#Sídhe is the Celtic word for ''fairy''

[timperi-fan]

"Are you alright?"

A calm voice broke through Timmy's panic, and he blinked. He always thought that if he ever found himself being mugged or attacked, he would stay calm and handle himself with dignity.

Instead, when his walk home from his shitty fast food job had been interrupted by a knife pointed at his face, Timmy had froze.

He still felt frozen now, sitting on the asphalt (when had he gotten on the ground?) with the night chill biting into his palms and leaking through his jeans. His heart was still slamming in his chest, even though the threat was gone.

The threat was gone?

The figure standing over him moved, and Timmy flinched. His wide eyes darted up, absorbing the stranger's concerned gaze and his mask and God, that was so much purple—

"Hey, hey, it's okay... You're in shock," the masked man said gently, like he was trying to settle a spooked animal.

Timmy worked his jaw a couple of times. He swallowed; squinted up at the man. "...Sídhe?"

It was. Sídhe — Dimmsdale's resident superhero — stood over Timmy, bending over to be closer to his height. The wings on his back cast scattered light over Timmy's prone form. The sound of his name made the hero grin in relief.

"You're okay. I'm so glad." He offered Timmy his hand. "Can you stand?"

Timmy nodded. He still felt shaky, but he was calming down some, now. He took Sídhe's hand on autopilot, letting himself be pulled to his feet.

He always thought that Sídhe would be taller in person, but the TV had a way of making things seem bigger than reality. He never thought he would be meeting Sídhe in person at all.

"It's a good thing that I was doing a late patrol today — I saw that man try to mug you," Sídhe explained, his voice tight with fury. Despite that, his grip on Timmy's hand remained gentle. "Are you injured at all?"

Somehow, Timmy found it within himself to shake his head. "No, I'm— I'm fine," he mumbled. "Just tired."

Sídhe leaned in. His other hand settled on Timmy's cheek, and he had the ludicrous thought that he was about to be kissed. Instead, Sídhe swiped his thumb over Timmy's cheek. His hand came away with blood on it.

It almost seemed like Sídhe's golden pupils flaired brighter still. "You're hurt."

Timmy reached out and caught Sídhe's hand. "It's just a cut. I..." He struggled to speak evenly. "I just want to go home. Really."

They stood still like that for a moment more. Sídhe's inhuman eyes scanned his face, like he was peeling away Timmy's skin to gaze at his soul. Could he do that? Maybe. He was magic, right?

Timmy was a little surprised to find that he wasn't bothered. He felt at ease around Sídhe.

Their hands were still entwined. He didn't feel any desire to change that.

Finally, Sídhe nodded. "I'll walk you home," he said. It wasn't a suggestion.

Timmy wouldn't have refuted even if it was.

He turned and started walking.

In his mind, Timmy always thought that if he did get to meet Sídhe, for whatever reason, he would ask a bunch of questions that he wanted to know the answer to. Like, where did he get his powers from? Why did he choose to be a hero? Were his wings as delicate as they looked? Was he born with them?

Was being a superhero lonely?

Instead, they walked in silence. Timmy stole glances at Sídhe as they walked, just to ensure that he wasn't dreaming. His wings were iridescent and looked as thin as air, like the details were spun from spider's silk and would fall apart at a touch. His clothing choice didn't seem to include any armor — Sídhe was dressed in flowing, loose fabric. The effect was that he looked ephemeral. Timmy kept thinking that he was going to blink and Sídhe would be gone.

For some reason, he stayed. He stayed all the way down the street, to Timmy's shitty little apartment just two blocks from his college campus.

"This is my stop," Timmy said.

Sídhe glanced appraisingly at the run-down brick building. "Are you safe here?" He asked.

"Uh." Timmy wasn't sure how to answer that. He wasn't sure why Sídhe cared. He shrugged one shoulder. "More or less."

Sídhe hummed. He set a hand on Timmy's shoulder, leaning in — so close that their breaths mingled and Timmy could count the flecks of gold burning in his irises.

