Amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann we find mention of the Badb, or Badhbh in modern Irish. She is listed, along with her sisters Macha and The Mórrígan, as a Goddess of battle and death. Said to take the form of a hooded or scald crow the Badhbh flies over the battle fields of Eireann and that her raucous cries cause the weak of heart to quail in terror.
In Ireland those who heard the howl would know to seek the protection of their safe spaces. As with the black coach and the Banshee, the Cú Sídhe is a harbinger of death, so pay attention when you hear the howl of the Cú Sídhe.
In Irish, the word Cailleach originally signified a nun, coming from the latin word 'pallium' which means veil. Over time it came to mean 'old woman' or 'hag'. MAybe its not hard to see how this, added to the ancient beliefs of power and mysticism, then filtered through the lens of the popular media representation, leads us to it's current use for 'witch'.
Ireland has long been regarded as a place somehow caught between two worlds. This world, a place of mortality and the mundane, and the Otherworld, a realm of magic, fantastic beasts, and Immortal beings. Today we take a look at one of these 'Sidhe', 'Fae' or 'Fairy folk' of Ireland.
Amongst the Tuatha Dé Danann we find mention of the Badb, or Badhbh in modern Irish. She is listed, along with her sisters Macha and The Mórrígan, as a Goddess of battle and death. Said to take the form of a hooded or scald crow the Badhbh flies over the battle fields of Eireann and that her raucous cries cause the weak of heart to quail in terror.
In Ireland those who heard the howl would know to seek the protection of their safe spaces. As with the black coach and the Banshee, the Cú Sídhe is a harbinger of death, so pay attention when you hear the howl of the Cú Sídhe.
In Irish, the word Cailleach originally signified a nun, coming from the latin word 'pallium' which means veil. Over time it came to mean 'old woman' or 'hag'. MAybe its not hard to see how this, added to the ancient beliefs of power and mysticism, then filtered through the lens of the popular media representation, leads us to it's current use for 'witch'.
Ireland has long been regarded as a place somehow caught between two worlds. This world, a place of mortality and the mundane, and the Otherworld, a realm of magic, fantastic beasts, and Immortal beings. Today we take a look at one of these 'Sidhe', 'Fae' or 'Fairy folk' of Ireland.
