in English Literature'' New York Syracuse University Press {{ISBN|0-8156-2344-5}} Retrieved on
* MacKillop, James (1998). ''Dictionary of Celtic Mythology''. London: Oxford. {{ISBN|0-19-860967-1}}.
* MacKillop, James (2005). ''Myths and Legends of the Celts''. London. Penguin Books {{ISBN|9780141017945}}.Retrieved on
* McAnally, David Russell (1888).''Irish Wonders: The Ghosts, Giants, Pookas, Demons, Leprechawns, Banshees, Fairies, Witches, Widows, Old Maids, and Other Marvels of the Emerald Isle'' Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, & Company Retrieved from United States Library of Congress via Archive.org
* ] (2004)''The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore'' New York Facts on File {{ISBN|0-8160-4524-0}} Retrieved on
* ] (1978). ''A Bibliography of Irish Ethnology and Folk Tradition''. Dublin Mercier Press {{ISBN|085342490X}}
* Ó Súilleabháin, Seán (1942) ''A Handbook of Irish Folklore'' Dublin Educational Company of Ireland Limited {{ISBN| 9780810335615}}
* Ó Súilleabháin, Seán & Christiansen, Reidar Th.(1963). ''The Types of the Irish Folktale''. Folklore Fellows' Communications No. 188. Helsinki 1963.
* ] (1911). ''Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race''. London. George Harrap and Company. Retrieved from Public Library of India via Archive.org
* ] (2015) ''The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales'' 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press {{ISBN|978-0 -19-968982-8}} Retrieved
* White, Carolyn (2005) , '''' New York. Avalon Publishing Group. {{ISBN|0786715391}}
* '']'' 6 December 2017 Retrieved 10 April 2018

=== Tertiary Sources===
* Anonymous (1889). ''Folk-Lore and Legends: Ireland''. London: W.W. Gibbings. Retrieved from Harvard University Library via Archive.org also republished as Anonymous (1904). ''Irish Fairy Tales Folklore and Legends''. London: W.W. Gibbings. Retrieved via Archive.org
* Anonymous, ''The Royal Hibernian Tales; Being 4 Collections of the Most Entertaining Stories Now Extant'', Dublin, C.M. Warren, Retrieved from Google Books on
* ]. (1904). ''Granny's Wonderful Chair'' New York: McClure, Phillips and Company, Retrieved from United States Library of Congress via Archive.org
* ] (1830). ''Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, First Series Vol. 1''. Dublin: William Curry, Jun, and Company Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via
* ] (1830). ''Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, First Series Vol. 2''. Dublin: William Curry, Jun, and Company Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via
* ] (1834). ''Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, Second Series Vol. 1''. Dublin: William Frederick Wakeman Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via
* ] (1834). ''Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, Second Series Vol. 2''. Dublin: William Frederick Wakeman Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via
* ] (1834). ''Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry, Second Series Vol. 3''. Dublin: William Frederick Wakeman Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via
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* ] (1902).''Faclair Gàidhlìg air son nan sgoiltean : le dealbhan, agus a h-uile facal anns na faclairean Gàidhlig eile ..'' Herne Bay: E. MacDonald & Co, Retrieved from University of Toronto Library via Archive.org
* Frost, William Henry. (1900).''Fairies and Folk of Ireland'' New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, Retrieved from New York Public Library via Archive.org
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* ] (1827) ''Tales of the Munster Festivals in Three Volumes. Vol.2'' London Saunders and Otley Retrieved from University of Illinois Library via Archive.org
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Aos sí (pronounced [iːsˠ ˈʃiː]; English approximation: /iːs ˈʃiː/ eess SHEE; older form: aes sídhe [eːsˠ ˈʃiːə]) is the Irish name for a supernatural race in Gaelic folklore, similar to elves. They are said to descend from the Tuatha Dé Danann or the gods of Irish mythology.

The name aos sí means "folk of the sí"; these are the burial mounds in which they are said to dwell, which are seen as portals to an Otherworld. Such abodes are referred to in English as 'shee', 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'. The aos sí interact with humans and the human world. They are variously said to be the ancestors, the spirits of nature, or goddesses and gods.

In modern Irish, they are also called daoine sí; in Scottish Gaelic daoine sìth ('folk of the fairy mounds').