This time, the last thing that Timmy expected was to be kissed. And that was exactly what Sídhe did.

His lips brushed the cut on Timmy's cheek, and it felt like time stopped. Timmy's fingers curled, clenching around nothing. He wanted time to freeze again; wanted this moment to last just a little bit longer.

Instead, Sídhe pulled back. The corner of his mouth was quirked up in a smile. "I have healing magic," he said by way of an explanation. Timmy could feel the place where he'd kissed tingling but, honestly, it would have felt that way even without magic.

"T-Thanks," Timmy managed. He cleared his throat. "I really, um, appreciate you, helping me out and walking me home... You didn't have to do all of that," he said awkwardly.

It was easier to make conversation when he'd been frozen. Now that he was thawed, all Timmy could focus on was the way that Sídhe's purple curls were hanging in front of his eyes, just begging to be brushed away from his face.

"Of course I didn't 'have to.' I wanted to," Sídhe said warmly. And he smiled, like there was no where in the world he'd rather be than on Timmy Turner's doorstep, with blood on his glove and fondness in his eyes. "Get some sleep, Timmy."

His wings fluttered as Sídhe became airborne. Timmy watched, amazed that something so pretty was actually functional. He wanted to memorize those swooping swirls and careful curves. He wanted to duck his head along Sídhe's bare back, lips brushing down his spine, while his fingers traced the patterns on his wings from memory.

Instead, Timmy stood there like an idiot, staring at the night sky until long after Sídhe was out of sight.

His cut had been healed, but his cheek still burned.

All Timmy could think was that he wanted Sídhe to stare at him like that again — like he was the most important thing in the universe.

(It didn't occur to him until the next morning that he had never told Sídhe his name.)

[legend-collection]

Leannán sídhe

The leannán sídhe (lit. 'fairy lover'; Scottish Gaelic: leannan sìth, Manx: lhiannan shee) is a figure from Irish Folklore. She is depicted as a beautiful woman of the Aos Sí ("people of the barrows") who takes a human lover. Lovers of the leannán sídhe are said to live brief, though highly inspired, lives. The name comes from the Gaelic words for a sweetheart, lover, or concubine and the term for inhabitants of fairy mounds (fairy). While the leannán sídhe is most often depicted as a female fairy, there is at least one reference to a male leannán sídhe troubling a mortal woman.

A version of the myth was popularized during the Celtic Revival in the late 19th-century. The leannán sídhe is mentioned by Jane Wilde, writing as "Speranza", in her 1887 Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland. W. B. Yeats popularized his own 'newly-ancient' version of the leannán sídhe, emphasizing the spirit's almost vampiric tendencies. As he imagined it, the leannán sídhe is depicted as a beautiful muse who offers inspiration to an artist in exchange for their love and devotion; although the supernatural affair leads to madness and eventual death for the artist:

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.

[bitchryver]

At the risk of sounding stupid... what is a sidhe?

no dw you’re not stupid!!!!!! the sídhe are a type of faerie in irish mythology that are sort of like the typical trickster fairy, like they’ll burn ur crops and take ur baby & stuff. basically the myth is that if u make a bargain with them, you have to word it precisely or you’ll get what u want…..with a twist. its probably celtic mythology too but idk anything outside of irish myths lmao

[xxxenoxxx]

The leannán sídhe ("Fairy-Lover";[1] Scottish Gaelic: leannan sìth, Manx: lhiannan shee; [lʲan̴̪-an ˈʃiː]) is a figure from Irish Folklore.[2] She is depicted as a beautiful woman of the Aos Sí ("people of the barrows") who takes a human lover. Lovers of the leannán sídhe are said to live brief, though highly inspired, lives. The name comes from the Gaelic words for a sweetheart, lover, or concubine and the term for inhabitants of fairy mounds (fairy).[3] While the leannán sídhe is most often depicted as a female fairy, there is at least one reference to a male leannán sídhe troubling a mortal woman.[4]

