Irish Fairy Distinctions
Pixies
-
Pixies mostly belong to characters with negative roles in movies or literature, which may later change to good ones.
-
Pixies have colored skin and hair with butterfly wings.
-
Pixies are mostly found in Celtic folklore.
-
Pixies are four inches tall and are known to live in gardens.
-
Pixies are often described to be smaller than fairies. They have pointed ears.
-
Pixies live in gardens.
-
Pixies are said to have more magical powers such as bestowing wealth, kindness and intelligence.
-
Pixies in folklore are often naked or poorly dressed, but in modern portrayals, they often wear green outfits and pointy hats.
-
There are both male and female fairies.
-
Pixies are commonly known for misleading and dancing.
Fairie
-
The fairy is mostly a positive character who shows people the right path and, therefore, has an important role until the end.
-
Fairies are just like miniature human beings with large wings on their backs.
-
Fairies are commonly found in Celtic folklore.
-
Fairies are taller and are about six inches tall.
-
Fairies are often described as human in appearance. They have a pair of wings.
-
Fairies are known to live under the water or in the hills.
-
Fairies are also known to have THE power to change the curious aspects of nature.
-
Fairies are generally portrayed as elegantly and beautifully dressed.
-
It is difficult to say the gender of a pixie.
-
Fairies are glorified for their ethereal beauty.
Banshee
A Banshee is a female spirit in Irish Folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening.
Turtha De Danunn
Prevalent in ancient Celtic mythology is the Tuatha dè Danann (pronounced Too-a Day Dah-nuhn), which means People of the Goddess Danu, and they are believed to be her children.
They are believed to have magically materialized from a cloud of mist from across the northern sea.
Selkies
Originating from Orkney and United Kingdom folklore, a Selkie is a gentle water spirit believed to live in the sea as a seal, but once on land, they fully assume human form.
They must shed their seal skins to become human but should always keep their pelt close by otherwise, they will remain in human form forever.
According to some legends, Selkie are fallen angels who were too pure to be condemned to Hell and instead fell to the shoreline of Earth. They’re often described as beautiful and doe-eyed.
Other folklore stories warn humans from shedding Selkie blood, or wild and violent storms will claim many human lives at
Leprechaun
In a manuscript of the eighth century, Fearghus mac Léide travels to the underwater realm of a people called luchorpán (meaning ‘little body’) and is entertained with gifts by the pigmy nation. The word luchorpán later became reversed to lupracán, and by the nineteenth century in County Cork, he was the cluricaun, while the name of leprechaun was found in the Midlands (Winbery 1976; Ó Giolláin 1984). The cluricaun was a mischievous spirit attached to certain families, haunting their cellars and covertly drinking up their wine, while the logheryman could be a solitary rural figure, sleeping covered in his long hair.
Siren
-
half-bird creatures.
-
According to literature, the Sirens lived on an island near Scylla and Charybdis (traditionally located in the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily).
-
In most folklore, sirens have been shown singing songs.
-
In most Greek poets and tradition, the Sirens were depicted as beautiful maidens that would sit half-naked on rocky shores. They would then lure sailors to them using their beautiful singing voices, with the sailors following them, not knowing that they are sailing into problems.
-
According to classical Greek poets and traditions, there are around seven named sirens: Anglaope, Molpe, Peisinoe, Thelxiope, Leucosia, Pathenope, and Ligeia.
-
The sirens are often cited as being fathered by the river God Achelous, with the mother usually being cited as one of the nine muses. They include Calliope, Terpischore, Melpomene, or Sterope.
-
A famous Greek folktale claimed that the Sirens were fated to die if any mortal should hear them sing and live to tell the story.
MERMAIDS
-
In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and the upper body of a female or male human and the tail of a fish.
-
Mermaids are present in almost every culture’s mythology, from Europe and the Americas to the Near East, Africa, and Asia.
-
In all folklore, mermaids are depicted as magical creatures that live and dwell under the sea with their own culture and customs.
-
In many poets and traditions, mermaids are usually depicted as peaceful, non-violent creatures who try to live their lives away from human interference.
-
In some folklore, mermaids are sometimes associated with perilous events such as floods, storms, shipwrecks, and drowning.
A famous Greek folktale claimed that Alexander the Great’s sister, Thessalonike was transformed into a mermaid
Elves are nature spirits who appear in various folklore and mythology around the world. The term Elf encompasses various beings that vary across cultures, but it is most commonly associated with early Germanic tribes, Britain, and Iceland, as well as in Teutonic and Norse mythology.
Initially, the term Elf included all varieties of Fae in Anglo-Saxon, but it eventually came to represent a specific type of Fae. Over time, many cultures accepted this shift in meaning as well. Elves are human-like Fae who can change their appearance freely.
Depending on the culture, folklore, or location, Elves can go by different names, including –
-
Schrat (German)
-
Grove folk or Elvor (Sweden)
-
Ellen or Elle Folk (Danish)
-
Spae-wives (Iceland)
