Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland - With Sketches of the Irish Past

Lady Wilde

Description

This antiquarian text deals with the mythology of the Irish race. It contains information on their mystical superstitions that are thousands of years old, but still influence the daily life of many. This fascinating and insightful book will appeal to those with a penchant for mysticism and fairy-folk, and is a veritable must-read for those with a serious interest in Irish mythology. The chapters of this text include: 'Rathlin Island', 'The Strange Guests', 'The Dead Soldier', 'The Three Gifts', 'The Fairies as Fallen Angels', 'The Fairy Changeling', 'Fairy Wiles', 'Shaun-Mor', 'The Save Fairies', 'The Tuatha-De-Danann', 'Edain the Queen', 'The Royal Steed', 'Evil Spells', etcetera. We are republishing this antiquarian text now in an affordable, modern edition, complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.

Sujets

• Social Science
• Sociologie, société et politique
• Mythology
• Folklore

Informations

• Publié par: Read Books Ltd.
• Date de parution: 06 août 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781528763042
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

ANCIENT LEGENDS, MYSTIC CHARMS & SUPERSTITIONS OF IRELAND
WITH SKETCHES OF THE IRISH PAST
By
LADY WILDE

First published in 1902



Copyright © 2022 Read & Co. Books
This edition is published by Read & Co. Books, an imprint of Read & Co.
This book is copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any way without the express permission of the publisher in writing.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Read & Co. is part of Read Books Ltd. For more information visit www.readandcobooks.co.uk