A version of the myth was popularized during the Celtic Revival in the late 19th-century. The leannán sídhe is mentioned by Jane Wilde, writing as "Speranza", in her 1887 Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms and Superstitions of Ireland.[5] W. B. Yeats popularized his own 'newly-ancient' version of the leannán sídhe, emphasizing the spirit's almost vampiric tendencies.[6] As he imagined it, the leannán sídhe is depicted as a beautiful muse who offers inspiration to an artist in exchange for their love and devotion; although the supernatural affair leads to madness and eventual death for the artist:[7]

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.

via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leanan_s%C3%ADdhe

[ezra-iolite]

YAAASS!!! Gonna use reblog to give you all the juicy info! 🤣 But just a heads up, this isn't 100% based on fact... as myths go. All this is just from what I've learned growing up, from word of mouth teachings passed onto me from childhood, and my own basic research.... You have been warned~

So, the Fae are a lot more than just the pretty elf like creatures we all know and love, or even the classical winged fairy. In Irish mythology, the Fae had a whole plethora of famous monsters and creatures that were considered being their own species or just their own individual entity, but a lot of them are in fact a part of the Fae race.

The Dullahan and Banshee are the most famous two that I can recall from the stories of my childhood (I was THAT kind of weird kid who loved the dark fairytales and myths), for the Dullahan is also known as the Headless Horseman, but I believe the story originally came from my home here in Ireland, from tales of the Dullahan itself.

But with a quick Google search, you will also discover that the Leprechaun (I had to put it there, for the sake of my culture's most well known icons 😂), the Changeling, the Pooka/Púca, Boggart, Brownie, Mermaid, Will O' the Wisp, Selkie, Kelpie, Gean-Cánach and my favourite, the Leanan Sídhe, are all a part of the Fae.

Basically, if you've heard of a creature from any Celtic-European mythos that's humanoid or can take on the form of a human and mostly lives in a forest or the wetlands, it'll most likely be a type of Fae. Just google before you assume. ;)

In Irish myth, however, the earliest known kind of Fae in Ireland were the Tuatha dè Danann, when translated meant "Children of the Mother Goddess Danu", some of whom we know today as the Celtic Gods; Nuada Silver-Hand the First High King, Brigit the Goddess of Fire and Healing, Lugh the Craftsman Sun God, Cernunnos the Horned God of Nature, and many more. However, the key difference between the Celtic Gods and the Tuatha dè Danann is that the Tuatha Dé are the first race of Fae, their founding ancestors if you will, who battled and surrendered to the first mortal settlers of Ireland, the Milesians. When the Tuatha dè Danann fled to Tír na nÓg, into the realm hidden in the underground mounds that dot the land to this day, they became known as the Aos Sí/Sídhe or the Daoine Sídhe, literally meaning "the people of the mounds".

This is why it is said you can be lured into their realm through caves, mounds, journeying through mists, going underwater in a pond or body of water, or what the famous Niamh gave to her lover Oisín, upon the back of Manannán's Horse.

Also, if it helps, I found that the anime Ancient Magus Bride is a really good representation of Fae culture, including the use of the rulers of the Fae, King Oberon and Queen Titania, alongside the holidays associated with Celtic culture.

More faeformers au ideas, this time centered around human-faeformer interaction!

(First infodump here)

- Humans always identify themselves using either fake names, or wording that does not claim something. Names hold power in the fae world, as telling a faeformer your real name will give them ownership of it and hence control over you. Politely requesting to be called something, or using a name that’s not their own, are how humans introduce themselves to faeformers.

- Humans are not represented in fae politics, but there is a special division (equivalent to the EDC) of humans who visit the fae world for negotiations. It’s controversial though, as some believe that faeformers are dangerous and not to be trusted or interacted with.

- Some humans may actively hunt faeformers in fear of their power, though they are few and far between.

- Humans cannot use faeformer magic, but they can use magical objects, such as idols/talismans/runes. Some are to ward faeformers away while others are to discourage their mischief, etc.

