#irishfolklore — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #irishfolklore, aggregated by home.social.
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An Irish tragedy: The fall of Ferdiad at the hands of Cú Chulainn. Two great warriors, foster brothers, who trained together under the tutelage of the legendary warrior Scáthach.
In Scottish Gaelic, it's said that: Is caomh le fear a charaid, ach 's e smior a chridhe a cho-dhalt. ~ Dear is a kinsman, but the pith of the heart is a foster-brother.
#CúChulainn #Scáthach #IrishFolklore #Gàidhlig #Folklore #Ferdiad #MastoDaoine
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The banshee in Ireland straddles the realms of ghosts and the fae, often seen as a spirit warning of impending death. Originating from tragic female figures, the banshee embodies both human emotions and supernatural qualities. #banshee #irishfolklore https://connectparanormal.net/2026/01/04/banshees-the-haunting-intersection-of-ghosts-and-fairies/
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The banshee in Ireland straddles the realms of ghosts and the fae, often seen as a spirit warning of impending death. Originating from tragic female figures, the banshee embodies both human emotions and supernatural qualities. #banshee #irishfolklore https://connectparanormal.net/2026/01/04/banshees-the-haunting-intersection-of-ghosts-and-fairies/
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"Seekers of Wonder" by Elena E. Sottilotta pioneers the comparison of women's roles in Italian & #IrishFolklore & #FairyTales 1870-1920 collected / written by #WomenWriters Laura Gonzenbach, Grazia Deledda, #JaneWilde & #AugustaGregory
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"Seekers of Wonder" by Elena E. Sottilotta pioneers the comparison of women's roles in Italian & #IrishFolklore & #FairyTales 1870-1920 collected / written by #WomenWriters Laura Gonzenbach, Grazia Deledda, #JaneWilde & #AugustaGregory
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"Seekers of Wonder" by Elena E. Sottilotta pioneers the comparison of women's roles in Italian & #IrishFolklore & #FairyTales 1870-1920 collected / written by #WomenWriters Laura Gonzenbach, Grazia Deledda, #JaneWilde & #AugustaGregory
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Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·Banshees
A banshee (Bean si in Modern Irish & ben side, in Old Irish, meaning “woman of the fairy mound,” or “fairy woman”) is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member. She usually does this by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Keening is a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Gaelic Celtic tradition. This is known to have taken place in Ireland & Scotland.
Banshees are strongly associated with specific Irish families. The belief is that the banshee is a family spirit attached to a particular lineage. Her mournful wail/cry is heard only by family members as a warning of an imminent death.
Another of the banshee characteristics is their unwavering attachment to certain Gaelic families such as the O’Neills, O’Brians, O’Connors, O’Grady, & Kavanaghs, among others. Some traditions hold that the banshee is the ghost. This is perhaps a mother of a famous poet/singer from the family who died tragically. In this sense, she’s an ancestral spirit tied to the bloodline & the land.
She appears or is heard only to mourn & warn the family of an impending death. Often before anyone has received news of it. This direct, specific role makes her an inherently familiar guardian or omen for that clan/family.
They aren’t family pets, the banshees presence is a known, if terrifying, part of the family’s history & destiny, linking her fate to theirs across generations.
A banshee is an autonomous entity, a powerful fairy-woman (bean sidhe) or ghost, isn’t under the control of any living person.
Sometimes she has long streaming hair, which she may be seen combing, with some legends specifying she can only be keen while combing her hair. She wears a gray cloak over a green dress. Her eyes are red from continual weeping. She’s sometimes dressed in white with red hair & a ghastly complexion.
In Ireland & parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament. This keening woman may be a professional, in some cases. The best Keeners would be in high demand.
Irish legends talks about a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee. She would sing it when a family member died or was about to die. Even if the person had died far away & news of their death hasn’t come yet. In those cases, her wailing would be the 1st warning the household had of the death.
The banshee is also a predictor of death. If someone is about to enter a situation where it’s unlikely they’ll come out alive, she’ll warn people by screaming/wailing. This gives rise to the banshee also being known as a wailing woman. The banshee was also linked with the death coach. The banshee is said to either summon the death coach with her keening or travel in tandem with it.
When several banshees show up at 1 time, it usually indicates the death of someone holy or great. The story sometimes tells that the woman (though called a fairy) was a ghost. She’s often a specific murdered woman, or a man who passed away in childbirth.
In some parts of Leinster, she’s referred to as the bean chaointe or ban nigheachain (“little washerwoman”) or nigheag na h-ath (“little washer at the ford”). She’s seen washing bloodstained clothes or armor of those who are about to die.
