Mythological Creatures
The sídhe, the banshee, the púca, the leprechaun. Beings between this world and the otherworld.
13 entries.
| Irish | Ogham | How to say it | English | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| An Cailleach | ᚛ᚐᚅ ᚉᚐᚔᚂᚂᚓᚐᚉᚆ᚜ | un KAL-yukh | the cailleach | Foclóir | The Cailleach — the divine hag, ancestress and creator-shaper of Ireland’s landscape. Mountains and bogs are her work. |
| Balor | ᚛ᚁᚐᚂᚑᚏ᚜ | BAL-ur | balor | CELT — Lebor Gabála | Balor of the Evil Eye. Fomorian king. His one terrible eye killed whoever looked into it. Killed by his grandson Lugh at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. |
| bean sí | ᚛ᚁᚓᚐᚅ ᚄᚔ᚜ | BAN SHEE | banshee | FoclóirTeanglann | |
| Cailleach Bhéarra | ᚛ᚉᚐᚔᚂᚂᚓᚐᚉᚆ ᚁᚆᚓᚐᚏᚏᚐ᚜ | KAL-yukh VAY-ruh | cailleach bhéarra | Foclóir | The Old Woman of Beara. The Cailleach in her Cork manifestation; lived seven youths and seven old ages, shaping landscape with her hammer. |
| dullahan | ᚛ᚇᚒᚂᚂᚐᚆᚐᚅ᚜ | DUL-uh-han | dullahan | Foclóir | Dullahan — headless horseman of Irish folklore. Carries his head under his arm; calls the names of those about to die. |
| fear gorta | ᚛ᚃᚓᚐᚏ ᚌᚑᚏᚈᚐ᚜ | far GUR-tuh | fear gorta | Foclóir | Fear Gorta — ‘hunger man.’ Spirit that walked the land during the Famine years; said to be cured by feeding bread. |
| Fomóraigh | ᚛ᚃᚑᚋᚑᚏᚐᚔᚌᚆ᚜ | FUH-VOR-ee | fomorians | CELT — Lebor Gabála | Fomorians. The chaotic sea-people the Tuatha Dé Danann defeated at Mag Tuired. Often described as monstrous; sometimes one-eyed, one-legged. |
| leannán sídhe | ᚛ᚂᚓᚐᚅᚅᚐᚅ ᚄᚔᚇᚆᚓ᚜ | LAN-awn SHEE | fairy lover | Foclóir | Leannán sídhe — fairy-lover. A spirit who takes a mortal as paramour, often inspiring great art at the cost of their life. |
| leipreachán | ᚛ᚂᚓᚔᚚᚏᚓᚐᚉᚆᚐᚅ᚜ | LEH-uh-pra-khawn | gnome | FoclóirTeanglann | |
| luchorpán | ᚛ᚂᚒᚉᚆᚑᚏᚚᚐᚅ᚜ | LUKH-ur-pawn | luchorpán | Foclóir | Luchorpán — ‘small body.’ The Old Irish form that English took as ‘leprechaun.’ |
| Ollphéist | ᚛ᚑᚂᚂᚚᚆᚓᚔᚄᚈ᚜ | UL-faysht | great worm | Foclóir | Ollphéist — ‘great worm.’ Sea or lake monster of folklore. |
| púca | ᚛ᚚᚒᚉᚐ᚜ | POO-kuh | bogeyman | Foclóir | |
| sí | ᚛ᚄᚔ᚜ | shee | fairy | FoclóirTeanglann | The sídhe. Originally the Tuatha Dé Danann themselves; later the inhabitants of the otherworld, the fairy-folk. |