The Fairy-faith in Celtic CountriesIn this study, which is first of all a folk-lore study, we pursue principally an anthropo-psychological method of interpreting the Celtic belief in fairies, though we do not hesitate now and then to call in the aid of philology; and we make good use of the evidence offered by mythologies, religions, metaphysics, and physical sciences. |
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Common terms and phrases
¹ Cf Aengus ancient animistic apparitions appear Arthur beautiful belief in fairies body Bran Breton Brittany Brythonic called Carnac Celtic Celts changeling child Christian consciousness Cornish Cornwall corrigans Cuchulainn cult Dagda dance dead death demons divine Doctrine of Re-birth dolmens dream Druids earth evidence existence exorcism fairies fairy woman Fairy-Faith fairy-folk Fairyland father fées folk-lore Gavrinis gentry ghosts gods Grange heard heroes human invisible Ireland Irish island Isle king land legends living Lough Lough Gur Mabinogion magic Mahé Manannan Manx menhirs modern Mongan Morbihan mortals mother mountain mysterious mystic nature night non-Celtic Otherworld pagan palace Patrick peasant person phenomena physical piskies pixies psychical research Purgatory race re-birth doctrine realm Rhŷs rites sacred saints seems seen seers Sidhe soul spirits stone story strange Tara testimony told traditions Tuatha De Danann tumuli Tylwyth Teg Wales Welsh WENTZ women
Popular passages
Page 166 - And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Page 376 - Yet some men say in many parts of England that King Arthur is not dead, but had by the will of our Lord Jesu [gone] into another place; and men say that he shall come again, and he shall win the holy cross.
Page 315 - Very subtle was Kai. When it pleased him he could render himself as tall as the highest tree in the forest. And he had another peculiarity, — so great was the heat of his nature, that, when it rained hardest, whatever he carried remained dry for a handbreadth above and a handbreadth below his hand ; and when his companions were coldest, it was to them as fuel with which to light their fire.
Page 479 - In the light, I have seen a luminous cloud hover over a heliotrope on a side table, break a sprig off, and carry the sprig to a lady ; and on some occasions I have seen a similar luminous cloud visibly condense to the form of a hand and carry small objects about.
Page 506 - I cannot, I am sure, tell if it is worth marking down, that yesterday, at dinnertime, I was strangely haunted by what I would call the sense of pre-existence — viz. a confused idea, that nothing that passed was said for the first time, that the same topics had been discussed, and the same persons had stated the same opinions on them.
Page 320 - to the fairest of all maidens,' to Argante the queen, ' an elf most fair,' and she shall make my wounds all sound ; make me all whole with healing draughts. And afterwards I will come [again] to my kingdom, ' and dwell with the Britons with mickle joy'.
Page 418 - And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
Page 314 - When Arthur and his hosts came before a torrent, they would seek for a narrow place where they might pass the water, and would lay the sheathed dagger across the torrent, and it would form a bridge sufficient for the armies of the three Islands of Britain, and of the three islands adjacent, with their spoil).
Page 502 - normal" consciousness is circumscribed for adaptation to our external earthly environment, but the fence is weak in spots, and fitful influences from beyond leak in, showing the otherwise unverifiable common connection. Not only psychic research, but metaphysical philosophy, and speculative biology are led in their own ways to look with favor on some such "panpsychic" view of the universe as this.
Page 356 - But that there should be certain doctrines, not made known to the multitude, which are [revealed] after the exoteric ones have been taught, is not a peculiarity of Christianity alone, but also of philosophic systems, in which certain truths are exoteric and others esoteric.