In Welsh folklore, there’s also a similar being known as the cyhyraeth. The cyhyraeth gives a disembodied moaning voice before the person’s passing.
Some sources suggest that the banshees Laments only the descendants of pure Milesian stock of Ireland. The Milesians were the final race to settle in Ireland. The original belief appears to be associated with a number of ancient Irish families. According to tradition, a banshee wouldn’t lament or visit someone of Saxon or Norman descent or those who came to Ireland later.
Most, not all, of the last names associated with banshees have the “O” or “Mc/Mac” prefix. That means people with the last names of Goidelic origin. This means a family native to the Insular Celtic lands. Rather than those of the Norse, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman.
There are some exceptions to the banshee lore. A banshee may lament a person who’s been gifted with music & song.
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Your contribution is appreciated.
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Make a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly
Make a yearly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate yearly
Rate this:
#AngloSaxon #BanNigheachain #Banshees #BeanChaointe #BeanNighe #BeanSi #beanSidhe #BenSide #Celtic #Cyhyraeth #DeathCoach #Gaelic #Goidelic #InsularCeltic #Ireland #IrishFolklore #Kavanaghs #keening #KeeningWoman #Milesian #ModernIrish #Norman #Norse #OBrians #OConnors #OGrady #ONeills #OldIrish #Poet #Saxon #Scotland #ScottishFolklore #Singer #WelshFolklore
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Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·Banshees
A banshee (Bean si in Modern Irish & ben side, in Old Irish, meaning “woman of the fairy mound,” or “fairy woman”) is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member. She usually does this by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Keening is a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Gaelic Celtic tradition. This is known to have taken place in Ireland & Scotland.
Banshees are strongly associated with specific Irish families. The belief is that the banshee is a family spirit attached to a particular lineage. Her mournful wail/cry is heard only by family members as a warning of an imminent death.
Another of the banshee characteristics is their unwavering attachment to certain Gaelic families such as the O’Neills, O’Brians, O’Connors, O’Grady, & Kavanaghs, among others. Some traditions hold that the banshee is the ghost. This is perhaps a mother of a famous poet/singer from the family who died tragically. In this sense, she’s an ancestral spirit tied to the bloodline & the land.
She appears or is heard only to mourn & warn the family of an impending death. Often before anyone has received news of it. This direct, specific role makes her an inherently familiar guardian or omen for that clan/family.
They aren’t family pets, the banshees presence is a known, if terrifying, part of the family’s history & destiny, linking her fate to theirs across generations.
A banshee is an autonomous entity, a powerful fairy-woman (bean sidhe) or ghost, isn’t under the control of any living person.
Sometimes she has long streaming hair, which she may be seen combing, with some legends specifying she can only be keen while combing her hair. She wears a gray cloak over a green dress. Her eyes are red from continual weeping. She’s sometimes dressed in white with red hair & a ghastly complexion.
In Ireland & parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament. This keening woman may be a professional, in some cases. The best Keeners would be in high demand.
Irish legends talks about a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee. She would sing it when a family member died or was about to die. Even if the person had died far away & news of their death hasn’t come yet. In those cases, her wailing would be the 1st warning the household had of the death.
The banshee is also a predictor of death. If someone is about to enter a situation where it’s unlikely they’ll come out alive, she’ll warn people by screaming/wailing. This gives rise to the banshee also being known as a wailing woman. The banshee was also linked with the death coach. The banshee is said to either summon the death coach with her keening or travel in tandem with it.
When several banshees show up at 1 time, it usually indicates the death of someone holy or great. The story sometimes tells that the woman (though called a fairy) was a ghost. She’s often a specific murdered woman, or a man who passed away in childbirth.
In some parts of Leinster, she’s referred to as the bean chaointe or ban nigheachain (“little washerwoman”) or nigheag na h-ath (“little washer at the ford”). She’s seen washing bloodstained clothes or armor of those who are about to die.
In Welsh folklore, there’s also a similar being known as the cyhyraeth. The cyhyraeth gives a disembodied moaning voice before the person’s passing.
Some sources suggest that the banshees Laments only the descendants of pure Milesian stock of Ireland. The Milesians were the final race to settle in Ireland. The original belief appears to be associated with a number of ancient Irish families. According to tradition, a banshee wouldn’t lament or visit someone of Saxon or Norman descent or those who came to Ireland later.
