The Sids of Ireland, the Elves and Fairies of Britain, the Orcs and Ugrians
В previous article We talked about the evolution of ideas about elves and fairies, as well as about the light elves of the Scandinavians and the famous fairies of the Broceliande forest. This one will tell about the Celtic fairies and elves.
There are currently six Celtic territories – Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man, the common name for magical creatures here is fairies (Old French “faerie”, modern – feerie, fee). In Russian, the word “fairy” is feminine, but the Celts and their descendants also called male magical creatures fairies, and fairies could appear to people in any guise – depending on their desire. Of course, they did not change their real gender: this was the same glamour, “eye candy”, which was described in first article (and now all sorts of stylists are trying to fool people with "glamour"). Nowadays, to avoid confusion, male fairies are usually called elves. First, we will talk about the sidhe and fairies of Ireland.
Sidi
In Ireland, it is believed that this island was once inhabited by the magic-wielding people of the goddess Danu or the children of Danu (Tuatha De Danann), whose representatives, by the way, are said to have also lived in Wales and northern France. They came here from some northern islands and brought with them 4 magical objects: the victory-bringing spear of Lugh, the sword of Naudu (the sword of the Sun), the cauldron of Dagda, from which no one left hungry, and the Stone of Destiny Fal, which began to scream loudly when the true king of Ireland stood or sat on it.
The people of Danu were defeated by the people of the tribe of the sons of Mil. Some of the defeated deities left Ireland, but many remained, casting a cloak of invisibility over themselves. Since then, it is as if there were two Irelands: where the human eye sees green hills, menhirs and ruins, there is a land of eternal youth, where a year is equal to several human decades. Here, in palaces invisible to the eye, the descendants of the gods feast, hidden from people. They do not know good and evil - they know only joy and suffering: what is good for them is recognized as good, what is harmful is evil. These are the people of the hills - the Shee or Sídhe.
By the way, the particle “shee” in the names of magical creatures indicates their Irish origin – for example, banshees, who can appear in the form of an ugly old woman or an unnaturally pale beauty, but with obligatory red (from tears) eyes.
The Sidhe are so beautiful that they literally drive people of the opposite sex crazy. The tips of their arrows are saturated with an instantly killing poison.
Sidhe (sid – possibly “Magic Fortress”) are also the name given to the hills where the children of the goddess Danu live. The legend claims that on October 31 they migrate from one hill to another – at this time they can carry mortal people away with them. In the picture below you can see such a migration of the Sidhe:
John Duncan. Riders of the Sidhe
In the hands of the heroes of the painting are sacred symbols of the Celts: the tree of life, which is also a symbol of wisdom, the cup of love (also a symbol of generosity and medicine), the sword (a symbol of power) and the stone of peace, which gives knowledge of the past and the future.
But in Ireland they also talk about "traditional" fairies, whose shoemakers, by the way, are called leprechauns - the same ones who bury pots of gold in the ground. Nowadays leprechauns are depicted as funny little gnomes in green waistcoats, but originally they were tall elves who liked to appear before people in the guise of old men.
Back in the early 20th century, Irish peasants treated elves and fairies to milk and potin (a strong alcoholic drink) and warned them with a shout before throwing a bucket of dirty water over the threshold. Moreover, it is said that the first president of independent Ireland, Douglas Hyde (a professor at the famous Trinity College Dublin, a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctor of Laws) and two Nobel Prize winners in literature, the writer Samuel Beckett and the poet William Yeats, did not doubt the existence of fairies.
Douglas Hyde in a portrait of Sarah Purser
In 1999, at the request of Irish folklorist Eddie Lenihan, a new highway in County Clare was rerouted to preserve the "fairy tree" at which, according to Lenihan, the fairies of Munster have long gathered before battles with their kinsmen from Connacht.
Counties of Ireland
Lenihan threatened an elf curse that would certainly lead to a large number of traffic accidents on this highway - and his opinion was listened to.
What are the signs of a fairy tree? It must grow alone near a hill or a large rock.
One of the "fairy trees" in Ireland
The chances are increased if it is a blackthorn, ash or oak (the crack in the roots of which may be an entrance to the underworld), and there is mistletoe on the branches.
By the way, Natalia O'Shea, a Russian singer of Irish descent, also known as Helavisa (leader of the group "Melnitsa"), has a song called "Oak, Thorn and Ash".
And if three thorn trees grow near a hill or cliff, it is strictly not recommended to approach them - the fairies living here will not like this, and they will try to take revenge on the uninvited guest who disturbed them.
