#scottish-folklore — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #scottish-folklore, aggregated by home.social.
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11 Celtic Gods and Goddesses You Should Know
The idea of the ancient Celt is synonymous with blue-painted warriors, white-cloaked druids, soft-spoken women in flowing dresses, and perhaps the odd warrior queen. While their languages may have been related, the Celts were not a single, unified people. They comprised many distinct cultures and had regional pantheons that reflected the cultures they represented. Of prominence were the Irish, Welsh, and Gaulish pantheons, each with its own set of fascinating stories.........Continue […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/07/10/11-celtic-gods-and-goddesses-you-should-know/
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11 Celtic Gods and Goddesses You Should Know
The idea of the ancient Celt is synonymous with blue-painted warriors, white-cloaked druids, soft-spoken women in flowing dresses, and perhaps the odd warrior queen. While their languages may have been related, the Celts were not a single, unified people. They comprised many distinct cultures and had regional pantheons that reflected the cultures they represented. Of prominence were the Irish, Welsh, and Gaulish pantheons, each with its own set of fascinating stories.........Continue […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/07/10/11-celtic-gods-and-goddesses-you-should-know/
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Is she a vampire or fairy? The Baobhan Sith are dangerous Scottish monster who prey on men. #vampires #fairies #Scottishfolklore https://youtu.be/1WhS9RYh05I?si=SgPJtp2EgRqIA6dB
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Is she a vampire or fairy? The Baobhan Sith are dangerous Scottish monster who prey on men. #vampires #fairies #Scottishfolklore https://youtu.be/1WhS9RYh05I?si=SgPJtp2EgRqIA6dB
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#FolkloreSunday 🏡🪵🔥❄️#Hearthlore
In Scottish Highland hearths, the Yule log twists fierce: Chalk the Cailleach Nollich—"Christmas Old Lady"—onto its bark, then set her ablaze.
This rite derives from sketching a female effigy directly onto the log. As the blaze intensified, the woman's traced form would dissolve in the heat, "Charring the Old Wife," this mocking pyre scorches winter's crone.#ScottishFolklore 🏴 🪵🔥
#CharringOldWife 🪵Source: https://cailleachs-herbarium.com
📸Scott Richardson-Read
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Did you know that #Brownies also know n come from Scottish folklore?
These charming household hobgoblins are known for their helpfulness, tackling chores when no one is watching.
Leave out some milk or cream and they may lend a hand around your home. 🧹
#ScottishFolklore 🏴🎨 Arthur Rackham circa 1917.
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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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#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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I have a story in this book!
(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧My contribution is the story
"Baobhan sith," which is a retelling of an old Scottish horror folktale.#scottishfolklore #folklore #fae #fairies #horrorstories #horrorbook #horror
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Fuath are malevolent water spirits from Scottish Gaelic folklore inhabiting Highland waterways. They appear as green-skinned shapeshifters with both human and aquatic features. #fuath #scottishfolklore https://connectparanormal.net/2025/07/02/the-fuath-malevolent-spirits-of-scottish-waterways/
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The Beithir, a snake-like monster in Celtic mythology, symbolizes natural mystery and power. It is described as an apex predator living in Scotland’s rural areas, often associated with storms. #beithir #scottishfolklore https://connectparanormal.net/2025/06/28/the-beithir-a-symbol-of-nature-and-chaos/
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From the British Fantasy Society: Get your first peek at the next novel from Shona Kinsella, coming from Flame Tree in November!
https://britishfantasysociety.org/cover-reveal-daughters-of-nicnevin-by-shona-kinsella/
#fantasy #books #coverreveal #folklorefantasy #scottishfolklore
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From the British Fantasy Society: Get your first peek at the next novel from Shona Kinsella, coming from Flame Tree in November!
https://britishfantasysociety.org/cover-reveal-daughters-of-nicnevin-by-shona-kinsella/
#fantasy #books #coverreveal #folklorefantasy #scottishfolklore
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The Cù Sìth, a fairy hound from Celtic mythology, symbolizes the fears and spiritual beliefs of Highland communities. #fairies #dogs #scottishfolklore https://connectparanormal.net/2025/03/30/cu-sith-the-green-fairy-hound-and-its-dark-legends/
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Often referred to as a washerwoman of fate and a harbinger of death, the bean-nighe is a mythical figure from Scottish tradition. #Fairies #scottishfolklore https://fairyland.blog/post/774648639903678464/bean-nighe-harbinger-of-death
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Folklore read live!
A tale of delightful helper spirits playing silly tricks and a monster's brutal beatings.
You know: Folklore.Hear the tale of a Scottish Rumpelstiltskin LIVE right NOW: https://youtube.com/live/15_xRQfu9Po
#FairyTaleTuesday #WritingCommunity #storyteller #FairyTale #AmReading #reading #vancouver #fairy #folklore #folk #tales #stories #GrimmBrothers #dnd #dnd5e #Pathfinder #pf2e #ttrpg #fantasy #lotr #scottishfolklore #scotland #peerifolk #ffxi #ogre #princess
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Folklore read live!
A tale of delightful helper spirits playing silly tricks and a monster's brutal beatings.
You know: Folklore.Hear the tale of a Scottish Rumpelstiltskin LIVE right NOW: https://youtube.com/live/15_xRQfu9Po
#FairyTaleTuesday #WritingCommunity #storyteller #FairyTale #AmReading #reading #vancouver #fairy #folklore #folk #tales #stories #GrimmBrothers #dnd #dnd5e #Pathfinder #pf2e #ttrpg #fantasy #lotr #scottishfolklore #scotland #peerifolk #ffxi #ogre #princess
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Folklore read live!
