Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Scottish Mythology - Seelie Court / Spriggans

Seelie Court

The 'blessed' fairies were in the Seelie Court and traveled in troops, doing good where it was needed and playing jokes on those who deserved them.

See also Unseelie Court.


Selkies

These are the seal-people of Orkney and Scotland. A mortal might marry a Selkie woman if he could hide her seal-skin. See also the Roane.


Shock

This is a bogie-beast who will appear as a horse, a donkey, a large dog or a calf. They are frightening as well as dangerous.


Silky

Brownies are mostly males but Silkies behave just like them and are all females.


Skillywidden

He was a very young fairy who was found by a farmer when he was working in the fields. He resolved to keep him so he could find the entrance to Fairyland but his children helped him to escape. The farmer did not punish his children because he knew it was best for the fairy family to be reunited.


Spriggans

Bodyguards to the fairies, these Bogies were ugly and they were fierce fighters. It is said that they are the ghosts of the Giants who were killed when England was first invaded.

See also the Fairies on the Eastern Green.


Reference: "Abbey Lubbers, Banshees & Boggarts. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies" by Katherine Briggs.

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