Most, not all, of the last names associated with banshees have the “O” or “Mc/Mac” prefix. That means people with the last names of Goidelic origin. This means a family native to the Insular Celtic lands. Rather than those of the Norse, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman.
There are some exceptions to the banshee lore. A banshee may lament a person who’s been gifted with music & song.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate
Make a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly
Make a yearly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate yearly
Rate this:
#AngloSaxon #BanNigheachain #Banshees #BeanChaointe #BeanNighe #BeanSi #beanSidhe #BenSide #Celtic #Cyhyraeth #DeathCoach #Gaelic #Goidelic #InsularCeltic #Ireland #IrishFolklore #Kavanaghs #keening #KeeningWoman #Milesian #ModernIrish #Norman #Norse #OBrians #OConnors #OGrady #ONeills #OldIrish #Poet #Saxon #Scotland #ScottishFolklore #Singer #WelshFolklore
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Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·Banshees
A banshee (Bean si in Modern Irish & ben side, in Old Irish, meaning “woman of the fairy mound,” or “fairy woman”) is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member. She usually does this by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Keening is a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Gaelic Celtic tradition. This is known to have taken place in Ireland & Scotland.
Banshees are strongly associated with specific Irish families. The belief is that the banshee is a family spirit attached to a particular lineage. Her mournful wail/cry is heard only by family members as a warning of an imminent death.
Another of the banshee characteristics is their unwavering attachment to certain Gaelic families such as the O’Neills, O’Brians, O’Connors, O’Grady, & Kavanaghs, among others. Some traditions hold that the banshee is the ghost. This is perhaps a mother of a famous poet/singer from the family who died tragically. In this sense, she’s an ancestral spirit tied to the bloodline & the land.
She appears or is heard only to mourn & warn the family of an impending death. Often before anyone has received news of it. This direct, specific role makes her an inherently familiar guardian or omen for that clan/family.
They aren’t family pets, the banshees presence is a known, if terrifying, part of the family’s history & destiny, linking her fate to theirs across generations.
A banshee is an autonomous entity, a powerful fairy-woman (bean sidhe) or ghost, isn’t under the control of any living person.
Sometimes she has long streaming hair, which she may be seen combing, with some legends specifying she can only be keen while combing her hair. She wears a gray cloak over a green dress. Her eyes are red from continual weeping. She’s sometimes dressed in white with red hair & a ghastly complexion.
In Ireland & parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament. This keening woman may be a professional, in some cases. The best Keeners would be in high demand.
Irish legends talks about a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee. She would sing it when a family member died or was about to die. Even if the person had died far away & news of their death hasn’t come yet. In those cases, her wailing would be the 1st warning the household had of the death.
The banshee is also a predictor of death. If someone is about to enter a situation where it’s unlikely they’ll come out alive, she’ll warn people by screaming/wailing. This gives rise to the banshee also being known as a wailing woman. The banshee was also linked with the death coach. The banshee is said to either summon the death coach with her keening or travel in tandem with it.
When several banshees show up at 1 time, it usually indicates the death of someone holy or great. The story sometimes tells that the woman (though called a fairy) was a ghost. She’s often a specific murdered woman, or a man who passed away in childbirth.
In some parts of Leinster, she’s referred to as the bean chaointe or ban nigheachain (“little washerwoman”) or nigheag na h-ath (“little washer at the ford”). She’s seen washing bloodstained clothes or armor of those who are about to die.
In Welsh folklore, there’s also a similar being known as the cyhyraeth. The cyhyraeth gives a disembodied moaning voice before the person’s passing.
Some sources suggest that the banshees Laments only the descendants of pure Milesian stock of Ireland. The Milesians were the final race to settle in Ireland. The original belief appears to be associated with a number of ancient Irish families. According to tradition, a banshee wouldn’t lament or visit someone of Saxon or Norman descent or those who came to Ireland later.
Most, not all, of the last names associated with banshees have the “O” or “Mc/Mac” prefix. That means people with the last names of Goidelic origin. This means a family native to the Insular Celtic lands. Rather than those of the Norse, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman.
