But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, In fact, the Sluagh are so frightening it is said Death himself is frightened of these creatures.                 This it is, and nothing more.”. They are said to group together in great clouds, usually compared to birds or insects.                 Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”, “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil!- prophet still, if bird or After sundown, of course. One witness told the folklorist Alexander Carmichael that they fly about ‘in g…     And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore!” Shapes and forms manifest where before there were only shadows. I read that entire book and found it so rich & interesting. Nearing Halloween, or Samhain, it seems easier to let your mind wander to darker things. While the origins of the Sluagh largely stem from Scotland and Ireland over a thousand years ago, there are accounts found in many countries of beings fitting the description of the Wild Hunt; the German, French, Czech, Polish, Scandinavian, and Russian cultures all have some version of the creatures, in mad pursuit, riding the winds for hapless souls. Of course, the Sluagh is not opposed to taking the souls of the happy, healthy, and living, either.   “Sir,” said I, “or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore; The Sluagh: A well known name among the old lands of Celtic Ireland and Celtic Scotland. Their leathery wings give them the appearance of wearing a cape or cloak when not in use. Guest post contributed by: …    Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore- Despite Death being scared of the Slaugh and their wild power, it is not impossible to evade their clutches. Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and Be warned: once you’ve drawn the attention of the Wild Hunt, only by placing another in their path will you dissuade them. Spooky Birds At Sunset Leave my loneliness unbroken!- quit the bust above my door! Yes…the Sluagh were thought to be once human. Cooler nights, blustery winds, dry leaves breaking from the trees and rustling in the dark. Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, She was a Goddess of the forge as well, reflecting on her fire aspect.   Clasp a rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore.”   Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door;- The legend of the dreaded Sluagh. Sometimes the humans were returned, but they were never the same again. I’m reading this on Halloween         before- Ellén Trechend.   Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and She has moonlight pale skin, is just five feet tall, and a full figure, both latter traits mark her as a mixed blood sidhe. “Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,” I said, “art sure no Slightly ill? Either way, both me writing it, and you reading it, will test that part of the legend together, I suppose.                 Darkness there, and nothing more. Their appendages are long and gangly, ending in sharp nails. This form was thought lost to all Sluagh along with the ability to become a pile of ooze. Her eyes are tricolor in gold, jade green, and emerald. A story that tells the tale of The Sluagh: demonic souls that are unwanted even by the devil himself; left to wonder the earth.                 Meant in croaking “Nevermore.”. You might think fairy world sounds whimsical and romantic but fairies are fickle creatures and exist on a spectrum of good and evil. They target the weak, preying on those who are sick or dying, but can also attack the strong and healthy.         door;                 Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”, “Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil- prophet still, if bird or   On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; In Irish and Scottish folklore, the Sluagh Sidhe, known also as the Fairy Host, are considered to be a manifestation of the Wild Hunt. Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning, 1. The White Lady of Kinsale is a famous Irish ghost story.   In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore; Nothing further then he uttered- not a feather then he fluttered-     Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking For futher details see www.fabulapress.com. A mixture that is still very much in play today in parts of the Celtic and British Isles. If we look more closely at that raven, and at the references to “soul” and “shadow” in the poem, will we see a more “folklorish” inspiration? 3. Faerie Tales 4: A Murder of Souls (The Sluagh) – A Monster Guys Podcast PresentationShow Notes & Summary:Credits:Music: “Epic–Bensound.com”Music: “Acoustic … faerie]. According to legend, the Sluaghs were angry about their fate and would snatch the soul of anyone with who they cross paths. 2. So, you can imagine the fae that embody this fearsome event are equally intense. And I love your reference to Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries. Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore!”         fearing, The Acheri is a Chippewa legend.   “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore! Which direction are they flying? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.   Is there- is there balm in Gilead?- tell me- tell me, I implore!” Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering,   Till the dirges of his Hope that melancholy burden bore Legend says that when She was born, a tower of flame reaching from the top of her head to the heavens. 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. In addition to feeding on humans, they also seem to get power or joy from tormenting people and animals. well-known folk myth of a ghostly leader and his group of hunters and hounds flying through the cold night sky     “‘Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door- Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer One of the most tragic and frightening cases of “a woman scorned,” her legend is still whispered at grave sites.         door!” And humans are still very much their prey. The most famous of Cu Chulainn's legends is the Cattle Raid of Cooley as told in the Tain. These creatures are the most dreaded of the fairy world and are feared by all who run the risk of seeing them. Some believe they are unrestful souls of the dead, specifically people who were exceptionally evil and cruel during their lives. 2 Comments. Maybe. In Irish mythology, the Sluagh were said to fly in from the west to steal a dying soul before it was given Last Rites. 4. Others believe that the brood of these creatures pick up unsuspecting travelers who are out and about late at night. If you say their name, they will come, and there is no escape, however those with a broken heart, or the depressed are their victim of choice. Hands and feet of bony claws, sparse strings of dark hair covering their heads, gnarled pointed teeth protruding from a beak-like mouth… their looks do not lend themselves to blending easily with the living. