Dictionary of Fairies

Athach. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Athach

Атах

Этим словом, означающим «чудовище» или «великан», обычно называются те в высшей степени неприятные существа, что водились в укромных лоханах и теснинах Шотландии, такие, как Луйдег, Тряпичница — демоница, обитавшая в Лохан-Нан-Дув-Вреке в Скайе и убивавшая всех людей, которых могла поймать; бокан, который может принимать различные чудовищные обличья; или Дирах из Глен-Этива, у которого единственная рука росла из груди, нога из бедра и глаз посреди лба, практически так же, как у Фахана. Эти чудовища описаны у Д.А.Маккензи, Дж.Г.Кэмпбелла и Дж.Ф.Кэмпбелла.

Joint-eater. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Joint-eater

The name given by Kirk to what the Irish call 'Alp-Luachra'; but, according to Kirk, this Joint-eater is a kind of fairy who sits invisibly beside his victim and shares his food with him. In The Secret Commonwealth (p.71) he says:

They avouch that a Heluo, or Great-eater, hath a voracious Elve to be his attender, called a Joint-eater or Just-halver, feeding on the Pith or Quintessence of what the Man eats; and that therefoir he continues Lean like a Hawke or Heron, notwithstanding his devouring Appetite.

Ainsel. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Ainsel

This is a variant of the 'Noman' story and is told in Richardson's Table-Book about the faries of Northumberland. A widow and her little boy lived in a cottage near Rothley.

One night the child was very lively and would not go to bed when his mother did. She warned him that the faries would come and fetch him if he sat up too late, but he only laughed and went on playing. She had not long blown out the candle when a lovely little creature jumped down the chimney and began to frisk about in front of the boy.

'What do they ca' thou?' he said fascinated.

'Ainsel', she answered. 'And what do they ca' thou'

'My ainsel', he answered, cannily, and they began to play together like two children of one race.

Presently the fire got low and the little boy stirred it up so vigorously that a cinder blew out and burnt little Ainsel on the foot. She set up a yell quite disproportionate to her size,

'Wow! I'm brent!'

'Wha's done it? Wha's done it?' said a dreadful voice from the chimney, and the boy made one leap into bed as the old fary mother shot down on to the floor.

'My ainsel! My ainsel!' said the little fary.

'Why then,' said her mother, 'what's all this noise for: there's nyon to blame!'

And she kicked Ainsel up the chimney.

[Type 1137. Motif: K602.1]

Aine. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Aine [аw-nе]

The fairy goddess to whom, with her sister Fenne (or Finnen), Knock Aine and Knock Fennine on the shores of Lough Gur are dedicated. They were the daughters of Egogabal, a king of the Tuatha de Danann.

Of Aine there is a version of the swan maiden story, very similar to those of the Gwragedd Annwn of Wales. One day, as Aine was sitting on the shore of Lough Gur combing her hair, Gerold, the Earl of Desmond, saw her and fell in love with her. He gained control over her by seizing her cloak, and made her his bride. Their child was Earl Fitzgerald, and the taboo imposed upon his father was that he must never express any surprise at anything his son might do. One night, however, showing off his skill to some maidens, he jumped into a bottle and out again, and his father could not restrain a cry of surprise. Fitzgerald at once left the castle and was seen swimming across the lough in the form of a wild goose towards Garrod Island, under which his enchanted castle was said to lie. At the same time, Aine disappeared into Knock Aine.

This story was collected from informants by Evans Wentz and included in «The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries» (p.79). A somewhat similar story is the more widely known Legend of Mullaghmast.

[Motifs: C30; C31; F302.2]

Aughisky. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Aughisky [agh-iski], the water-horse

This is the same as the Highland Each Uisge. Yeats, in Irish Fairy and Folk Tales (p.94), tells us that the aughiska were once common and used to come out of the water — particularly, it seems, in November — and gallop along the sands or over the fields, and if people could get them away from the fields and saddle and bridle them, they would make the finest horses. But they must be ridden inland, for if they got so much as a glimpse of salt water they would gallop headlong away, carrying their riders with them, bear them deep into the sea and there devour them. It was said also that the untamed aughiska used to devour mortal cattle.