- Weapons humans use to defend themselves from faeformers are primarily made of iron, as they burn a faeformer upon contact. Iron is a massive weakness for them.

- Another form of defense is for humans to carry a bag of sugar, which they’ll throw to the ground in front of a faeformer. The faeformer will automatically drop to their knees and count every single crystal, not stopping until they’re done, which gives a human plenty of time to run away depending on how large the bag is.

- Despite this, most humans do not end up witnessing any faeformers. The few who do are those who live near gateways to Primus, or their homes include something that attracts the faeformers to them. They were unaffected by the war between the seelie and unseelie courts.

- Time in the human world and faeformer world pass differently - what could be one day in the fae world could be one year in the human world. This is why watches and objects that tell time are valued by humans, as they believe that possessing one when in the fae world allows time to pass as it does in the human world. (Wearing a watch will make one day in primus = one day in unicron)

- Humans are seen as equals to some faeformers, and pets/dolls to others. Both types of faeformer are equally likely to try and trap a human in their world for their own amusement; it all depends on their personality and willingness.

(thank you @ezra-iolite for helping me with some of the lore ^v^)

[jaspers47]

Elle Hallows Eve # 18 - Leanan Sídhe

The Leanan Sídhe (also spelled leannán sí, because English speakers have no idea how to anglicize Irish words) is a spirit from Celtic folklore and mythology. She is often considered akin to a muse, granting the gift of inspiration in exchange for loving devotion. However, this typically results in madness for the artist in question, often culminating in an untimely death or suicide.

Translated, the name “Leanan Sídhe“ means “Fairy Lover” (as in a fairy who loves, not a lover of fairies). As mentioned in the previously published Banshee article, in an Irish context, “Fairy” is a term referring to any inhuman entity, and the Leanan Sídhe certainly fits that description. However, a more direct translation would be a lover or paramour (Leanan), and the word for a burial mound, particularly in the supernatural sense (Sídhe). 

Ireland is a nation rich in literary history and pride. Being one of the few places in Europe to maintain literacy amongst all classes, appreciation for the written word in English, Irish, Gaelic, Latin and translated foreign languages has existed throughout Irish history. With avid readers comes the need for writers, and there were no shortage of Irish writers to fulfill such a demand. There were also writers who tried and failed. Good writing makes the endeavor look easy. So easy, it seems the masters have help from the fairy folk.

Much like the Greek Muses, the Leanan Sídhe were said to bless Irish artists with the gift of inspiration. It was an oral contract, in which both participants had as much to gain as there was to lose. The artist in question was bestowed with great ideas (presumably already possessing the necessary skills and abilities to support those ideas), and in return, the Leanan Sídhe attached to him could feed on his love and devotion. But there is a price for fame and glory; many of these inspired men fell into depression, turned to drugs and alcohol, and died young with some even taking their own lives. It’s believed this is why so many brilliant minds tend to die at such a young age.

The astute readers amongst you have undoubtedly noticed something askew. Here we have an otherworldly female entity, entering into a relationship with a man, feeding off their life energy until there is nothing but a husk left. It’s true, the Leanan Sídhe have been compared to a succubus, most notably by William Butler Yeats in his 1888 work ‘Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry.’ But then again, Yeats was a writer and a poet himself; his opinion would be inherently biased. But then again, again, who else but a writer would write such an opinion in the first place? Whatever way you slice it, this backhanded interpretation of the Leanan Sídhe, one of a parasite instead of a symbiont, has become the popular opinion.

But if this interpretation is incorrect, why do the artists die? Because the Leanan Sídhe, whether she knows or intends it, is both a blessing and a curse. Assuming the Leanan Sídhe is not poisoning her partner, extracting excess life force, or corrupting the artist from the inside out, there are a number of factors to be considered. The first is shame; the writer in question knows he is plagiarizing the ideas of another, and they could never come up with such well-regarded ideas on their own. They consider themselves failures who cheated their way to the top, which destroys them psychologically. The second is pride; the writer no longer has to contend with writer’s block or brainstorming, now having an unending supply of guaranteed brilliance at their disposal. They over-indulge on the rewards without earning them, destroying themselves physically. The third is inadequacy; the writer has been blessed with great ideas, feeling it is their duty and responsibility to share them. But being only human, they lack the ability to share them perfectly, passionately, and as quickly as they’d like. They either kill themselves being perfectionists, or work themselves to death, destroying themselves mentally.