Etymology

In the Irish language, aos sí, earlier aes sídhe, means "folk of the fairy mounds". In Old Irish, it was áes síde. The word sí or sídh in Irish means a fairy mound or ancient burial mound, which were seen as portals to an Otherworld. It is derived from proto-Celtic *sīdos ('abode'), and is related to the English words 'seat' and 'settle'.

David Fitzgerald conjectured that the word sídh was synonymous with "immortal" and is compared with words such as sídsat ("they wait/remain"), síthbeo ("lasting"), sídhbuan ("perpetual"), and sídhbe ("long life"). In most of the tales concerning the sí, a great age or long life is implied.

In medieval literature

In medieval Irish literature, the names aes síde and fír síde (folk of the síd) are equivalent to the terms Tuath Dé and Tuatha Dé Danann. The only difference is that Tuath Dé tends to be used in contexts of legendary history and mythology.

Writing in the 7th century, the Irish bishop Tírechán described the sídh folk as "earthly gods" (Latin: dei terreni). The 8th century Fiacc's Hymn says that the Irish adored the sídh folk before the coming of Saint Patrick.

In Irish folklore

Due to the oral nature of Irish folklore, the exact origins of the fairies are not well defined. There are enough stories to support two possible origins. The fairies could either be fallen angels or the descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann; in the latter case, this is equivalent with aos sí. In the former case, it is said that the fairies are angels who have fallen from heaven, but whose sins were not great enough to warrant hell.

In many Gaelic tales, the aos sí are later literary versions of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the Goddess Danu")—the deities and deified ancestors of Irish mythology. Some sources describe them as the survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into the Otherworld when fleeing the mortal Sons of Míl Espáine who, like many other early invaders of Ireland, came from Iberia. As part of the terms of their surrender to the Milesians, the Tuatha Dé Danann agreed to retreat and dwell underground.

In folk belief and practice, the aos sí are often appeased with offerings and care is taken to avoid angering or insulting them. Often, they are not named directly, but rather spoken of as "The Good Neighbours", "The Fair Folk", or simply "The Folk". The most common names for them, aos sí, aes sídhe, daoine sídhe (singular duine sídhe) and daoine sìth mean, literally, "people of the mounds" (referring to the sídhe). The aos sí are generally described as stunningly beautiful, though they can also be terrible and hideous.

Aos sí are seen as fierce guardians of their abodes—whether a fairy hill, a fairy ring, a special tree (often a hawthorn) or a particular loch or wood. It is believed that infringing on these spaces will cause the aos sí to retaliate in an effort to remove the people or objects that invaded their homes. Many of these tales contribute to the changeling myth in west European folklore, with the aos sí kidnapping trespassers or replacing their children with changelings as a punishment for transgressing. The aos sí are often connected to certain times of year and hours; as the Gaelic Otherworld is believed to come closer to the mortal world at the times of dusk and dawn, the aos sí correspondingly become easier to encounter. Some festivals such as Samhain, Bealtaine and Midsummer are also associated with the aos sí.

The sídhe

A sídh (anglicized 'shee') is burial mound (tumuli) associated with the aos sí. In modern Irish, the word is sí (plural síthe); in Scottish Gaelic it is sìth (plural sìthean); in Old Irish it is síd (plural síde). These sídhe are referred to in English as 'fairy mounds', 'elf mounds' or 'hollow hills'.

In some later English-language texts, the word sídhe is incorrectly used both for the mounds and the people of the mounds. For example, W. B. Yeats, writing in 1908, referred to the aos sí simply as "the sídhe". However, sidh in older texts refers specifically to "the palaces, courts, halls or residences" of the otherworldly beings that supposedly inhabit them.

Other names in Irish folklore

The Aos sí are known by many names in Ireland, among them:

  • Aingil Anúabhair: "Proud angels"
  • Daoine Uaisle': "The noble folk"
  • Daoine maithe: "Good people"
  • Deamhan Aerig: "Air demons"
  • Dream Anúabhair: "Excessively proud "
  • Sídhfir: "fairy men"
  • Sídheógaídhe: "Young Moundlings"
  • Slúagh Cille: "Host of the churchyard"
  • Slúagh na Marbh: "Host of the dead"
  • Slúagh Sídhe: "Mound host"
  • Slúagh-Sídhe-Thúatha-Dé-Danann: "Mound host of the Túatha Dé Danann"
  • na Uaisle: "The noble" or "The gentry"

Types

The banshee or bean sídhe (from Old Irish: ban síde), which means "woman of the sídhe", has come to indicate any supernatural woman of Ireland who announces a coming death by wailing and keening. Her counterpart in Scottish mythology is the bean sìth (sometimes spelled bean-sìdh). Other varieties of aos sí and daoine sìth include the Scottish bean-nighe (the washerwoman who is seen washing the bloody clothing or armour of the person who is doomed to die), the leanan sídhe (the "fairy lover"), the cat-sìth (a fairy cat), and the cù-sìth (a fairy dog).