[Motifs: B184.1.3; F234.1.8; G303.3.3.1.3]

Aillen Mac Midhna. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Aillen Mac Midhna

A fairy musician of the Tuatha De Danann who came every year at Samhain Eve (All-Hallow Eve) out of Sidhe Finnachaid to Tara, the Royal Palace of the High King, playing so marvellously on his timpan (a kind of belled tambourine) that all who heard him were lulled asleep, and while they slept he blew three blasts of fire out of his nostrils and burnt up the Hall of Tara. This happened every Samhain Eve for twenty-three years, until Finn of the Fianna Finn conquered Aillen and killed him (Silva Gadelica, vol.II, p.142-144). He conquered him by himself inhaling the fumes of his magic spear, whose point was so venomous that no one who smelled it could sleep, however lulling the music.

[Motifs: F262.3.4; F369.1]

Aiken Drum. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Aiken Drum

The name 'Aiken Drum' is best known in the Scottish nursery rhyme:

There cam' a man to oor toun,

There cam' a man to oor toun,

There cam' a man to oor toun

An' his name was Aiken Drum.

This is quoted in full by lona and Peter Opie in The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes as, 'There was a man lived in the Moon'. It is, however, the name given by William Nicholson to the Brownie of Blednoch in Galloway. William Nicholson wrote several ballads on folklore themes; 'Aiken Drum' is to be found in the third edition of his Poetical Works (1878). Aiken Drum in the nursery rhyme wears entirely edible clothes, a hat of cream cheese, a coat of roast beef, buttons of penny loaves, and so on, but the Brownie of Blednoch was naked except for a kilt of green rushes, and like all brownies he was laid by a gift of clothing:

For a new-made wife, fu' o' rippish freaks,

Fond o' a' things feat for the first five weeks,

Laid a mouldy pair o' her ain man's breeks

By the brose o' Aiken-drum

Let the learned decide when they convene,

What spell was him and the breeks between;

For frae that day forth he was nae mair seen,

And sair missed was Aiken-drum!

[Motif: F381.3]

Айкен Драм

Имя «Айкен Драм» известно из шотландского детского стишка:

Пришел в наш город человек,

Afanc. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Afanc [avank]

There was some doubt about the form taken by the monster which inhabited a pool called Llyn yr Afanc on the River Conwy in North Wales. It was generally thought to be an enormous beaver because the word afanc is sometimes used for beaver in local dialects. Llyn yr Afanc is a kind of whirlpool: anything thrown into it will whirl round about before it is sucked down. It used to be thought that it was the Afanc which dragged down animals or people who fell into the Llyn. It was thought to be either a monstrous beaver or a kind of crocodile. According to a 17th-century tradition told in Rhys's Celtic Folklore (p.130), the Afanc, like the Unicorn, was allured by a maiden who persuaded it to lay its head in her lap and fall asleep. While it slept it was chained and the chains were attached to two oxen. When they began to draw it, it awoke and made for the pool, tearing away the maiden's breast which it was holding in its claw. Several men hauled on the chain, but it was the oxen's strength that was effectual, as the Afanc itself confessed. The men were disputing as to which of them had pulled the hardest when the captive suddenly spoke and said:

'Had it not been for the oxen pulling,

The Afanc had never left the pool.'

[Motif: F420.1.4]

Aedh. Статья из «Эльфийского словаря» К.Бриггс

Aedh [ay]

The son of Eochail Lethderg, Prince of Leinster, who was playing hurling with his young companions when he was carried into a Brugh, or palace, of Fairyland by two sidh-women who were in love with him, and held captive there for three years. At the end of this time Aedh escaped and made his way to St Patrick, and begged him to free him from the fairy dominion. Patrick took him in disguise to Leinster to his father's court, and there restored him to humanity and freed him from the timeless life of the fairies (see Time in Fairyland). This account from Silva Gadelica (p.204-220) is one of the earliest stories of Captives of Fairyland.

[Motif: F379.1]

RSS-материал