Module 1: Cultural Capsule

Fairies, pookahs and nasty ghosts
Síofraí, púcaí, ainspridí

The Irish are renowned for their belief in the supernatural, and nowhere does this belief survive as well as in the Gaeltacht areas of Ireland.

Christianity was introduced in Ireland eaarlier than in other nothern European countries. However, the religious leaders, even those of the stature of St. Patrick and St. Ciarán, could not convert the native population from their belief in the faries and otherworld spirits.

There are, of course, good historical (and pseudo-historical) explanations for the existence of these 'little people' ('c' pron. Nuh dee-nee be-ug-uh) who were also known as the Tribe of Pride, or the Fallen Tribe, ('dream an uabhair' pron. dram un uv-vur). Irish legends recount many and frequent invasions where the intruders forced the invaded underground to forevermore dwell beneath earthen mounds. Many of these dispossessed natives, among them the revered Tuatha Dé Danann, were said possess the supernatural powers, which either remained benign or were contorted by bitterness into mischief. The faries and spirits became nocturnal creatures to avoid discovery by the raiders, who believed they had slaughtered all of them.

The late Donnchadh Shéamais (Ó Drisceoil), a man of great knowledge and intellectual abilities called the existance of the otherworld people 'rubbish' and yet said 'By God I wouldn't like to walk through a lonely glen on a wild and stormy moonless night.' Irish folklore tells of many examples of how late-night travellers defended themselves from the wrath of the fairies. For example, people travelling on dark roads would bring piece of glowing coal or turf on a stake or fork with them and if a puka (púca - poo-kuh) attacked, they would thrust the burning weapon towards the hobgoblin's mouth. When accurately aimed, this weapon was very effective, but people would also bring lanterns in case the wind and rain extinguished the flames. These lanterns were meant more as defence against fairies than to light the way.

Fleeing into a graveyard (reilig, pron. relig) or jumping across a creek were other options as it was believed the fairies could not enter a graveyard or cross water. Religious people, aware of the nightly danger, also put their trust in 'consecrated' water (uisce coisricthe, pron. Ish-kuh krish-rick-huh) for protection. The talisman was carried in a handful of twisted stalks of straw that had been dipped into consecrated water. Night travellers carried this 'aspersorium' (deisréad, pron. desh-raid) in the left hand stretching it out before them. In this way, the right hand was free to make the sign of the cross to stun the spirit long enough to make an escape. Donnchadh Shéamais knew of a woman who never crossed her threshold after dark without at least one 'deisréad', although she claimed not to believe in fairies.

For fear that a handsome, newborn baby would be kidnapped by the fairies, people would not mention the child's beauty. For the baby's protection they would not only call God's blessing upon the baby but actually spit on the child's head, hoping that this would deceive the fairies into believing that the baby possessed no charm. For the first year of their lives, male babies were often dressed as females for the first year to deceive the fairies who constantly sought a fitting mate for the fairy queen. These beliefs continued to enjoy authority in Ireland as recently as the 1950s and 1960s - maybe even later. A person who looked or behaved differently to the masses was believed to be a changeling who was returned to the community when the fairies tired of their prisoner. Such people were called 'fuílleach na síofraí' (what the fairies left behind).

It is important to understand that fairies are not ghosts in the conventional sense, but rather a supernatural race of people based on historical race memories of the Irish. People seem to fear fairies mostly at night, although no one has proved that they are not around by day. They may well occupy certain fields or haggards or ditches by day but roam only by night.

Older people tend to fear the spirits more than young folk. Those who are now elderly have spent much of their early lives walking the roads and paths of the countryside while young people have the privilege of motorised transport. The remoter the region, the longer people walked and the more they walked, the greater the threat of meeting 'someone' from 'an saol eile' (the other world).

Despite some assertions to the contrary, fairies appear to be largely mischievous rather than destructive by nature. They are occasionally malicious, but rarely, if ever, malevolent. Síofraí, púcaí and ainspridí are very important parts of the culturally rich race memory of Irish folklore and heritage. Although some translations of these beliefs and stories exist, the majority of records remain, like the síofraí themselves, only in the original Irish. For more information and books on Irish folklore and traditions please contact www.litriocht.com.

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