The most gruesome & horrible collection of folktales I've ever assembled for a stream.
Maybe consider skipping this one...BONUS Folklore Hallowstream LIVE right NOW: https://youtube.com/live/sJjqgShwlpM
#FairyTaleTuesday #WritingCommunity #storyteller #FairyTale #AmReading #reading #fairy #folklore #folk #tales #stories #GrimmBrothers #fantasy #halloween #horrorstories #hallowstream #german #scottishfolklore #scotland #brittany #breton #cannibalization #cannibal
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Folklore read live!
The most gruesome & horrible collection of folktales I've ever assembled for a stream.
Maybe consider skipping this one...BONUS Folklore Hallowstream LIVE right NOW: https://youtube.com/live/sJjqgShwlpM
#FairyTaleTuesday #WritingCommunity #storyteller #FairyTale #AmReading #reading #fairy #folklore #folk #tales #stories #GrimmBrothers #fantasy #halloween #horrorstories #hallowstream #german #scottishfolklore #scotland #brittany #breton #cannibalization #cannibal
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Lyndsey Croal loves delving into Scottish myths and folklore to find the dark stuff. Here, for Halloween and for the British Fantasy Society, she introduces us to 10 of her favourite fearsome creatures.
https://britishfantasysociety.org/10-fearsome-foes-from-scottish-folklore/
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Folklore read live!
The Day-Ghost that won't shut up!
The Folklore Hallowstreams continue LIVE right NOW: https://youtube.com/live/koWWrNT9lU0
#FairyTaleTuesday #storyteller #FairyTale #AmReading #reading #fairy #folklore #folk #tales #stories #GrimmBrothers #fantasy #lotr #ghost #ghoststories #halloween #horrorstories #hallowstream #german #scottishfolklore #scotland #iceland #icelandic #noonwraith #wraith #witcher #witcher3 #geraltofrivia
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Valerie Asiimwe Amani, “Selkie Skin”, 2022 ★ Tanzania ★ https://www.valerieamani.com/head-of-the-snake ⦾ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie #ValerieAsiimweAmani #contemporaryart #contemporarypainting #assemblage #photobasedart #mixedmedia #merfolk #selkie #mythologicalcreatures #myths #crossingmyths #Scottishfolklore #Tanzanianartists #2020s
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🎧 #podcast #folklore #scotland
“It was a dark and stormy night... in all of the folktales we discuss in the Crannog this week!
Tune into our latest podcast to hear folklore that's all dark and stormy.”
🎧 LISTEN NOW:
#storytelling #scottishfolklore
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/folklore-scotland/id1554150524
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Ashes & Stones is @waterstones Scottish Book of the Month for September! Thank you Waterstones for supporting my debut nonfiction book. #scotland #scottish #ScottishHistory #ScottishFolklore #Witch #witchcraft #WitchesOfMastodon #Feminism #Feminist #Nonfiction #Debut #CreativeNonfiction #Books #bookstodon #Queer #Disabled #WritingCommunity #Histodon #history
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My recent substack post is a meditation and a selkie story. It's free to read-- https://allysonshaw.substack.com/p/selkie #selkie #FairyTale #substack #WritingCommunity #feminism #Transformation #amwriting #ScottishFolklore #Scotland #Seals
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1/2
In the legend of Childe Rowland, the titular hero embarks on a quest to save his sister, Burd Ellen, who was stolen and imprisoned by the king of Elfland after she ran widdershins (anti-clockwise) around a church while playing.
Unlike his two older brothers, who failed on the same mission and were themselves imprisoned, Rowland follows the advice of the wizard Merlin to the letter, and is able to save his siblings.
The origin of this tale is a bit of a mystery (see next toot), but some versions suggest that it's a Border story, with links to places in #Cumbria and #Northumberland.
#MythologyMonday #Folklore #EnglishFolklore #ScottishFolklore #legend #mythology #MythsAndLegends
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The initial print run of #ashesandstones has sold out and gone into a second printing. Amazon.co.uk and Waterstones still have copies. New stock should be arriving soon everywhere else in the UK. (The book is coming out in the US later in the year.) #witchlit #witches #WitchesofMastodon #nonfiction #Histodons #ScottishFolklore #ScottishHistory #ScottishBook #Scotland
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I love Lucy Paterson's narration of my book #ashesandstones. Listen to an excerpt here: https://soundcloud.com/hodderbooks/ashes-and-stones-by-allyson-shaw-read-by-lucy-paterson-audiobook-extract
#witchlit #witches #WitchesofMastodon #history #Histodons #CreativeNonfiction #WritingCommunity #NewBook #Debut #Witchcraft #Folklore #ScottishFolklore #ScottishHistory #Scotland #ScottishBook -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCPbkDN0PNU
The Edinburgh launch for Ashe & Stones is at the wonderful Lighthouse Bookshop, 15th Feb, 7pm.
Ticketing information is here:
https://lighthousebookshop.com/events/ashes-and-stones-a-scottish-journey-in-search-of-witches-with-allyson-shaw
#writingCommunity #edinburgh #witches #ScottishFolklore #scottishHistory #ScottishBook #Scotland #history #folklore -
#currentlyreading folk magic and healing, the unusual story of everyday plants by Fez Inkwright. Kinda instructive about European and United Kingdom folklore but not as complete as his book about poisonous plants #books #folklore #plantes #englishfolklore #europeanfolklore #scottishfolklore