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Sarah Kirk
17 min readAug 21, 2022

Ten Intriguing Celtic Mythology Creatures to Know

Sarah Kirk

Celtic mythology has a sense of mystery and magic. Celtic mythology is an oral tradition, meaning it’s been passed down through storytelling. It has four distinct cycles, each differentiated by themes. The Mythological cycle consists of supernatural entities that invaded Ireland; the Fenian cycle centers around hunting. Next, the Ultonian describes the Ulaidh tribe, based in Northern Ireland amid the Middle Ages. And lastly, the Kings Cycle, which are stories based on kings throughout history. Celtic mythology figures are abundant throughout Irish folklore. They range from deities, animals, religious figures, druids, and even war heroes. I hope this list sparks your interest in the world of traditional and modern Celtic Mythology.

The Banshee

The Banshee story originates as early as the 8th century. It began with women grieving the passing of soldiers with songs of woe, in return they received alcohol as payment. The Church, however, disagreed with the practice and the women were punished, becoming what is known as the Banshee. A banshee is a female spirit that comes in many forms. Some describe her as an old woman covered in a black cloak with pale skin. Others describe her as a beautiful woman either in a white dress or a shroud. One characteristic that remains consistent is the frightening red eyes from crying. Their terrifying screams are said to be an omen of death. Their wailing can be heard from miles away. The wailing can be heard during the night, but rarely is it heard during daylight.

They reside in rivers, wooded areas, and rock formations. Sometimes they are also seen sitting or standing outside the family member’s house she chooses to haunt or mourn. She may even perch herself outside like a bird, and when she moves quickly, the sounds are of a birdlike creature whisking through the wind. A banshee is likened to a family guardian or overseer of family deaths. They are also guardians of the soul. They have the power to punish after death or allow peace depending on whether life is lived through compassion or selfishness. Keening banshees are known to revolve around certain Irish family names, such as the O’Neill’s, O’Donnell’s, O’Connor’s, O’ Grady’s, and the Fitzgerald’s. Each family is said to have its Banshee. A belief held by the Irish is that banshees would only warn families of pure Irish descent. However, the Welsh and Scottish cultures have their versions of the Banshee. Many do not believe in its existence or refuse to believe because it stirs fear. I am of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh ancestry, and luckily no stories of the Banshee have been told to me…I hope it stays that way.

Abhartach: The Dwarf King or The Irish Vampire

Abhartach is one of the oldest recorded vampire stories. Surprising right? It’s common to assume the stories would come from Transylvania, the home of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Bram Stoker may have been inspired to write a vampire story based on the Irish vampire. But Dracula was never based specifically on Abhartach. Celt stories date far back, even to the fifth century when Abartach was first described. The Gaelic pronunciation is pronounced (Av-har-tach). I found it helpful to pronounce it as (Av-ar-tok). He was a dreadful magician, vampire, and dwarf.

He ruled over his people in the town of Slaughtaverty where many considered him cruel. Such atrocities were committed by him that a chieftain from a neighboring land was called in to assist. The chieftain slew the dwarf/vampire king and buried him standing up in a crypt or grave chamber. The next night, Abhartach arose from his grave with vicious intent. Panic spread as he demanded blood from the living. This cycle continued until a desperate cry for help was answered by a druid or Christian hermit (there are multiple versions as the story made its way through the years). Abartach’s dark powers needed to be subdued to prevent him from escaping the grave. On the third night, he sought blood to sustain himself. The neighbor chieftain slew him once more but buried him with his head facing toward the earth. Abhartach never awoke from his grave again. The bloody aspect of the Abartach tale was probably added later for shock value. In stories, blood tends to represent life and acts as the restorer of the body.