It’s said that behind every great man, there’s a great woman. The Leanan Sídhe may not be a human woman, but she’s female nonetheless. Some of the greatest books, poems, songs and works of art came into fruition because of her. All she asks in return is a little appreciation and a little attention from the man she has bestowed with her gifts. And what does she receive in return? Disrespect and scorn.

[worldofcelts]

The Tuatha Dé Danann

The Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the Goddess Danu") were one of the mythical races who settled in Ireland before the arrival of the Milesians, the ancestors of modern Gaels. The Dananns were descendants of the goddess Danu. Her son Dagda was their most powerful leader of the Dananns.

The Tuatha Dé Dananns were a race of deities as well as race of heroes. They were skilled in art and science, poetry and magic.

They were said to come from four mythical cities: Falias, Gorias, Finias and Murias. When they came to live in Ireland, the Dananns received four magic treasures or talismans, one from each city. Before the Tuatha Dé Danann migrated to Ireland, they had learned all their skills from for four wizards/bards (druids) from these four cities. Morfesa from Falias, Esras from Gorias, Semias from Murias and Uiscias from Findias. (See the Druids of Danu)

After the Milesians defeated the Dananns, the Dananns either retreated to Tir na n-Og ("Land of Youth") or they continued to lived on the land with the Milesians, but their homes (subterranean palaces) were hidden by magic from the eyes of mortals. Their homes were commonly called Sidhe (síd or sídh) or the Otherworld. Another name for the Tuatha Dé Danann was the áes sídhe or the "People of the Sídhe".

In the Otherworld, the Danann remained young and seemingly immortal. Immortal in the sense, they can live a very long life and remain young, but they can be kill and destroy, just like any mortal.

There were frequent visits of the Dananns with the mortals. Sometimes they aided mortals, while other times they seek their destruction. Sometimes they sought marriage with mortals. Most of the times, the Dananns would come to the surface and meet their lovers, other times the mortals were allowed to live with them.

In the Ulster Cycle, the Tuatha Dé Danann was still seen as Celtic deities. However, in the Fenian Cycle, the Dananns had degenerated into nothing more then fey people; in another words, the Dananns became the "Fairy People". The Tuatha Dé Danann became frequently associated with fairies. Because of the Christian influences in the myths, some of them died in old age when they leave the Otherworld; that they were baptised before their death.

It should be noted that the fairies in Celtic myths (especially Irish, Welsh and Arthurian myths) had nothing to do with tiny pixie with wings that are found in folklore and children fairy tales, like Tinklebell in Peter Pan or the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. The fairies found here were human with supernatural power. Modern interpretations of fairies tend to prettify them, particularly during the Victorian period (19th century) in Britain. In early Irish and Welsh literature, they could be tall or short, beautiful or ugly. They can be benevolent beings, but at other times they can be frighteningly cruel or malign. Morrigan and Morgan le Fay would not be considered fairies in the modern sense.

(SOURCE)

[recentanimenews]

10 Magical Creatures from "The Ancient Magus' Bride" Anime

The Ancient Magus’ Bride is a world of magic. It’s a world of magical creatures inspired by English, Irish, Scottish, Celtic, Welsh, and European literature, myth, and folktale of yore. The creatures come in all shapes and sizes. They may look more like animals. They may resemble human beings. They can look like a cross of both while looking quite alien. They may be absolutely adorable to see, or a little hard to stare at. Many of these creatures are quite intelligent, with the intelligent ones sporting strong personalities. They’re autonomous beings, and they often act out of their own interests -- helping those that do favors for them and tricking others that intrigue or annoy them.