The sluagh sídhe—"the fairy host"—is sometimes depicted in Irish and Scottish lore as a crowd of airborne spirits, perhaps the cursed, evil or restless dead. The siabhra (anglicised as "sheevra"), may be a type of these lesser spirits, prone to evil and mischief. However, an Ulster folk song also uses "sheevra" simply to mean "spirit" or "fairy".

List

Creideamh Sí

Hawthorn tree, considered in local Irish lore (and Celtic folklore in general) to be sacred to the aos sí

Creideamh Sí is Irish for the "Fairy Faith", a term for the collection of beliefs and practices observed by those who wish to keep good relationships with the aos sí and avoid angering them. General belief in the Celtic otherworld, the existence of aos sí and the ability of the aos sí to influence the local area and its people are all beliefs characteristic of the Creideamh Sí. It is characterised as an aspect of Irish popular religion and exists syncretically with folk Christianity.

Effort is made by those who believe to appease local aos sí through food and drink. The custom of offering milk and traditional foods—such as baked goods, apples or berries—to the aos sí has survived through the Christian era into the present day in parts of Ireland, Scotland and the diaspora. Those who maintain some degree of belief in the aos sí also are careful to leave their sacred places alone and protect them from damage through road or housing construction.

See also

References

  1. ^ Croker, T. Crofton (2001). Thomas Wright (ed.). Fairy Legends and the Traditions of the South of Ireland. Ann Arbor: Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints. ISBN 0-8201-1535-5.
  2. ^ Evans Wentz, W. Y. (1966, 1990) The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries. Gerrards Cross, Colin Smythe Humanities Press ISBN 0-901072-51-6
  3. Dwelly, Edward (1902). Faclair Gàidhlìg air son nan sgoiltean: Le dealbhan, agus a h-uile facal anns na faclairean Gàidhlig eile. Herne Bay: E. MacDonald. p. 846. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. James MacKillop, A Dictionary of Celtic Mythology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998), s.v. daoine sídhe.
  5. ^ Dictionary of the Irish Language: síd, síth
  6. ^ Williams, Mark (2018). Ireland's Immortals: A History of the Gods of Irish Myth. Princeton University Press. pp. 30–31. ISBN 9781400883325. OCLC 1100668003.
  7. ^ Fitzgerald, David (1880). Popular Tales of Ireland. Revue Celtique. pp. 174–176. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  8. ^ Carey, John (2006). "Tuath Dé". In Koch, John T. (ed.). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-Clio. pp. 1693–1697. ISBN 9781851094400. OCLC 62381207.
  9. Yeates, W. B. (1977). Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland. Buckinghamshire: Collin Smythe Gerrards Cross. ISBN 0-900675-59-4.
  10. Yeats, William Butler (1908). The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Stratford-on-Avon, UK: Shakespeare Head. p. 3.
  11. O'Curry, E., Lectures on Manuscript Materials, Dublin 1861, p. 504, quoted by Evans-Wentz 1966, p. 291
  12. Dictionary of the Irish Language: síd, síth and ben
  13. MacKillop, James (2004) Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
  14. Joyce, P.W. A Social History of Ancient Ireland, Vol. 1, p. 271
  15. "The Gartan Mother's Lullaby" published 1904 in The Songs of Uladh, lyrics by Seosamh MacCathmhaoil (Joseph Campbell)
  16. Ó Giolláin, Diarmuid (1991). "The fairy belief and official religion in Ireland". The Good People: New Fairylore Essays: 199–214. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  17. Lenihan, Eddie; Carolyn Eve Green (2004). Meeting the Other Crowd; The Fairy Stories of Hidden Ireland. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin. chapter comments. ISBN 978-1585423071.

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