Tag: Celtic
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The Changeling—Swapping Life for Life
Although found in many cultures, the Celtic changeling is a faerie that has been exchanged with a human child by other nefarious faeries. The motives for such a swap range from punishment, revenge, and jealousy to a complicated hoax in which the changeling is an elderly faerie who needs to live out his years in…
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The Leprechaun—A Dangerous Trickster
Saint Patrick, who is revered for having single-handedly converted Ireland from Celtic paganism to Christianity, is nonetheless associated with a very pagan character—the leprechaun. With a reputation for chicanery and a predisposition toward foul play, the legendary trickster may be the embodiment of an ironic last laugh. Leprechauns In general, leprechauns are solitary, dangerous, and…
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Celebrating Life
Beltaine, also known as May Day, is one of the eight seasonal celebrations of the Celtic Wheel of the Year. Divided into quarters and cross-quarters, the Wheel of the Year is based on seasonal on events that were significant to pastoral people, like the Celts. Many customs that originated thousands of years ago are still…