In no particular order, here is a list highlighting 10 magical creatures from The Ancient Magus’ Bride. Most of these creatures are faeries, but it would definitely be a shame to not cover other notable folk that the audience encounters alongside Chise throughout the show. This list would definitely start getting unruly if I attempted to cover every magic folk. My apologies if I didn’t include your favorites.

Titania and Oberon

Titania and Oberon are introduced in The Ancient Magus’ Bride the king and queen of the fairies (or at least the monarchs of a fairy realm). Based on characters of the same name from William Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Titania and Oberon are foils to each other, to the extent that you might wonder how the two of them agreed to become husband and wife (outside of being powerful magical beings). Titania is motherly and magnanimous. Oberon is mischievous and free-spirited. Based on their limited appearances together in the show, Titania seems to get annoyed at Oberon antics. Titania also seems to bear a grudge against Christians, likely for the roles they played at persecuting their following and displacing belief in their existences.

Banshees and Silkies

Banshees are faeries that haunt collective families and announce the death of individual members by an ethereal shrieking or wailing. In The Ancient Magus’ Bride, banshees are supposed to move on after their lamentations to haunt another family. One particular banshee, however, refused to move on after losing the host family she cherished, long after all its members have passed away -- long after their house had become a shambling wreck. Feeling pity for this poor banshee, another fairy passing by, a Spriggan, turns her into a Silky. The Spriggan encourages the new Silky to haunt a house instead of a family. No longer bound to a family for its survival, but to a house as its caretaker, a Silky is never lonely for long, so long as there’s a family in a house to live in it and call it home.

Church Grim

The Church Grim is a fairy that takes the form of a black dog, great and overgrown. The Church Grim can behave in the following ways: (1) a beast whose visage and claws are an omen and bringer of death and malice, or(2) a guardian who protects graveyards from graverobbers. Church Grims arise as fairies from the souls of once-living dogs. A dog name refused to believe his loved one was dead. He wasted away at the foot of her grave, refusing to move on, believing she was only sleeping. The dog transformed into a Church Grim in the process -- in his conviction that she would awaken if he waited long enough. This Church Grim can take the appearance of a human at will, believing at one point that he was this girl’s human brother.

It’s unclear as what the personalities of other Church Grims are like, but Ruth in particular is an especially loyal and protective boy.

The Winter and Spring Goddess

The world of The Ancient Magus’ Bride features deities of fertility. The dark haired, black attired, and visibly pregnant Winter Goddess strides the forest during the winter yule, bringing death to all who encounter her without leaving her gifts. The child-like, snow-melt robed, and softly illuminating Spring Goddess grants favors to those who left her mother offerings. The Winter Goddess and Spring Goddess are aspects of one entity. The former in winter gives birth to the latter in spring, who then matures in summer and becomes heavy with child in winter.

The archetype of the fertility goddess is the personification of the seasonal life cycle, the cyclical destitution and fertility of the earth. Her appearance and qualities are understood as feminine due to an association of life and death with the childbearing and menopausal stages of women. In doing homage to the goddess at winter with offerings, farmers who believe in her hope that the ensuing favor they generate from the goddess allows spring to return in time for them to plant crops and keep their communities fed.

Archetypes of the fertility goddess permeate through many myths, though the direct inspiration for the show’s fertility deities hails from neopagan belief.

Leánnan Sídhe

So named because of striking color of her eye pupils, Redcurrant is a Leánnan Sídhe. In The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Leánnan Sídhe are fairies that act effectively as both succubus and muse. They haunt men, embracing them with their form of love. They gift them with creative energy and talent, and in return, they siphon and consume their life energy. Their prey tends to be men who are young, and they pass away young as a result. It’s Faustian Bargain for the Romantic poet, many of whom fell victim to love sickness -- also known as tuberculosis, also known as consumption. Unlike a Faustian Bargain, their victims don’t have much say in about accepting their affection when they come knocking.

Oddly enough though, Redcurrant seems to be hovering around an old man.She insists to Chise that she isn’t in love with him though.