Daoine Maithe or Daoine Sidhe: The Irish Fairies

Daoine Maithe or Daoine Sidhe are known as the Irish Fairies. Some call them “the good people”. The ladder is used more frequently as it is unlucky to call the fairies by name. Contrary to popular belief, the Irish fairies were not depicted as tiny, winged creatures with an air of innocence about them. They are portrayed as spiritual beings with supernatural abilities and temperaments. They could be altruistic if treated with kindness and respect. If treated poorly, they could react with intense cruelty. In a Christian context, these fairies were believed to have been fallen angels. The angels who took neither God nor Lucifer’s side were banished from the heavens and sent to earth. Some fell into the sea while others landed on the shores of Ireland.

Fairies are on the lower tier of spiritual entities. In comparison to Celtic gods and goddesses, they would be lower on the totem pole. An equivalent to the Irish fairy description would be a ghost-like creature, not necessarily terrifying or haunting but enchanting and emanating an otherworldly quality. The Daoine Maithe or Sidhe exists within trees, streams, and earth. They are well-hidden, coining the expression, “the unseen.” The Irish word “Sidhe” is a name for the various mounds on Irish land from ancient times, where people were said to be buried. This was known as a resting place for death or a graveyard. Under the mounds held passageways, big enough for a person or two to enter. Upon entering, some report a temperature change coming from above ground to the passage underground, resulting in a breezy feel. Fairies are associated with air, wind, and even tornadoes. Their associations with wind stem from their ethereal presence. The wind felt in the mounds represents the passage from the underworld to the living world.

Kelpie: Evil Water Horse

The Kelpie is a malicious water spirit that resides in lochs or rivers. Between Falkirk and Grangemouth (located in Scotland), a 30-meter-high double horse head statue resides. The structure was created for the communities to come together. Local folks and those from abroad come from all over the world to see it. As a tourist from America, I visited Scotland and Ireland on a trip back in 2016. One of the sights I saw was the Kelpie statues. It represented a great example of modern engineering and art.

The Kelpie name was formed from the Gaelic words “cailpeach” or “colpach” meaning calf or colt. They may sound like grand creatures, but they are haunting as well. Sometimes they take the form of a pony or horse, and even at times a woman. Children tend to be drawn to the horse while men are attracted to the woman. Once you mount a Kelpie, there is no getting off. You will be dragged into the water and drowned. Unless you grab its bridle, thus, you may take command of the Kelpie. Be warned, the Kelpie is no ordinary horse. It has the strength of 10 (+) horses and has extreme stamina. One of Kelpie’s powers is to summon floods. They are created intentionally to drown travelers and explorers. Robert Burns, a Scottish writer, mentioned the creature in one of his poems.

“…When thowes dissolve the snawy hoord

An’ float the jinglin’ icy boord

Then, water-kelpies haunt the foord

By your direction

And ‘nighted trav’llers are allur’d

To their destruction…”

Fear Gorta-The Hungry Man (Féar Gortach)

The Fear Gorta (Far Gur-tah) legend originated from the Great Irish Hunger, a dark period in Irish history. The Great Famine or Potato Famine began in 1845. A fungal organism spread through Ireland, ruining potato crops for a decade. The fungus was carried on ships from North America to Ireland, beginning in Dublin and infecting neighboring counties until it encompassed a majority of cropland in Ireland. This resulted in massive food shortages for the Irish people. Death was rampant with 1 million casualties. The death rate was so high that bodies were tossed aside and put into mass graves. These mass graves were later recognized as sacred ground. Unfortunately, most bodies remained buried in the earth to rot. Thus, a tale of a monster was born from dark and traumatic times.

The Fear Gorta is also known as the Famine Man or Famine Grass. The physical appearance can be described as a skeletal and ghost-like creature with a gaunt appearance and barely any clothes covering his body. He is said to herald impending doom or death. He appears during times of difficulty and goes house to house begging for food. Those who treat him well are blessed with good fortune, while those who refuse to give him food and treat him unfavorably are met with famine, poverty, and death. It is suggested that one carries bread in their pocket if he appears. If one steps onto his land while bearing the bread, they shall be protected from the cursed land. However, if one sets foot upon the Hungry Grass without bread, starvation, madness, and eventually death will follow. The moral of the story is, don’t step on the Hungry Grass.

