Interests Sidhe of Little Fairy Forts

By CALEB O’CONNOR

Growing up, I got the usual warnings - don’t talk to strangers, eat all your dinner, and stay away from fairies.

Searches for fairies online bring up little women with big butterfly wings or mushroom circles with a soft sparkly filter. This romanticised fairy is sweet, kind, and promises gifts and fun. And is definitely not the ones I was warned about. The way we think of fairies here is not quite with a fear or respect, but more the way you would speak of a predator in the woods that you’ve never seen. There’s a knowledge embedded in us.

Back before history, before any of our legends, there was a war. The Tuath Dé Danann (those who worshipped the Goddess Danú) were cast to the bottom of Ireland. Literally below the island itself. They didn’t quieten - their rambunctions raised hills and formed circles of tree and rock. Their name changes - Aes Sidh, or people of the mound, and as time trickled on, they became the Sidhe. Fairies.

This history is somewhat lost on us, but the safety precautions are not. As you read, you’re likely remembering your own warnings. But do you remember how to stay safe?

Fairy forts/Fairy rings

Do you know where your closest fairy fort is? You should. So you can avoid it. There are an estimated 60,000 of them across the island, with some dating as far back as 600 BCE. They’re usually noticed by the aforementioned rings of trees or stones, but what do you do if you spot it too late? Is it game over?

Not as long as you’re careful. Walk backwards while apologising for the intrusion. Don’t turn your back until you’re out of the ring, and make sure anyone with you follows the same steps.

Horseshoes

As a child, I didn’t understand why so many houses had horse shoes above the door. They didn’t even have horses! But a number of years back, I met the manager of the National Leprechaun Museum, Mark O’Gearain. The name of the museum is bait, he told me, and they show Irish folklore in a fun, interactive setting. I won’t spoil the whole tour, trust me when I say it’s worth it. But it was here I learned that those horse shoes were to stop fairies from coming in the door! Fairies weakness is iron, something that’s stood across fairy lore across the globe. But the next use of iron might not be so universal.

On the door is just as effective as they still couldn’t pass the opened door.

Iron nails

By far the most curious defence I’ve heard is this; Get a clay pot and put iron nails into it. Then fill it with urine. The scent attracts them and the iron weakens them. It’s unclear if this will trap them or kill them, but what a way to go.

Maybe this piece has you scratching your head or maybe you’re nodding along. Our culture of story telling has left some things lost to time, spoken for the last time before anyone who could read this was here. To keep our traditions and folk tales alive, we have to share them. And maybe they are just stories. But better safe than sorry, right?

If you’re interested in more of Mark’s folklore and story telling, check out his Instagram; beardedbadgerstorytelling.