Cats

The cats in The Ancient Magus’ Bride can talk. They can also walk (a less surprising fact), and they have nine lives. Every successive life that cats live after they die increases the level of their intellect. The later-lived cats are intelligent they’ve developed countries and have kings like Mollie. The cats of the show and the subplot surrounding their introduction were inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Cats of Ulthar.” In that tale, a narrator recalls a couple in his village of Ulthar. They were malicious butcherers of cats, and it was implied they met their end by the remaining cats butchering them in turn. The cats recount a similar version of their tale, sealing away the corruption of a old cat butcherer with the lives of their kings.

Dragons

Once inhabitants everywhere that there was sky, the last of the dragons of The Ancient Magus’ Bride are now confined to spend their days in a verdant valley within remote Iceland, far from most humans’ sights. Magical creatures whose sizes can shift between small and enormous based on their desires, dragons, like cats on their later lives, can talk, are intelligent, and can live for ages at a time. From sprite curious younglings to physically infirm seniors, dragons hold a clear and anxiety-free knowledge of their mortality, striving to enjoy their long lives without any regret. In the words of Nevin, the last of the old dragons, they give thanks for the time they were able to experience life. They expire and bring about new life from their corpses, mosses, grasses, and trees.

Will o’ the Wisp

Will o’ the Wisps are fairies in The Ancient Magus’ Bride that are characterized by both their mischief and their sense of duty. They leave or magick travelers astray from the paths they patrol, and lead those spirits long lost on the terrestrial plane to a destination where they can peacefully pass on. One particular Will o’ the Wisp teleports Elias and Chise out of danger, berates a Church Grim for not performing his duties, and shepherds the souls once artificially bound to a chimera into the afterlife. They brandish lanterns powered by an otherworldly coal as their tool for leading travelers or guiding spirits on. The lantern is iconic enough in popular culture that Will o’ the Wisps are well known, albeit by another name: Jack o’ Lanterns.

Ashen Eye

This mother----er Little known is about this entity in The Ancient Magus’ Bride so far except that he is incredibly old, is exceptionally powerful, and is a consummate trickster. He issues high-stakes challenges to those he unluckily encounters or purposely picks on, and delights in watching his victims struggle through, fail to, or overcome his machinations. In one instance, Ashen Eye uses a magical pelt to turn Chise into a werefox and releases her into the wilds. In another, Ashen Eye abducts a boy and erases people’s memories of that boy’s existence after he overhears the boy’s sister screaming that she doesn’t want him as a brother.

lizardboi

LOOK AT HIM

LOOK AT THIS LIZARDBOI

He makes recurring appearances in the show and basically does nothing but follow Chise around and look cute. He apparently has an official name or something but ---- that this name is lizardboi look at him.

***

A social scientist and history buff who dabbles in creative writing and anime analysis every now and again. If you’d like to get in touch with him or are interested in reading more of his works, ZeroReq011 has a Twitter you can follow and runs a Blog called Therefore It Is.

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     Watch The Ancient Magus’ Bride now on Crunchyroll!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[recentanimenews]

Meet the Magical Residents of The Ancient Magus' Bride (Part 3)

Welcome back to The Wonderful Worlds of Fantasy! This week, we’ll be exploring some of the more recent items and creatures seen in The Ancient Magus’ Bride. Whether it be large dogs, tiny faeries, or wandering evils, everything has a root that can be traced back to real life myths, so let’s get started!

Wands

As we discussed last time, both magicians and magi come with a large and diverse history of magic, astronomy, and the unexplained. One of their most critical tools, the wand, is so deeply ingrained in this history that it has a unique history of its own. Wands can come in all sorts of sizes and shapes – from a thin rod to a largely decorated sceptre – and have a variety of purposes. Wands can vaguely be traced to the Stone Age in the form of "sticks" – long rods wielded by figures of power as a status symbol. It then became a part of many cultures, ranging from the Egyptians, who used a wand to send the departed souls to the next life, to the Romans, who used it in their mythological stories (called a caduceus, which is now a common symbol for medical practices), to the shaman in Central and East Asia, who used it as a drumming stick for ceremonies.