Others believe the Hungry Grass and the Fear Gorta were created from fairy magic. Some say fairies cursed the land to prevent humans from walking amongst their sacred grounds. This story is told because recognizing the hardships of the Irish people and their history is essential. Keeping these stories alive is a part of Irish culture and should be shared even when they may be wicked and scary, like the Fear Gort

The Merrow

Merrow’s are seducers of the Irish sea. Merrow stems from Morudah, meaning Sea Maid. The Merrow is free-spirited, powerful, and skilled at deception. The Merrow species are like sirens and mermaids as they come from the land beneath the waves and have enchanting qualities. Males find difficulty in mating due to their regrettable genetics. They are described as having green scales, hair, under-sized limbs, sharp teeth, and unsettling eyes. “Marrow men are so bitter over their appearance and loneliness, that they capture the spirits of drowned sailors and keep them incarcerated under the sea in a desperate attempt at revenge.”

Females prefer to lure men from land rather than interact with genetically similar species. The women are portrayed as radiant and ethereal, with glistening scales, long beautiful hair, and striking features. The men are captivated by visual stimuli, so are lured easily. Almost all men succumb to their charm. Like sirens, they drag suitors to the ocean floor where they live in captivity or are drowned by the depths of the sea. They are known to be bloodthirsty and have been known to eat men alive if they do not follow or try to escape her grasp.

It’s important to mention the caps worn by the Merrow. These caps hold their power to control the waters and enable them to live under the sea. Taking the cap off her head before she lures the man will ensure a marriage to the Merrow woman and guarantee that she will never return to the sea. She must submit to the man who took her cap, power, and freedom. In the event of failure, the repercussions may be worse than death. She may eat you alive as she drags you downward, drowning you. Once married, the man would want to hide the cap. If she recovers the cap, she will feel an overpowering need to return home to the sea. She will leave her husband and children without a thought, finding her way back to the shore.

Stirring up storms, causing shipwrecks, and drowning sailors is a pass time. Often, they show wickedness and vindictiveness that is like no other creature. The story of Luty showcases the retaliatory nature of merrow women. Luty walks down the coast of the Irish sea. He eventually spots the most beautiful merrow woman. Overcome with the desire to rescue her, he swoops her off her feet and helps her to the water. Impressed with his selfless nature, she grants him multiple wishes. He asks for the power to help those in need. Even more, taken aback by his gentle disposition, she bestows good fortune on all his future descendants. Grateful to her, he goes to shake her hands. She recognizes the extent of his naivete, and her barbarity overpowers her goodness.

She begins to sing to him, luring him to the water. Luty, realizing, pulls out an iron knife for protection. Launching herself into the sea to escape the iron knife, she screams at him, claiming she will take his life in nine years to come. In those years, he happily started a family. Years later, he returns to the coast with his son to fish. The Merrow woman appears, dragging Luty toward the waves, never to be seen again. This story shows their ability to hold a grudge and depicts their vengeful nature.

Gancanagh: The Love Talker

The Gancanagh is a male fairy who seduces women into lovesick madness. He is a master of seduction. His beauty is captivating. He presents himself as a young man in his 20s or 30s, tall, with dark, handsome features, piercing eyes, a gentle voice, dressed well, and with a pipe in his mouth. He is a shapeshifter, able to take the form of an ordinary man, but can transform into a heavenly creature. He can be identified by his distinct looks and the fact that he does not cast a shadow. His seductive ways hold deadly magic. His looks are so delightful to gaze upon that those who look upon him are moved to tears or have an intense physical sensation of yearning for him. He has the rapport of a gentleman with eyes that would mesmerize any young woman. His targeted group is rural women who, before meeting him, are taught to uphold their sense of purity.

He takes their virginity, casting shame upon the young woman’s family. Ireland is a Catholic country, where sometimes shame goes hand in hand with sexuality. Chastity in Irish Catholicism encourages women to possess a naivete concerning sexuality. I believe extreme views of purity come with moral rigidity. However, some Irish families back in the day required daughters to uphold the values of Chastity in their daily lives to maintain good standing with the Irish Catholic Church. Under the spell of the Gancanagh, the women are ruined in the eyes of their family members.