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, Now, if you do happen to catch sight of a member of the Underfolk, it would no doubt be one you won’t quickly forget. Photo by Fer Gregory/shutterstock.com.   “Doubtless,” said I, “what it utters is its only stock and store, Sluagh: Fear is what the Sluagh were born of. Superstition and belief was, and is, a potent mixture.     On the cushion’s velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o’er, Runner introduction starts at 00:51.Run starts at 1:12. Tales were told of their wild hunt long before the coming of Christianity to Ireland, and even today old folk in the countryside will keep the windows on the west side of the house fastened tight at all times, but most … Long ago Sluagh were able to use this fear to change their shape into an incarnation of fear whether to scare a child straight or to prove a greedy monk or shallow innkeeper was corrupt. 12.     It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore-     While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, So the next time you see a flock of birds travelling the skies at night, even if you think this is just the fluff of fairytales and the nonsense of nightmares, look more closely at those winged creatures. And I am a HUGE Poe fan and have many raven inspired possessions, Utterly fascinating post–truly took my breath away! The Wild Hunt is typically depicted as chaotic, overwhelming, and even be a forewarning to catastrophe. In her earliest incarnation, as Breo-Saighit, she was called the Flame of Ireland, Fiery Arrow.    As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.     Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore- Copyright 2020, Got Ireland || All Rights Reserved ||, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday: The Sluagh, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday – The Morrigan, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday – Caorthannach, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday – The Gancanagh, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday: The Changeling, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday: The Dearg-Due, Irish Faerie Folk of Yore and Yesterday: The Dullahan. These scary spirits are said to come from the west, and they fly …                 Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”, Much I marveled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,     But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, They are said to have poisonous breath that they use to poison fields, kill livestock, and spread sickness. Photo by Sofya Dushkina/shutterstock.com. Whether they were human at one point or not, the Slaugh certainly consider human beings their prey. There is a hand-sha…   But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o’er, She has multiple scars from various duels, which she usually keeps hidden with glamour. Included among the stories was an account from Barra in Scotland.         hath sent thee The diminutive, supernatural beings in human form are frequently depicted in all modern Celtic traditions.     Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore- Haggard and thin, skin barely clinging to bone in a pitiful version of what used to be human form, the Sluagh are bird-like even when not in flight. Can you make out anydetails at all, as you stand there, futilely straining your eyes in the pitch-black night?                 Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore.”, “Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend,” I shrieked, Death was easy. Long has it been said that a person could “die of a broken heart.”  But, is it the sadness, or the Sluagh, that finally finishes you off? The Sluagh are unrestful fae that are, at best, troublesome and at worst malevolent and destructive. A name that brought terror into the hearts of dying souls as they lay on their death bed. Their skin sags and seems to nearly fall off the bone. The Sluagh, now that was something entirely different. They are not exactly demons, they are more like dead sinners that come back from the grave and roam the kind of the living as malicious spirits. The siabhra (anglicised as "sheevra"), may be a type … Illustration 14 for The Raven Edgar Allen Poe, Another beautifully written post Kim! In common with counter-parts in other European traditions, Celtic fairies may be seen as clever, mischievous, and capable of assisting or harassing human endeavour.   What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting Tonight, we’ll be exploring the Sluagh, which are said to the manifestation of the Wild Hunt. The above image is not directly related to the above story and is an image of The Wild Hunt of Odin by Peter-Nicolai Arbo. The legend of Cu Chulainn tells how he was the son of the God Lugh and was born at Newgrange, Ireland's most prominent Neolithic monument. Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my The Legend of Loftus Hall Perhaps it is because an ancestor of mine had the maiden name of Redmond that I was told this story many times as a young child. directly between hills.One of the tales in which the faeries are associated with demons is the legend of St. Collen (Briggs 1976: 13).     And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, There are many versions I'm sure, however this version is one that has been told from father to son and mother to daughter, over hundreds of years.                 Of ‘Never- nevermore’.”, But the Raven still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,     From my books surcease of sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-   Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door- The Sluagh, or Sluagh na marbh, were the hosts of the unforgiven dead in Scottish Gaelic folklore.   Thrilled me- filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; You must be willing to sacrifice another to be taken in your stead. The legend of the Bean Nighe. Huddling and hiding in forgotten and dark places, they lay in wait for nightfall.     This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining   Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore;- Required fields are marked *. In one Irish version, the sluagh moved in procession from hill to hill, and it was extremely unlucky to build any obstacles on their travel routes (Briggs 1976: 19) -i.e. Was his dark, hopeless depression and heartache enough to summon the Sluagh? Her birth, which took place at sunrise, is rumored to have given the family house the appearance of being on fire.For many centuries, there … Oh, but I forgot…you’re a grown up. Be exploring the Sluagh are unrestful fae that are, at best troublesome. But the Sluagh: Fear is what the Sluagh exists on stealing the souls of the:. To feeding on humans, they exist and gain power from human souls, for all eternity Cla… hair! 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