Leanan Sídhe

In Celtic folklore, the leanan sídhe (Irish Gaelic; leannan sídhe Scottish Gaelic; lhiannan shee Manx Gaelic; [lʲan̴̪-an ˈʃiːə]) is a beautiful woman of the Aos Sí (fairy folk) who takes a human lover. Lovers of the leanan sídhe are said to live brief, though highly inspired, lives.

The leanan sídhe is generally depicted as a beautiful muse, who offers inspiration to an artist in exchange for their love and devotion; however, this frequently results in madness for the artist, as well as premature death. W. B. Yeats popularized a slightly different perspective on these spirits with emphasis on their vampiric tendencies:

The Leanhaun Shee (fairy mistress) seeks the love of mortals. If they refuse, she must be their slave; if they consent, they are hers, and can only escape by finding another to take their place. The fairy lives on their life, and they waste away. Death is no escape from her. She is the Gaelic muse, for she gives inspiration to those she persecutes. The Gaelic poets die young, for she is restless, and will not let them remain long on earth - this malignant phantom.

The name comes from the Gaelic words leannan, "a sweetheart, lover, or concubine"; and sídhe, "of the fairy mounds".

Alternate spellings

Due to the varying transliterations of both Irish, Scots, and Manx Gaelic, leanan sídhe are also referred to as liannan shìth, lianhan sídhe, leanhaun shee, etc.

In popular culture

The leanan sídhe makes several appearances in The Dresden Files as Harry Dresden's Godmother.

An alien leanan sídhe appears in the episode The Muse of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

A character called Leanan Sidhe appears in a number of Atlus Megami Tensei games.

See also

• Bean Sídhe or Banshee
• Succubus (similar being from medieval Christian demonology)

References

• Briggs, Katharine (1976). A Dictionary of Fairies. Middlesex: Penguin. p. 266. ISBN 0-14-00-4753-0.
• Yeats, William Butler (1967). Irish Fairy and Folk Tales (Modern Library). New York: Random house. p. 86. ISBN 0812968557.
• Spooky Irish October - October 2007 Emerald Reflections - by Brian Witt

External Links

• The original source of this article at Wikipedia