A solitary dweller, he is likely to be found in isolated areas. Once alone with him, he seduces with his sweet voice, yet he lies. Once the woman is captivated by him, she is immediately intoxicated. Her heart yearns for him, and once he lets her get close enough, he withdraws love and affection. She is left heartbroken and driven into hopeless longing where only death is her savior. Whereas he is left bored and moves on with his search of finding a companion, breaking hearts as he goes along. For protection, wear a talisman necklace made of rowan and mistletoe, held together by an iron nail with blood-soaked thread.

It is bad luck to happen upon the Gancanagh. The process begins with a beautiful experience of love, attraction, and pleasure, which leads to an infatuated individual who is dejected. He will leave the woman wanting him desperately, only for him to leave as she fades into desperate longing. If men happen upon the Gancanagh, their lifestyle and challenges will be like Gancanagh. Men will find they become desperate to find their person yet are left with constant rejection and a feeling of restlessness that may never be satisfied. There are plenty of theories about the Gancanagh. Theory one suggests he was once in love, that love was lost due to a tragedy, and he was forever doomed to roam the earth in search of another, never to succeed. The second suggested that he commits a crime against the fairies and was exiled. Doomed to live a life of loneliness, he tries to find companionship to fill the empty void. A constant search for love that will never be found continues for him.

Cù Sidhe: The Hound

A common fear in Scottish and Irish mythology is the Cu Sith or the Cù Sidhe, also called the Fairy Dog or Hounds of Rage. An omen of death, they take the souls of humans to the fairy realm. They are the size of a large calf with dark green fur, glowing eyes, and a braided bushy tail. However, Irish tales describe them as having black fur. Their frightening howl can be heard over stretches of land and sea. If a person hears their howl and by the third one, they have not made it to safe refuge, terror will take over. New mothers were at high risk when the Cù Sidhe roamed the lands. Nursing mothers were kidnapped and taken to the fairy realm, or underworld, to nurse fairy babies.

In the late 16th century, in Suffolk England, a sighting of the Cù Sidhe appeared. During a morning congregation at St. Mary’s Church, a storm brewed. A flash of lightning comes down along with a gigantic black hound, howling and attacking the people attending the congregation, creating chaos. Two were killed that day. The church building was left in disarray; the people were devastated. This event led Christians to begin a sacrifice tradition. Every time a new church was built, a black dog would be sacrificed. It would be buried in an adjacent graveyard so the dog would become a guardian of the dead and the church, protecting it against Satan.

The Sluagh (Sloo-ah)

Faith in the spiritual and supernatural world is deeply ingrained in Celtic culture. The Sluagh comes from Irish and Scottish folklore. In the afterlife, souls would be judged by the gods. If a person was deemed unworthy or detestable, the gods rejected and condemned them to life as a roaming, vile spirit. Sluagh is the soul of wicked people. When Christianity arrived in Ireland and Scotland, the Sluagh was perceived as a sinner’s afterlife. One had to avoid a fate like theirs and commit to a selfless and kind life.

The Sluagh steal the souls of the living, but especially the dying. One Sluagh isn’t enough to scare an individual, but a conglomerate black mass of spirits is terrifying. Sluagh form into one group to create a dark clouded mass, often appearing as a flock of blackbirds combing through the sky, coming from the west. Sluagh sightings are described in W.Y. Evans-Wentz’s book, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries, “a vast, swarming, churning cloud of large blackbirds.” Houses with windows facing west would always be kept closed to prevent any run-ins with the Sluagh. At times, they are drawn to grieving souls. Sadness pulls them toward possible victims. However, they are also known to feed on happy and innocent souls, even children. There is no discrimination in the matter of soul taking.