The true mystical power of the wand seems to originate most from Paganistic and Renaissance movements, where believers of the practice used wands to cast spells and perform rituals. Though the wand (called an athame in these rituals) was used in a more direct, aggressive fashion, many of the concepts can be linked to modern fantastical uses of wand. For example, athames were carved from a branch of a tree and often decorated for the person’s specific nature or characteristics. At other times, they were commonly associated with a particular element, like air or fire. Shamans in East Asia also may have contributed to the magical nature of the wand – they used it for religious ceremonies as well as medical purposes.

In The Ancient Magus’ Bride, wands are used as a way to better utilize and access a magi’s magic. Elias possesses more of a cane-like wand, whereas Chise makes her own wand using her magic, hair, and a tree born from the corpse of Nevus, a very old dragon. Chise can perform magic with or without the wand, but it’s seen to help her out in sticky situations, like when she wants to return home or needs to transform into a particular creature.

Chimeras

Chimeras, unlike wands or magi, come from a single source: Greek mythology. The word comes from khimaira, meaning "she-goat" or the original "chimera." Originally a fire-breathing beast that was a combination of many creatures, the term now refers to any horrid creation that features multiple animal parts. In The Ancient Magus’ Bride, one such example is Cartaphilius’ projects, and Ruth’s beloved owner, Isabel. Cartaphilius originally makes chimeras for the sole purpose of experimenting with life and death and finding a way to live without constantly suffering.

In Greek mythology, however, the chimera is often imagined as a lion-like creature, possessing a goat and lion head, a lion body, and a dragon-like tail with a snake head attached. Anyone who saw the chimera was doomed to die a terrible death; it was one of the worst omens to have. It was also a representation of an unspeakable, yet nearly immortal evil: only true heroes could defeat it in battle. The story of Heracles is one such example, as he fought off and killed the Nemean Lion, an offspring of the original Chimera. It is only Bellerophon, a mortal son of Poseidon, and the assistance of Pegasus, who slays the Chimera in one of the most striking tales about heroism in Greek mythology. There are traces of Chimera possibly originating from the Middle East and in Egyptian history, but without further proof, the Chimera is wholly a Greek creation, now a fantastical reminder of the horrors of manipulation.

Leanan sídhe

The leanan sídhe is also a direct reference, this time to Celtic culture and mythology. Stemming from the Gaelic word leannan (concubine, sweetheart) and sídhe (of the fairy mound), the leanan sídhe is a woman from the fairy folk who comes to steal mortal men’s hearts away while also becoming their muse. Her power was often a double-edged sword, giving artists and writers the greatest imagination, but also inevitable suffering and madness. In return, she gains the truest emotion that she craves for all eternity. While not originally portrayed as evil or insidious, myths about the leanan sídhe appearing as a type of vampire no doubt stemmed from many fictional tales about artists losing themselves to madness out of creativity and unhealthy inspirations. This was especially popularized by the famous W.B. Yeats, who called the leanan sídhe a "bloodsucking vampire." From there on, this myth was passed on by other famous artists until it became a common belief.

In The Ancient Magus’ Bride, the leanan sídhe is a resident of Joel Garland's garden, taking on the form of a faerie vampire that can slowly suck the lives out of lovers in return for giving them great talent. She intentionally kept herself distant from Joel so he would not die an early death. Unbeknownst to her and Joel however, she still had an effect of making his garden bloom while also slowly draining him of life. After Joel passes away, she decides to remain in his garden, refusing to find any more lovers to ruin.

Next time: Cats? Banshees? Werewolves? In Part 4, we’ll be looking at more mystical creatures of The Ancient Magus' Bride and where they come from!

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When not finding ways to doom all her ships, Natasha can often be found on her twitter as @illegenes, or writing more about anime on the blog Isn’t It Electrifying! Feel free to swing by and say hi.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com