Contents
Lady Wilde
PREFACE
ANCIENT LEGENDS
INTRODUCTION
THE HORNED WOMEN
THE LEGEND OF BALLYT OWTAS CASTLE
A WOLF STORY
THE EVIL EYE
THE STOLEN BRIDE
FAIRY MUSIC
THE FAIRY DANCE
F AIRY JUSTICE
THE P RIEST’S SOUL
TH E FAIRY RACE
THE T RIAL BY FIRE
TH E LADY WITCH
ETH NA THE BRIDE
THE FAIR IES’ REVENGE
FAIRY HELP
THE FAR MER PUNISHED
THE F ARMER’S WIFE
THE M IDNIGHT RIDE
T HE LEPREHAUN
LEGENDS OF THE WES TERN ISLANDS
THE BRIDE’ S DEATH-SONG
THE C HILD’S DREAM
THE FAIRY CHILD
THE DOOM
THE CLEARIN G FROM GUILT
THE HOLY WELL AND THE MURDERER
LEGENDS O F INNIS-SARK
LEGENDS OF THE DEAD IN THE WES TERN ISLANDS
TH E DEATH SIGN
KATHLEEN
NOVEMBER EVE
THE DANCE OF THE DEAD
SUPERSTITIONS CONCERN ING THE DEAD
THE FATA L LOVE-CHARM
THE FE NIAN KNIGHTS
RA THLIN ISLAND
THE ST RANGE GUESTS
THE DEAD SOLDIER
THE THREE GIFTS
THE FAIRIES AS F ALLEN ANGELS
THE FAIR Y CHANGELING
FAIRY WILES
SHAUN-MOR
THE CAVE FAIRIES
THE TUAT HA-DE-DANANN
EDA IN THE QUEEN
THE ROYAL STEED
EVIL SPELLS
CAT HAL THE KING
THE POET’S MALEDICTION
DRIMIAL AGUS THORIAL (A W ICKED SPELL)
AN IRISH ADEPT OF THE ISLANDS
THE MAY FESTIVAL
MAY-DAY S UPERSTITIONS
FESTIVALS
CANDLEMAS
WHITSUNTIDE
WHITSUNTIDE LEGEND OF THE FAIRY HORSES
NOV EMBER SPELLS
NOVEMBER EVE
A TERR IBLE REVENGE
MIDSUMMER
THE BAAL FIRE S AND DANCES
THE FA IRY DOCTRESS
MA RRIAGE RITES
THE DEAD
THE WAKE ORGIES
THE ANCIE NT MYSTERIES
THE POWER OF THE WORD
THE POET AND THE KING
TH E SIDHE RACE
MUSIC
POET INSPIRATION
THE BANSHEE
QUEEN MAEVE
DEATH SIGNS
THE H ARTPOLE DOOM
S UPERSTITIONS
TH E FAIRY RATH
FAIRY NATURE
IRISH NATURE
LEGENDS OF ANIMALS
LEGEND S OF ANIMALS
CON CERNING DOGS
CON CERNING CATS
THE KING OF THE CATS
T HE DEMON CAT
CAT NATURE
SEANCHAN THE BARD AND THE KING OF THE CATS
THE BARDS
KING ARTHUR AND THE CAT
CON CERNING COWS
FAIRY WILES
T HE DEAD HAND
THE WICKED WIDOW
THE BU TTER MYSTERY
CONC ERNING BIRDS
THE MAGPIE
THE WREN
THE RAVEN AND W ATER WAGTAIL
THE CUCKOO AND ROB IN REDBREAST
CONCERNING LIVI NG CREATURES
THE CRICKET
THE BEETLE
THE HARE
THE WEASEL
HERBS, CHARMS, OMENS & SUPERSTITIONS
THE PROPERTIES OF HERBS AND THEIR USE IN MEDICINE
A LOVE POTION
LOVE DREAMS
T O CAUSE LOVE
MEDICAL SUPERSTITIONS AND AN CIENT CHARMS
AG AINST SORROW
TO WIN LOVE
FOR THE NIGHT-FIRE (THE FEVER)
FOR A PAIN IN THE SIDE
FOR THE MEASLES
FOR T HE MAD FEVER
AGA INST ENEMIES
TO EXT RACT A THORN
TO CAUSE HATRED BE TWEEN LOVERS
FOR LOVE
HOW TO HAVE MONEY ALWAYS
FOR TH E GREAT WORM
F OR SORE EYES
FOR PAINS IN THE BODY
AGAI NST DROWNING
IN TI ME OF BATTLE
FOR THE RED RASH
TO TAME A HORSE
A VERY ANCIENT CHARM AGAINST WOUND S OR POISONS
FOR A SORE BREAST
FOR A WOUND
FOR T HE EVIL EYE
FOR ST ANT HONY’S FIRE
HOW TO G O INVISIBLE
FOR PAINS
F OR A SPRAIN
TO CAUSE LOVE
FOR THE BITE O F A MAD DOG
FO R TOOTHACHE
F OR FRECKLES
FOR A BURN
FOR THE MEMORY
FOR THE FALLI NG SICKNESS
FOR CHIN-COUGH
FOR RHEUMATISM
FOR A STYE ON THE EYELID
TO CURE WARTS
FOR A STITCH IN THE SIDE
FO R WEAK EYES
FOR WATER O N THE BRAIN
FOR I IIP DISEASE
FO R THE MUMPS
F OR EPILEPSY
FOR DEPRESSI ON OF HEART
FOR THE FAIRY DART
VARIOUS SUPERSTITIO NS AND CURES
TO FIND S TOLEN GOODS
A PRAYER AGAINST THE PLAGUE
A BLESSING
A CURE FOR CATTLE
A CHARM FOR SAFETY
AN ELIXIR OF POTENCY (FROM A MANUSCRIPT O F DATE 1770)
FOR THE BITE O F A MAD DOG
DREAMS
FA IRY DOCTORS
CHARMS BY CRYSTALS
AL ECTROMANTIA
FAIRY POWER
OMENS AND S UPERSTITIONS
OMENS THAT F ORBODE EVIL
TO A TTRACT BEES
SUPERSTITIONS OF THE ISLANDS
CONCERNI NG THE DEAD
THE COASTG UARD’S FATE
RELICS
LEGENDS OF THE SAINTS
ST. PATRICK
THE WELL OF THE BOOK
ST PATRICK AND THE SERPENT
ST PATRICK AND THE PRINCESSES
THE POISON CUP
DIVINATION
THE BLIND POET
THE STORY OF BRECCAN
BARDIC PRIVILEGES
ST CIARON
ST MARTIN
ST BRIDGET
ST KIERAN
ST KEVIN
CHRIS TIAN LEGENDS
SWEARING STONE S AND RELICS
THE CREMAVE
RELICS FOR CLEARING FROM GUILT
INNIS-MURRY
MYSTERIES OF FAIRY POWER
THE EVIL STROKE
TH E CHANGELING
THE FAIRY DOCTOR
THE POET’S SPELL
CHARM FOR THE FAIRY STROKE
THE F ARMER’S FATE
TH E FAIRY RATH
THE HOLY WELLS
TH E HOLY WELLS
THE WHITE STONES
THE SACRED TROUT
ST AUGU STINE’S WELL
THE G RILLED TROUT
LEGEND OF NEAL-MOR
ST JOHN’S WELL
THE WELL OF F IONN MA-COUL
ST S EENAN’S WELL
K IL-NA-GREINA
THE WEL L OF WORSHIP
THE BRIDE’S WELL
THE IRISH FAKIR
SACRED TREES
T OBER-NA-DARA
LOUGH NEAGH
THE DOCTOR AND THE FA IRY PRINCESS
A HOLY WELL
A S ACRED ISLAND
THE LAK E OF REVENGE
SCENES AT A HOLY WELL
LOUGH FOYLE
THE H EN’S CASTLE
SLIABH-MISH, C OUNTY KERRY
THE SKELLI GS OF KERRY
POPULAR NOTIONS CONCERNING THE SIDHE RACE
TH E SIDHE RACE
THE HU RLING MATCH
THE RIDE WITH THE FAIRIES
TH E FAIRY SPY
THE DA RK HORSEMAN
SHEE LA-NA-SKEAN
CAPTAIN WEBB, THE R OBBER CHIEF
THE MAYO ROBBER AND FEENI SH THE MARE
SKETCHES OF THE IRISH PAST
THE BARDIC RACE
THE A NCIENT RACE
THE ANTIQUITIES OF IRELAND
EARL Y IRISH ART
OUR ANCI ENT CAPITAL
SIR WILLIAM WILDE
ON THE ANCIENT RACE S OF IRELAND


