Na Fir Gorma
The Blue Men of The Sea
These blue `water kelpies are found swimming in The Minch, mostly near the Shiant Isles. Some Island locals have a tradition of giving the first whisky taste to Na fir Gorma by tossing a capful to the sea. Full of mirth, they challenge sea captains in poetry and verse with threats to capsize their vessels.
https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095513619
Cirein Croin
Sea Serpent said to be so huge it can encircle the world and create giant whirlpools such as the Corrievreckan whirlpool near Jura.
Sea serpents and dragons are common archetypes in folklore around the world – there to be vanquished and overcome but in the Otherworld the sea serpent is the unification of male and female forms, as when they are combined together, they generate new life.
In Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious, the anima and animus are manifest as our masculine and feminine sides.
Here is a translation of a Caithness saying:
Cieran Croin
Seven herring a salmon’s fill
Seven salmon a seal’s fill
Seven seals an orca’s fill
Seven orcas a sea serpent’s fill
Seven sea serpents the devils’ fill *
*This line added later in the advent of Christianity
trimmed-2022-05-10_20-25-34cierancroin__1_.mp3
Selkie
Selkies are seals that come ashore in the evening and slip out of their pelts to dance and play. For me this is my child or youthful archetype, the part of me that yearns to be blithe and free.
A story about a Selkie Woman can be found here: https://www.storymuseum.org.uk/1001stories/the-selkie
Selkies are seals that come ashore in the evening and slip out of their pelts to dance and play. For me this is my child or youthful archetype, the part of me that yearns to be blithe and free.
A story about a Selkie Woman can be found here: https://www.storymuseum.org.uk/1001stories/the-selkie
Flora of the Deer
There are stories of women who following rejection in love, join the deer and roam as part of the herd. One story is of a fairy bride who is subject to scorn by her husband’s mother. The mother persuades the husband to leave the fairy and find another bride. The sad rejected fairy joins the deer and becomes one of them, but she loses her health and becomes weak. The husband realizing his mistake searches for his true love but when he finds her, she passes away. The husbands dies soon afterwards of broken heart. The two are buried together under two willow trees which grow and bind together.
There are stories of women who following rejection in love, join the deer and roam as part of the herd. One story is of a fairy bride who is subject to scorn by her husband’s mother. The mother persuades the husband to leave the fairy and find another bride. The sad rejected fairy joins the deer and becomes one of them, but she loses her health and becomes weak. The husband realizing his mistake searches for his true love but when he finds her, she passes away. The husbands dies soon afterwards of broken heart. The two are buried together under two willow trees which grow and bind together.
The Changeling
The faeries are said to carry away a real baby and leave a changeling in its place - an ugly looking, insatiable and fractious child. To change the baby back to its real form the mother is directed to leave the baby on the tideline for the faerie queen. On returning home, the mother will then find her darling baby in the cradle.
Young girls can also unwittingly become pregnant to faerie men. They are also directed to leave their babies on a remote green mound for the faeries to collect.
In the Hebrides the local midwife was known as the Knee Woman. This relates to the traditional birthing position of leaning forwards on one knee.
More information on The Changeling here:
http://gotireland.com/2012/10/31/irish-faerie-folk-of-yore-and-yesterday-the-changeling/
The Water Horse
The Water Horse is a trickster who shape shifts into a handsome young man and tempts young women into seduction with a string of trout. He is a very dangerous beast who will persuade humans on his back and run with them into a loch to devour them completely. Signs you are with this shape shifter include seaweed, sand or a tuft of wool in the hair and green water weeds in the hooves. With great risk in the form of a horse he can be subdued to do the work of ten horses by using a cow shackle but must never be mounted.
The Water Horse is a trickster who shape shifts into a handsome young man and tempts young women into seduction with a string of trout. He is a very dangerous beast who will persuade humans on his back and run with them into a loch to devour them completely. Signs you are with this shape shifter include seaweed, sand or a tuft of wool in the hair and green water weeds in the hooves. With great risk in the form of a horse he can be subdued to do the work of ten horses by using a cow shackle but must never be mounted.
Bean Nighe
This is the old washer woman of the ford. She washes the shirts and shrouds of those about to pass over to the Otherworld. As she washes, she sings a lament to the person.
This is the old washer woman of the ford. She washes the shirts and shrouds of those about to pass over to the Otherworld. As she washes, she sings a lament to the person.
Brigid and The Cailleach Bheur
Brigid is the Celtic Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She was adopted by Celtic Christians as Saint Brigid. St. Brigit is often referred to as Muire nan Gael ‘Mary of the Gael’ and is a protector.
Powerful goddesses such as The Cailleach Bheur are able to conjure up storms. To do this they set a bowl of milk to float in a vessel of water and cast their spells controlling the water, wind and the sea.
In some cases, they would send crows and frogs to land on the boats, so if you are out at sea and have crow or frog land on your boat, get to shore quickly as there is a storm coming!
https://nicovleeuwen.blogspot.com/2019/06/gaelic-folklore-8-cailleach-bheur.html
https://mythicalireland.com/myths-and-legends/brigid-bright-goddess-of-the-gael/
https://druidry.org/resources/brigid-2
Brigid is the Celtic Goddess of healing, poetry and smithcraft. She was adopted by Celtic Christians as Saint Brigid. St. Brigit is often referred to as Muire nan Gael ‘Mary of the Gael’ and is a protector.
Powerful goddesses such as The Cailleach Bheur are able to conjure up storms. To do this they set a bowl of milk to float in a vessel of water and cast their spells controlling the water, wind and the sea.
In some cases, they would send crows and frogs to land on the boats, so if you are out at sea and have crow or frog land on your boat, get to shore quickly as there is a storm coming!
https://nicovleeuwen.blogspot.com/2019/06/gaelic-folklore-8-cailleach-bheur.html
https://mythicalireland.com/myths-and-legends/brigid-bright-goddess-of-the-gael/
https://druidry.org/resources/brigid-2