Irish Faeries- Banshees and Changelings
Fun Fact Friday Irish Legends Since Saint Patrick’s Day is almost upon us, I thought I’d dedicate this Fun Fact Friday to some legends from the Emerald Isle. No, I’m not talking leprechauns or The Blarney Stone. I’m talking something a little on the darker side: Faeries. When I say “faeries, I don’t mean the adorable little winged things your kid wants to be for Halloween every year that they’re not a princess. I mean the mischievous creatures from Celtic mythology that were definitely not as nice as their Disney-created counterparts. More specifically, I want to talk about two of the most dreaded types of “fae folk:” banshees and changelings. The Banshee The term “banshee” comes from the Gaelic for “woman of the faery mound” or simply “faery woman,” so while some legends describe her as a spirit, others put her in the category of “faeries.” The “faery mound” refers to what are thought to be burial mounds found dotted all over the Irish countryside. ...