There are some exceptions to the banshee lore. A banshee may lament a person who’s been gifted with music & song.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate
Make a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly
Make a yearly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate yearly
Rate this:
#AngloSaxon #BanNigheachain #Banshees #BeanChaointe #BeanNighe #BeanSi #beanSidhe #BenSide #Celtic #Cyhyraeth #DeathCoach #Gaelic #Goidelic #InsularCeltic #Ireland #IrishFolklore #Kavanaghs #keening #KeeningWoman #Milesian #ModernIrish #Norman #Norse #OBrians #OConnors #OGrady #ONeills #OldIrish #Poet #Saxon #Scotland #ScottishFolklore #Singer #WelshFolklore
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Spirituality & Religious Studies @spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com@spiritualityreligiousstudies.wordpress.com ·Banshees
A banshee (Bean si in Modern Irish & ben side, in Old Irish, meaning “woman of the fairy mound,” or “fairy woman”) is a female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member. She usually does this by screaming, wailing, shrieking, or keening. Keening is a traditional form of vocal lament for the dead in the Gaelic Celtic tradition. This is known to have taken place in Ireland & Scotland.
Banshees are strongly associated with specific Irish families. The belief is that the banshee is a family spirit attached to a particular lineage. Her mournful wail/cry is heard only by family members as a warning of an imminent death.
Another of the banshee characteristics is their unwavering attachment to certain Gaelic families such as the O’Neills, O’Brians, O’Connors, O’Grady, & Kavanaghs, among others. Some traditions hold that the banshee is the ghost. This is perhaps a mother of a famous poet/singer from the family who died tragically. In this sense, she’s an ancestral spirit tied to the bloodline & the land.
She appears or is heard only to mourn & warn the family of an impending death. Often before anyone has received news of it. This direct, specific role makes her an inherently familiar guardian or omen for that clan/family.
They aren’t family pets, the banshees presence is a known, if terrifying, part of the family’s history & destiny, linking her fate to theirs across generations.
A banshee is an autonomous entity, a powerful fairy-woman (bean sidhe) or ghost, isn’t under the control of any living person.
Sometimes she has long streaming hair, which she may be seen combing, with some legends specifying she can only be keen while combing her hair. She wears a gray cloak over a green dress. Her eyes are red from continual weeping. She’s sometimes dressed in white with red hair & a ghastly complexion.
In Ireland & parts of Scotland, a traditional part of mourning is the keening woman (bean chaointe), who wails a lament. This keening woman may be a professional, in some cases. The best Keeners would be in high demand.
Irish legends talks about a lament being sung by a fairy woman, or banshee. She would sing it when a family member died or was about to die. Even if the person had died far away & news of their death hasn’t come yet. In those cases, her wailing would be the 1st warning the household had of the death.
The banshee is also a predictor of death. If someone is about to enter a situation where it’s unlikely they’ll come out alive, she’ll warn people by screaming/wailing. This gives rise to the banshee also being known as a wailing woman. The banshee was also linked with the death coach. The banshee is said to either summon the death coach with her keening or travel in tandem with it.
When several banshees show up at 1 time, it usually indicates the death of someone holy or great. The story sometimes tells that the woman (though called a fairy) was a ghost. She’s often a specific murdered woman, or a man who passed away in childbirth.
In some parts of Leinster, she’s referred to as the bean chaointe or ban nigheachain (“little washerwoman”) or nigheag na h-ath (“little washer at the ford”). She’s seen washing bloodstained clothes or armor of those who are about to die.
In Welsh folklore, there’s also a similar being known as the cyhyraeth. The cyhyraeth gives a disembodied moaning voice before the person’s passing.
Some sources suggest that the banshees Laments only the descendants of pure Milesian stock of Ireland. The Milesians were the final race to settle in Ireland. The original belief appears to be associated with a number of ancient Irish families. According to tradition, a banshee wouldn’t lament or visit someone of Saxon or Norman descent or those who came to Ireland later.
Most, not all, of the last names associated with banshees have the “O” or “Mc/Mac” prefix. That means people with the last names of Goidelic origin. This means a family native to the Insular Celtic lands. Rather than those of the Norse, Anglo-Saxon, or Norman.
There are some exceptions to the banshee lore. A banshee may lament a person who’s been gifted with music & song.
Make a one-time donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate
Make a monthly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate monthly
Make a yearly donation
Your contribution is appreciated.
Donate yearly
Rate this:
#AngloSaxon #BanNigheachain #Banshees #BeanChaointe #BeanNighe #BeanSi #beanSidhe #BenSide #Celtic #Cyhyraeth #DeathCoach #Gaelic #Goidelic #InsularCeltic #Ireland #IrishFolklore #Kavanaghs #keening #KeeningWoman #Milesian #ModernIrish #Norman #Norse #OBrians #OConnors #OGrady #ONeills #OldIrish #Poet #Saxon #Scotland #ScottishFolklore #Singer #WelshFolklore
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💀 Tomorrow’s Episode: The Dullahan Rides
👻 No head. No mercy. No need for a door—he’ll ride straight through it.