Elves and fairies of Britain
From 43 to 409, the Romans ruled the south of the island of Britain, and then these lands began to be populated by Germanic tribes: the Angles settled in the northern and eastern territories of modern England, the Saxons in the south (the kingdoms of Wessex, Sussex and Essex), the Jutes occupied the lands around Kent. Two mixed kingdoms appeared in the north - Mercia and Northumbria. The Britons retreated to the west - to the area that the Saxons called "the Land of Strangers" - Wales, and to the north - to Scotland. From the end of the XNUMXth century, the constantly warring Germanic kingdoms were subjected to attacks by Norwegian and Danish Vikings. The Norwegians' sphere of influence became northern Scotland, Ireland and northwestern England. The Danes conquered Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, East Anglia, Northumbria and Mercia – and the vast territories in the east of England became known as the Danelaw or “Danish right area”. As a result, Britain almost became another Scandinavian country. The “northern language” was widespread here, part of the population worshiped the Scandinavian gods and believed in the light elves. But after the Norman conquest by the army of Duke William, beliefs in Celtic elves and fairies – the closest relatives of the magical creatures of the Celts of Northern France – prevailed in Britain. And the fairies of the Arthurian (Breton) cycle became popular among the English and French nobles – Morgan, Vivienne, Melusine and others (some of them were described in previous article).
It must be said that centuries of "anti-elven propaganda" has not yet made elves and fairies unambiguously negative characters. Even during the times of Catholic reaction, they were often called "kind" or "quiet" people and "peaceful neighbors." However, some believe that they were called this way out of fear of offending and receiving immediate retribution - perhaps some petty nastiness, but sometimes in the form of a serious illness. Sometimes elves and fairies of the Blessed and Unblessed Courts are distinguished. The former are kinder to people, but it has long been believed that it is impossible to understand the thoughts of elves and fairies - as well as to make friends with them. Communication with fairies usually does not end well - even if they sincerely want to help people. By the way, S. Lukyanenko wrote about this in the novel "Fidget":
"Everyone knows that you can't expect anything good from fairies. Especially when they wish you well."
The ironic Terry Pratchett in his novel Ladies and Gentlemen gives the following description of elves:
"Elves are wonderful. They create miracles. Elves are amazing. They cause wonder. Elves are fantastic. They create fantasies. Elves are charming. They enchant. Elves are enchanting. They fascinate. Elves are terrible. They create horror. No one has ever said that elves are good. Because they are bad."
And the annotation to this book says:
"Elves love different games - but it's fun for them, not for you."
Such are, for example, fairies – neither good nor evil: even wishing good, they often only bring harm, and therefore it is strictly not recommended for a person to communicate with them.
Fairy illustration by A. Rackham, 1908.
Among the elves and fairies of England, the most mischievous and mischievous creatures are the pixies, who were most often told about in Devon and Cornwall. In Britain, by the way, it is believed that it is the "vulgar and uncouth pixies" who like green clothes, while the "noble fairies" of Somerset wear red.
Illustration by Alfred Smedberg for the collection Among Pixies and Trolls, 1907.
In Scotland, fairies, as expected, prefer tartan. The hoof-hiding Glaistigs (half-women, half-goats) there wear long, gold-embroidered dresses. And the sea-maidens Selkies (in Ireland, Merrow, in the Faroes, Copaconans, "seal women"), when they come ashore, shed their skin, dressing in white silk.
Faroese stamp dated 585
By the way, “real” fairies did not have wings – it is believed that they were invented and drawn by artists of the Romantic era, and the final modern image of little winged fairies was formed in Britain during the reign of Queen Victoria.
John Atkinson Grimshaw. The Spirit of the Night, 1879
In fact, little elves and fairies flew on birds, large insects, and sometimes even on a twig.
John Anster Fitzgerald, The Captive Robin (seated right), circa 1864
Returning to the pixie, we will inform you that there is a short women's hairstyle with this name. In the late 1940s, it was invented by American hairdresser Raymond Bessonet and named after the fairy from the fairy tale "Peter Pan". It became extremely popular in 1953 after the release of the film "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn in the leading role.
Audrey Hepburn
Over the years, supermodel Lesley Hornby (Twiggy), Natalie Portman, Elizabeth Taylor, Michelle Mercier, Rihanna and other famous ladies have also been seen with this hairstyle.
In Scotland, there is a legend about Thomas Learmonth (Thomas the Rhymer, Honest Thomas), who some consider to be the ancestor of our great poet. As a reward for his excellent lute playing and poems about Tristan and Isolde, the queen of the elves promised to fulfill any of his requests. Thomas chose a kiss, and he was not embarrassed even by the fairy's condition - to become her servant for 7 years. When they parted, the queen gave him the gift of telling only the truth, as well as the ability to predict the future. Many years later, two white deer appeared at his house, with whom he left forever for the land of the elves.
Katherine Cameron. Thomas the Rhymer and the Elf Queen
A stone erected at the supposed meeting place of Thomas and the Elf Queen
A very interesting character of Irish and British legends is the elf Ganconer, whom the Irish imagined as a handsome young man with a flute, and the British - as a "presentable" man with a pipe in his hands. He was the Celtic Casanova and Don Juan, who seduced girls who found themselves in the forest. Most often, Ganconer appeared where bells grew - they said that these flowers grow in the place of this elf's tracks. You could also meet him in places where blackthorn and elder grew. After such a meeting, the victims were deprived of peace and sleep, among women there was a saying: "If you meet Ganconer - prepare your shroud." According to legend, only once did he suddenly fall in love with one of the seduced girls and return to her.