The Clurichaun

The Clurichaun are mischievous little creatures, often mistaken for Leprechauns. The difference between Leprechauns and Clurichaun comes down to appearance and clothing choices. Clurichauns tend to prefer red and plum colors as opposed to earthy greens. They also have a fair amount of facial hair, whereas Leprechauns do not. These little men can be accurately described as party animals or drunks. You can find them haunting wine cellars, pubs, breweries, or anywhere alcohol is found. If treated rudely, the consequences may include a wrecked home or wine cellar with no wine left to drink.

Quick and playful creatures, they will take your drink when you’re not looking. One such characteristic is their storytelling abilities. They enjoy sitting around, sharing tales with a drink in hand. To receive good fortune, get on their good side. To do that, you can leave food out for them, they can get hungry after a few drinks. Though happy creatures, when angry, it’s not a pretty sight. Some repercussions of angering a Clurichaun include sour milk, hens that don’t lay eggs, a sick family, sick farm animals, or…they beat you until you’re confined to a bed. The Haunted Cellar, written by Thomas Crofton Crocker, depicts a common encounter with the Clurichaun in this story.

“There was once a man named Justin McCarthy, who lived in his family home in Ballinascarthy. He was a wealthy man from a wealthy family and had inherited the house, including its extensive wine cellar. Though he was wealthy he was also generous, often sharing his wine with others and, the locals said, that he was a good employer to his household staff. Despite this he could not keep a butler in his employ for very long as every time he would send his butler to the wine cellar, they would return pale as a ghost and refuse to return to its depths. Mr. McCarthy would then, invariably, must retrieve the wine himself.

In Mr. McCarthy’s employ was a young lad named Jack, who worked in the stables. Jack had heard the stories about the cellar and thought that he was braver than all the others, and whatever was down there was worth the raise in status and wages being Mr. McCarthy’s butler would bring him. He offered his service to Mr. McCarthy as his butler, and, as Mr. McCarthy was a fair man, he was given the position on a trial basis. All was well for a while, and Jack worked diligently to prove his worth in his new position. One day, Mr. McCarthy decided to go hunting with some friends and instructed Jack that after dinner they would like some wine to pass the evening.

Near the stroke of midnight, the wine was called for, and Jack ventured to the wine cellar with a basket to fill with bottles. He crept down the stairs, thinking that there was nothing to fear waiting down there for him. As he neared the cellar door, he heard a crashing sound from inside, followed by maniacal laughter. “It’s just my mind playing tricks on me,” Jack muttered aloud, and he took the large brass key to the cellar door, turned it in the lock, and ventured inside. As he enters the laughter grew louder and louder until it filled the entire room, shaking the racks of wine almost from their shelves and scaring poor Jack half to death. He heard a great crashing coming towards him as if a wild animal had been let loose in the cellar. He fell backward and, as quickly as he could, crawled backward out of the cellar.

Shaking like a leaf he raced back to the drawing-room, where Mr. McCarthy and his friends were awaiting his return with the wine. Upon seeing Jack’s ghostly white face and trembling form, Mr. McCarthy stormed down to the cellar. He burst into the room and was met by a tiny little man, wearing a red nightcap with a ruddy complexion, who hiccupped in greeting. “That’s it!” roared Mr. McCarthy. “I’ve had it with you chasing my butlers away and scaring the life out of them. You’ve drunk my wine and abused my generosity for far too long. I’m moving away tomorrow, and you are never to darken my door again!” The Clurichaun grinned up at Mr. McCarthy. “Well, sir, in that case, I will follow you. I will follow you and your wine to the ends of the earth if needs be. I am here to protect your wine from them that would take it from us… I mean you,” the Clurichaun corrected himself. Mr. McCarthy sighed, took the wine from the cellar, and went back to his friends. Jack remained his butler but did not venture into the wine cellar ever again, and Mr. McCarthy would have to fetch his own wine, carefully guarded by the Clurichaun of course, until the end of his days.”

References:

Irish History
Culture
History
Mythology
Celtic Mythology
Sarah Kirk

Written by Sarah Kirk

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A writer who enjoys topics like true crime, films, and anything spooky. I write whatever strikes my fancy and I hope you enjoy and interact:)

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