Tomorrow on Cryptid Hunter, we dive into the chilling Irish legend of the Dullahan—a headless horseman with a glowing skull, a whip made of human spine, and one goal: deliver death.
This isn't your Sleepy Hollow story. It's older. It's darker. It's way more metal.
🎧 Episode drops 6/17—get ready.#Dullahan #ParanormalPodcast #IrishFolklore #HeadlessHorseman #ComingForYou
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💀 Tomorrow’s Episode: The Dullahan Rides
👻 No head. No mercy. No need for a door—he’ll ride straight through it.
Tomorrow on Cryptid Hunter, we dive into the chilling Irish legend of the Dullahan—a headless horseman with a glowing skull, a whip made of human spine, and one goal: deliver death.
This isn't your Sleepy Hollow story. It's older. It's darker. It's way more metal.
🎧 Episode drops 6/17—get ready.#Dullahan #ParanormalPodcast #IrishFolklore #HeadlessHorseman #ComingForYou
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Happy #StPatricksDay! An Irish folktale about the púca tells of how it, in the form of a horse, once abducted a young and inexperienced piper and took him to a great feast in the house of the Banshee, where the lad and his pipes became the party's entertainment. #FolkloreSunday
📷: subhashfcb
#Folklore #Folktale #Puca #Pooka #ThePucaAndThePiper #Ireland #IrishFolklore #IrishFolktale
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Happy #StPatricksDay! An Irish folktale about the púca tells of how it, in the form of a horse, once abducted a young and inexperienced piper and took him to a great feast in the house of the Banshee, where the lad and his pipes became the party's entertainment. #FolkloreSunday
📷: subhashfcb
#Folklore #Folktale #Puca #Pooka #ThePucaAndThePiper #Ireland #IrishFolklore #IrishFolktale
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Happy #StPatricksDay! An Irish folktale about the púca tells of how it, in the form of a horse, once abducted a young and inexperienced piper and took him to a great feast in the house of the Banshee, where the lad and his pipes became the party's entertainment. #FolkloreSunday
📷: subhashfcb
#Folklore #Folktale #Puca #Pooka #ThePucaAndThePiper #Ireland #IrishFolklore #IrishFolktale
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Happy #StPatricksDay! An Irish folktale about the púca tells of how it, in the form of a horse, once abducted a young and inexperienced piper and took him to a great feast in the house of the Banshee, where the lad and his pipes became the party's entertainment. #FolkloreSunday
📷: subhashfcb
#Folklore #Folktale #Puca #Pooka #ThePucaAndThePiper #Ireland #IrishFolklore #IrishFolktale
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The goddess Aine, Queen of the Fairies, was said to live beneath Ireland's Lough Gur. One day as Aine napped by the lake, a covetous herdsboy saw her and stole her golden comb. For this, the boy experienced constant misfortune until the day of his untimely death. #FolkloreSunday
#Folklore #Folktale #FairyTale #LoughGur #Ireland #IrishFolklore #Fairy #Aine
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@durrandon From what I remember, Wolfwalkers is available on Apple TV and they promoted it heavily in the states including this mural they did in Manhattan.
#IrishFilm #Animation #Wolfwalkers #folklore #mythology #IrishFolklore
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My Art of Lore gift boxes are available again this year.
Includes
~ 3 Postcards
~ Yule Father Greeting Card
~ Holly King Greeting Card
~ Etain Transparent Sticker
~ Brighid's Cross Sticker
~ Brighid/Imbolc Greeting Card
~ Brighid's Cross Enamel Pin Badge
~ 3 Treibh Celtic Shield StickersShop Link ~ https://theartoflore.etsy.com
#yule #MastoArt #yuletide #IrishArt #IrishIllustrator #IrishDesigner #IrishFolklore #IrishMythology #IrishMastodon #MastoDaoine #PaganArt #Pagan
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My Art of Lore gift boxes are available again this year.
Includes
~ 3 Postcards
~ Yule Father Greeting Card
~ Holly King Greeting Card
~ Etain Transparent Sticker
~ Brighid's Cross Sticker
~ Brighid/Imbolc Greeting Card
~ Brighid's Cross Enamel Pin Badge
~ 3 Treibh Celtic Shield StickersShop Link ~ https://theartoflore.etsy.com
#yule #MastoArt #yuletide #IrishArt #IrishIllustrator #IrishDesigner #IrishFolklore #IrishMythology #IrishMastodon #MastoDaoine #PaganArt #Pagan
