The Faerie Tree

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The “Rostrevor Fairy Glen”in County Down is another enchanting location where visitors can follow a winding path through a moss-covered forest. Along the path, visitors encounter fairy doors, sculptures, and charming picnic spots.

There are some exceptions, however. Golfers at the Ormeau golf course in Belfast are encouraged to nod at the fairy tree that stands there and apologize to it if they hit it with their golf balls. No one touches the tree, however, not even the club’s gardeners! What Types of Trees are Considered Fairy Trees in Ireland? Fairy trails hold immense significance in Irish culture, rooted in the deep-seated belief in the fairy folk and the otherworldly. These trails offer a tangible connection to the enchanting stories of fairies that have been passed down through generations. Irish Mythology is split into four different cycles with the Mythological Cycle describing how faeries (Sidhe) moved to the other-world. When the Milesians or Gaels arrived in Ireland they took up a dispute with the Tuatha Dé Danann, children of the Goddess Danu. The Tuatha Dé Danann retired underground and became known as the fairy people, sidhe, or the wee folk. The decoration of Fairy Trees in Ireland is a charming and deeply rooted tradition that showcases the enduring connection between the Irish people and their folklore. These sacred trees, often ancient and gnarled, are believed to be the dwelling places of fairies or spirits, and they are adorned with various items as a mark of respect and reverence. Fairy LightsAccording to some historians, such as Barthélemy d'Herbelot, fairies were adopted from and influenced by the peris of Persian mythology. [9] Peris were angelic beings that were mentioned in antiquity in pre-Islamic Persia as early as the Achaemenid Empire. Peris were later described in various Persian works in great detail such as the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi. A peri was illustrated to be fair, beautiful, and extravagant nature spirits that were supported by wings. This may have influenced migratory Germanic and Eurasian settlers into Europe, or been transmitted during early exchanges. [10] The similarities could also be attributed to a shared Proto-Indo-European mythology. [11] I give up trying to plan when it hits me I won’t remember nights on the porch the same without my love for Momma and Pa, and without their love for me. I cry some more after that, and when my stomach claws at me I finish the apple, and then I watch Sister’s light go on and hate the beanpole more than ever for what I’m giving up. It is also said that the fairies are the greatest protector of Irish archaeology, which is another reason why farmers refuse to remove them. Even if you don’t believe in the mythology, it is impossible to deny that the fae folk are a symbol of ancient Irish history. The Fear Dearg are named after their red coats and hats (Dearg means ‘red’ in Irish, and Fearr means ‘man’). They are also called rat boys due to their hairy skin, tail and long snout. They are the most mischievous of all three creatures and actively involve themselves in practical jokes that can be dangerous for the unfortunate humans that cross their path. When the Gaels arrived in Ireland in the 11th century, they defeated the Tuatha Dé Danann, forcing them to retreat underground. Here, they became known as the Sidhe, or faeries, of the other world.

Fairy lights, also known as “fairy garlands” or “fairy ribbons,” are a common and enchanting way to decorate Fairy Trees in Ireland. These delicate, twinkling strands of lights are carefully wrapped around the branches of the chosen tree, creating a mesmerizing spectacle, especially when lit up during the evening hours. Despite their enigmatic nature, fairies hold a special place in the hearts of the Irish people. They are revered and respected, and many customs and traditions are associated with appeasing or seeking the favour of the fairies.

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The faerie squares off like it’s rich folk and eyes me like dirt. “When last I saw you, Marianne,” and my name in its mouth quakes my bones loud as thunder, “you were half as high, and your grandmother called us out not to deal, but to warn you away from our folk. You know what manner of price our aid requires. Would you pay less than she?” They are known to swap babies with changelings, which are hairy creatures who take the identical appearance of a human when the real person has been taken. Changelings

The Tree of Life represented the interconnectivity of everything in nature and the connection of our world with the Otherworld. The Otherworld was a supernatural place which belonged to deities and the dead. Pa thunders, “Hush!” right behind her. They look at me sideways, like I ain’t got manners, or maybe like I just ain’t right, like I’m Different. “Men are speaking,” Pa says finally, but he don’t say go cut a switch, so I scrunch up and hush up and sulk. Sister don’t wink at me like usual though, just stares at her hands until Momma calls her to help bring out breakfast.Sadly, from the 1960s to the 1980s, almost 20% of hedgerows were dug up and replaced with barbed wire and electric fences to free up extra land for agriculture and to make way for larger farm machinery. Even worse, pressure from farmers has lately seen a weakening of laws restricting the trimming of hedgerows during nesting season. The very ill-considered 2018 Heritage Bill will, beginning in 2019, allow “burning of vegetation” through March and “the cutting of vegetation growing in any hedge or ditch on the roadside” beginning in August. That’s sacrifice: giving what you can’t give so people you love get along better. Not telling what you gave for them while they rub that pain right in your face and you can’t say a word, least not one they’ll believe. Before Pa can get on me again for being rude, there’s food on the table. Momma’s smiling and Sister’s just a quiet young lady, a pretty, empty face I can’t reach. Something don’t feel right, but don’t Momma or Pa notice, and I can’t tell why. So I eat quiet-like and pretend I’m a lady. Pa’s talking to beanpole again. Along these paths, visitors may encounter various fairy-related decorations, such as fairy doors, miniature houses, and whimsical sculptures, all of which serve as markers of the fairy folk’s presence. One for the man and one for the baby. I ask nothing to restore your sister in honor of your ties to us, but mark me well, Marianne, I could demand what you feel for her, too, and call it fair.”

It knows I don’t want that wrong baby somehow, but that’s the price Mamaw paid, and I don’t know what else to give. “I got a gold ring,” I say—Mamaw’s old wedding ring. Momma thought Sister would get it, kept harping on it when she found out, but when I offered to give it over she looked at me like I look at Sister’s man—like I was wrong inside, like the ring should mean more than it did. I ain’t tell her Mamaw maybe gave it hoping someday I’d be normal, or maybe hoping what she done wouldn’t touch Sister through that band. That husband only gave her my Pa, and ’cause of Pa she got me. I know she loved me, but that don’t always help. Throughout history, the Irish people have been superstitious about fairy trees, with farmers unwilling to remove them, even when if it means they can’t grow crops where the tree stands. That’s why you’ll often see an untouched fairy tree standing in the middle of a perfectly cultivated field. Beanpole ain’t been in the yard since he first came with Sister. I got no idea how to get him outside. I sit at the tree trying to think up a plan, but my whole head’s full up of Momma humming over the skillet cooking pancakes for breakfast, and the way Pa half-smiles when I bring him more coffee. I see Pa whittling on the porch steps while the sun dies over harvested fields, and Ma mending in her chair, laughing with Pa through the screen. There were evenings before Sister went to boarding school when we’d all set out there, all together, Mamaw telling fairy tales and Pa saying, “Sister, no princes ’til you’re thirty-five,” and Sister getting fussy while Momma just laughed. He never told me “No princes,” ’cause I never cared to be a princess like real girls, but I knew my family loved me through and through on those nights, even wrong inside as I was pretty.These days, of course, the berries and flowers are best known. The dark purple berries are an abundant source of vitamin C. Folk medicine uses elderberries to fight flu, coughs, and colds, and as a blood tonic to relieve gout, rheumatism and nerve pains. Modern research has found that a compound in elderberries surrounds the flu virus and stops it invading our cells, corroborating their use as a flu remedy. Elderflowers have even more uses — far too many to list here. As previously mentioned, the Aos sí are descendants of the Tuatha de Danann. They are human-sized, beautiful, intelligent, creative and in tune with nature. They value the arts, especially music and reading.