Lady Wilde
Lady Wilde was born Jane Francesca Elgee in Dublin in 1821. During her life, she was a staunch Irish nationalist, and began publishing poetry during the 1840s in The Nation , under the pseudonym ‘Speranza’. Much of her work was Pro-Irish and anti-British; when she wrote commentary calling for armed revolution in Ireland, the British authorities at Dublin Castle shut down the paper. In 1854, Wilde gave birth to her son, Oscar, who went on become one of the best-known authors of the nineteenth century. In later life, she supplemented her income by writing for fashionable magazines, and collecting and publishing Irish fairy tales. Lady Wilde contracted bronchitis in January of 1896 and, dying, asked for permission to see Oscar, who was in prison on charges of “gross indecency with other men.” Her request was refused. She died at her home a month lat er, aged 74.


PREFACE
THE three great sources of knowledge respecting the shrouded part of humanity are the language, the mythology, and the ancient monuments o f a country.
From the language one learns the mental and social height to which a nation had reached at any given period in arts, habits, and civilization, with the relation of man to man, and to the material and vi sible world.
The mythology of a people reveals their relation to a spiritual and invisible world; while the early monuments are solemn and eternal symbols of religious faith—rituals of stone in cromlech, pillar, shrine and tower, temple s and tombs.
The written word, or literature, comes last, the fullest and highest expression of the intellect and culture, and scientific progress of a nation.
The Irish race were never much indebted to the written word. The learned class, the ollamhs, dwelt apart and kept their knowledge sacred. The people therefore lived entirely upon the traditions of their forefathers, blended with the new doctrines taught by Christianity; so that the popular belief became, in time, an amalgam of the pagan myths and the Christian legend, and these two elements remain indissolubly united to this day. The world, in fact, is a volume, a serial rather, going on for six thousand years, but of which the Irish peasant has scarcely yet turned the first page. The present work deals only with the mythology, or the fantastic creed of the Irish respecting the invisible world—strange and mystical superstitions, brought thousands of years ago from their Aryan home, but which still, even in the present time, affect all the modes of thinking and acting in the daily life of the people.
Amongst the educated classes in all nations, the belief in the supernatural, acting directly on life and constantly interfering with the natural course of human action, is soon dissipated and gradually disappears, for the knowledge of natural laws solves many mysteries that were once inexplicable; yet much remains unsolved, even to the philosopher, of the mystic relation between the material and the spiritual world. Whilst to the masses—the uneducated —who know nothing of the fixed eternal laws of nature, every phenomenon seems to result from the direct action of some nonhuman power, invisible though ever present; able to confer all ben