It was also often said stories about the mischievous forest elf Puck, who was also called Robin Goodfellow (literally - Robin the Good or Nice Guy).
Title page of Robin Goodfellow, His Mad Pranks and Merry Jests, 1639.
In this picture, Oberon and Titania are standing on the left, Puck is standing next to them with his hands raised up, and fairies are dancing on the right:
Its author, the famous English artist, engraver and poet William Blake, quite seriously claimed that he saw a fairy's funeral in his garden, as well as angels in the foliage of the trees and much more.
And this is Pak from 1912 – a statue by Swedish sculptor Carl Andersson, Stockholm:
According to one version, the famous Sherwood robber known as Robin Hood began to call himself by his name - over time, "good-fellow" could be shortened to "good". In Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Puck is a servant of the elf king Oberon, and a fairy who meets him tells him:
Yes, you... I'm not mistaken, I guess:
The demeanor, the look... are you Good Little Robin?
He who frightens the village needlewomen,
It breaks and spoils the handles of the mills,
It prevents the oil from being knocked down on the sly,
Then he skims the cream from the milk,
It prevents the yeast from fermenting in the mash,
At night he leads travelers into the ravine;
But if someone calls him friend -
It helps them and brings happiness into the home.
The demeanor, the look... are you Good Little Robin?
He who frightens the village needlewomen,
It breaks and spoils the handles of the mills,
It prevents the oil from being knocked down on the sly,
Then he skims the cream from the milk,
It prevents the yeast from fermenting in the mash,
At night he leads travelers into the ravine;
But if someone calls him friend -
It helps them and brings happiness into the home.
Puck talking to the fairy, illustration by A. Rackham for Shakespeare's play
In Ireland, Puck is much less sympathetic, and even his name means "Goat" in Old Irish. On the Green Island, Puck is considered a goblin, who are either related to the German kobolds or "the people of Gob" (the king of the gnomes) - Gob-lings.
And even more terrifying were the Pauri goblins who lived in the dilapidated castles of Britain, who were also called “little red caps” because when they killed people, they wet their hats with blood.
"The Cottingley Fairies"
But let's get back to fairies and pixies. One of the greatest hoaxes of the 1917th century, known as the "Cottingley Fairies" (a village in Yorkshire), is connected with such little elves. Sixteen-year-old Elsie Wright and her cousin, ten-year-old Frances Griffiths, deceived many serious adult men and became famous all over the world. Using a quarter-plate camera "Butcher Midge", they managed to take five photographs of "fairies" (two in 1920, three in XNUMX), which no expert could reasonably recognize as fake for many years.
First photo: "Frances Griffiths surrounded by fairies"
Second photo: "Elsie Wright and the Winged Dwarf"
Of course, many did not believe this story, but it was impossible to prove the fact of falsification. One of the conclusions made by the famous professional photographer Henry Stelling was:
"The photographs were taken outdoors at the same shutter speed. All the magical figures show movement and there are no traces of studio work using paper models, darkened backgrounds, painted figures, etc. I consider both photographs to be authentic."
The famous writer Arthur Conan Doyle believed in the authenticity of these photographs until the end of his life. Illusionist Harry Houdini, who became famous for exposing many charlatans, also could not make a clear decision. In 1997, a film called “The Magic Story” was even made in Britain, with Conan Doyle and Houdini among its characters. The annotation to the film read: “The film is based on the true story of the Cottingley fairies».
Poster and frame from the film "Magic Story":
In 1978, former illusionist James Randi was able to see under high magnification "the strings that held the fairies together", but he was still unable to answer Elsie's snarky question (published in New Scientist!): to what part of the sky are the strings attached, and how can the "paper" fairies be kept in one position?
It was only in 1981 that Elsie Wright claimed that she had copied the fairies from Arthur Shepperton's illustrations in the 1915 children's book Princess Mary's Gifts. According to her, they had not admitted to the deception until then only because they did not want to embarrass Conan Doyle, who had sincerely believed them and whom both girls had great respect for. But before her death in 1988, Elsie suddenly denied her words.
Orcs and Ugrs
In Tolkien, as is known, orcs are also elves, but “corrupted” by pain and black magic. However, some researchers believe that the image of these characters was influenced by the nomadic Ugrians, who, having settled around Lake Balaton, raided the lands of Germany, Italy, France for many years, and in 942 successfully attacked even the distant Cordoba Caliphate. They frightened the Europeans so much that they began to be associated with the man-eating ogres from French folklore or even with the ancient Roman god of death Orcus. And the small steppe horses of the Ugrians in the stories of “eyewitnesses” turned into huge wolves.
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