Z is for Zany. zany adjective amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic (Oxford English Dictionary) There’s this peculiar little creature from folklore that caught my fancy. He goes by two names. Yet no-one can disagree that he’s quite gross. Grogoch or Phynnodderee is the name of this Faery. The folklore attached to his origins is quite sad… …
X is for X-Factor. No matter the name or how you spell it, the Fates are everywhere and in every culture. Folklore The Poetic Edda “Norns are figures of fate who may be present at a child’s birth, prophesying his future, as in the First Poem of Helgi Hundingsbani. As determiners of fate, the norns are …
R is for Red Cap. You think you know fear? Have you met the Red Cap? Folklore Notes on the Folk-Lore of the Northern Counties of England and the Borders by William Henderson [1879] Redcap, Redcomb, or Bloody Cap, is a sprite of another sort from the friendly Brownie. He is cruel and malignant of …
Q is for Queen. Famous, but so misunderstood, the wailing Banshee is the queen of fear. Folklore True Irish Ghost Stories by St. John D. Seymour and Harry L. Neligan [1914] Of all Irish ghosts, fairies, or bogies, the Banshee (sometimes called locally the “Bohēēntha” or “Bankēēntha”) is the best known to the general public: indeed, …
M is for Merrow. Mermaids in various forms can be found across the globe. Mermaid definition (by Ronel)A familiar figure in folklore from around the world, this half-woman, half-fish creature is usually depicted as being a beautiful woman from the waist up and a glistening fish from the waist down. For the most part, the …
L is for Laird. laird n Scottish landowner (Collins English Dictionary) Though I usually use creatures found in folklore as-is with minor adjustments, I had this wonderful idea for a specific Faery race that incorporated a variety of Celtic races, customs and histories. Where possible, I’ll give you the original text that inspired me. Influence …
K is for Kelpie. Of all the shape-shifting Fae, this one embodies the capricious nature of the Fae the most. At least in my opinion. Caprice [kap-reess] n sudden change in attitude capricious adj tending to have sudden changes in attitude (Collins English Dictionary). For clarification… Which, of course, makes this creature a lot of fun to write about. But let …
J is for Jailer. Leader of the Tuatha Dé Danann (the race thought to be the Fae), Dagda is seen as a master of magic, a great warrior and a man of great appetite. Folklore Gods and Fighting Men by Lady Gregory [1904] AND it was at Brugh na Boinne the Dagda, the Red Man …
G is for Gancanagh. The capricious Fae have to be my favourite to write about – you never know what they’re going to do! Let’s look at the faery heartthrob that no woman can resist. First, the perfect song! You can check out the lyrics for “I Wanna” by The All-American Rejects here. It’s the …
C is for Cù Sìth. The Cù Sìth or Faery Dog plays an important role in most of my stories. Most of my heroines have an important task to perform in the future of Faerie – and that makes them targets for the bad guys. So they have a Cù Sìth protector. Before we get …
