Source: weheartit.com
The Heimskringla Saga
“Over the foaming salt sea spray, The Norse sea-horses took their way, Racing across the ocean-plain, Southwards to Denmark’s green domain.”
- Snorri Sturluson
Runic amulet with the Elder Futhark.
“In the old Irish manuscripts, the Celtic Otherworld was located in the midst of the Western Ocean, as though it were the ‘double’ of the lost Atlantis and Manannan Mac Lir, the son of the Sea–perhaps himself the ‘double’ of an ancient Antlantean king–was one of the divine rulers of its fairy inhabitants, and his palace, for he was one of the Tuatha De Danann, was there rather than in Ireland; and when he traveled between the two countries it was in a magic chariot drawn by horses who moved over the sea-waves as on land.”
-W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries (1911)
fumbletongue
Fairy, Faerie, Fey, Fae and Fay
Fairy:
- is derived from Latin word “fatum,” meaning “the fates” and the Old French word fae and faerie meaning land, realm, or a characteristic activity (i.e. enchantment).
- the standard modern spelling of the word faerie (as faerie is a pseudo-archaism.)
- The word fairy came about to differentiate between warriors and human sized faeries in other works of literature. Fairies were delicate and tiny, often found in children’s books.
Faerie:
- circa 1300
- from Old French faerie “land of fairies, meeting of fairies; enchantment, magic, witchcraft, sorcery”
- from fae “fay,” from Latin fata “the Fates,” plural of fatum “that which is ordained; destiny, fate,”
- to the word faie was added the suffix -erie (Modern English -(e)ry), used to express either a place where something is found (fishery, heronry, nunnery) or a trade or typical activity engaged in by a person (cookery, midwifery, thievery).
Fae, Fay and Fey:
Fae: plural for faerie
Fay: to fit, to join together.
Fey: fated to die
*Note: If one Google images “fairy” they will find lighthearted images of Tinkerbellesque creatures. If one google images “faerie” they will find darker images closer tied to that of lore and legends.
Other titles or names for Faeries:
theheadlesshashasheen
“The native English one for the same beings is ‘elves,’ from the German ‘Aelfar,’ and for unknown reasons this got replaced by the old French word ‘faerie’. […] In fact the French word itself didn’t mean a fairy. It’s a verb, not a noun. It means ‘to enchant:’ faerie. Enchantment by anyone, for any reason. So the English word ‘fairy,’ or ‘fairies’ therefore signifies those things we dare not name, who use magic. Which is a very roundabout way of talking about it. It seems to have been adopted because the English had become so scared about talking about fairies, they didn’t want to use the old word at all. It’s equivalent to those in Mann referring to the “Good Folk,” the “Little Folk,” or “Those Underground”.” – Dr. Ronald Hutton, Traditional Fairy Beliefs for Manx Heritage.
“The lack of rigid boundaries between humans and animals in Celtic religion and mythology is demonstrated above all by shape-shifting or metamorphosis, the power of supernatural beings to change form. The world of the vernacular Welsh and Irish tradition is redolent with enchanted animals who were once in human form, and divinities who could transform themselves back and forth between human and animal shape. The Irish war-goddesses frequently indulged in shape-changing. Both the Morrigan and the Badbh appeared to warriors as crows or ravens. When the Morrigan encounters Cu Chulainn, she is in the form of a young noblewoman, but when he spurns her, she changes to an eel, a wolf and a hornless red heifer in quick succession. These Irish goddesses also habitually changed between the forms of young girl and old hag. Any attempt to trace examples of this shape-shifting tradition in the archaeological record must be speculative. But there are instances of semi-zoomorphic, semi-human divine images; the horned gods and Cernunnos, the antlered deity, spring to mind as possible shape-shifters. Iron Age coins struck by Gaulish and British tribes, showing a huge raven perched on a horse, may reflect the Insular tradition of the raven-goddesses.”
— “Dictionary of Celtic Myth and Legend” by Miranda J. Green (via eibhlincatha)
Dun Emer Guild, tapestry, maybe from 1904. Guild taught women tradicional irish crafts. Sailing boat was a favorite motive in the movement of art crafts. Height 80 cm/2,62 ft, Width 67,5 cm/2,21 ft.