Fairies Story, The Aos Sidhe
Above: The Aos Sidhe, Irish Fairies
The Aos Sidhe or fairies are often referred toin connection with the druids. Etain, the beautiful queen of Eochaidh Aireamh, for example, was swept away by a fairy after twelve months’ warning, though surrounded for protection by the nobles and warriors of Tara. The king’s druid, Dalian, afterwards discovered her in the fairy palace of Midhir at Bri Leith near Ardagh in Longford. He had cut four wands of yew, and written Ogham on them : thus was the queen located. When the king and his forces came to bring her back, and demolished the fairy mansion, he was unable to identify her among fifty others until she made some signs and was then restored to her husband.
Cuchulainn, to get fancy feathers for his lady love, cast three times at two birds in a lake, and, one being wounded on the wing, both dived. Cuchulainn went away disappointed and soon fell asleep against a rock. Then two men, one in a green cloak the other in a crimson, I reached him, smiled on him, and alternately kept striking gently with horse switches until he was nearly dead.
By this time a strange man, Aonghus son of Aodh Abrat, visited him and undertook to send Lib’ to heal him if he came on November Eve to wed Fan daughter of Aodh, who had been deserted by Mananan mac Lir. Cuchulainn, having consulted Conchubhar, returned to the rock and was approached again by the worn in green, who turned out to be Liban and promised that for one day’s fighting against Senach the Distorted, Cuchulainn would be healed and get Fand in marriage. On the advice of Laegh, who paid a special visit to Maigh. Cuchulainn went to fight for Labraid brother of Fand, an he subsequently went to live with Fand until Mananna came to claim her once more. This enraged Cuchulainn, as Cuchulainn‘s own conduct naturally aroused the fury of Emer. Eventually, both Cuchulainn and Emer had to get drinks of oblivion from the druids of Eamhain Macha so that they might mutually forget the cause of their frenzied jealousy. Such was the influence of the Aos Sidhe where wielded immense power before the coming of the faith.
