Mystical legends of the British Isles

This article focuses on the mystical legends of Britain and the beings inhabiting them.

The British Isles is an archipelago in the Northwest of Europe, between the North sea and the Atlantic ocean, where the States, the UK and Ireland, as well as the territory under the authority of the British crown. On the Islands there is a mixture of English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh mythology. The mystical beliefs of the British Isles for several centuries, actively penetrate into the culture of the world of literature, and later of cinema.

English folklore, as part of obselecence folklore, rooted in the folklore and mythology of the peoples who formed the English nation: in the Celtic mythology of the tribes that inhabited England in pre-Roman times (Britons and others), and German mythology of the tribes who settled in the island during the great migration of peoples (angles, Saxons, Jutes). A great influence on the formation of English folklore had legends and beliefs of the Celtic peoples, especially the Welsh, with whom historically the English are constantly in contact. An influence of Scandinavian and French folklore, brought to the island after the Norman conquest of England.

Myths and legends of Scotland have a local flavor, because they tell about the way of life in ancient times, and also give an idea about the nature of this region in different seasons of the year.They are not like the Greek and Roman myths, because they address other aspects of nature.

The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branches of Celtic mythology, although it has undergone changes under the influence of Christianity.

Most mystical creatures came to the folklore of the British Isles from pagan traditions, with some alterations under the influence of dominating at different times of the performances.

For readability, divide the mythological creatures of the British legends into sub-groups.

Guardian spirits, and homemade spirits

As well as around the world in the folklore of the British Isles there is the spirit of the home, or house. Usually these spirits called brownies because of the dark brown color of the skin. Representation about their lives in houses similar to Slavic. The residents decided to feed brownie, leaving milk in a saucer and various pastries. Brownies, in response render small services and performs work on the house. These spirits are not limited to habitat near humans, their native element – the mountains and forests. So, kind of brownies working in the mines, called the Blue caps. In the border between Scotland and England regions brownie, living in houses, is also called Dobie.

Other human structures also have their own guardian spirits. For example, the Church grim is watching the state of the Church and the surrounding graveyards. It is believed that this belief are an echo of the ritual known as "the victim". Guardian spirit was created during the sacrificial ritual perpetrated in the construction of the Church wall was bricked alive by some animal (usually dog, cat, bull, pig or rooster), which became a guard of the building.

Natural spirit-Keeper can be called the Elder mother, guardian spirit of elderberry come from Scandinavia and Britain, mercilessly seeking revenge for the damage his tree without permission. Its analogues Krizovnicka wife that looks like a huge caterpillar, and is also a spirit-Keeper, but gooseberry bushes.

Ghosts

England is considered to be a mystical country. At the time, thanks to the alloy of four cultures, medieval England was more than the other countries inhabited by ghosts, and over the years these views have only intensified. It fogs and numerous castles are fraught with such paranormal beings as ghosts. According to the ancestral beliefs of the inhabitants of the British Islands, the restless souls of the dead became unnatural death, improperly buried or have become established on the spell (for example, if the sorcerer "ordered" the soul of the deceased to guard the treasure). Last become in some degree the spirits-keepers. However, due to beliefs that emerged in the middle Ages, ghosts were also to have an independent life similar to the life of the living. Now the ghosts in the castle could appear simply because it wanted to, without any additional conditions. Live can see them or suffer from them but are not always able to determine the story of their origin. As example, the Black Annis and Teddy Mana, which act by themselves, but of their origin we can only conjecture.

It is worth noting that, over time, changed not only the idea of ghosts, but also stories about ghostly phenomena. With the increasing in the minds of people notions about purgatory, stories about visits from the other world are becoming moralistic in nature. Ghost stories are impregnated with humanist and Protestant morality, and have development only on the pages of the writers of the mystics.

The ghosts include spirits, heralding the various events (often death). First of all it is a Banshee (Celtic folklore – the Ghost lady, phenomenon or cry (moans) which portend death) and demonic dogs – Black Shaq Skriker, Makeup and zelenolistnye Ku Shi or schooling of their species in the form of a pack of supernatural dogs chasing sinners or foreshadowing the death of all who will see it: Frantic rut, the Devil's dandy dogs, or Hounds of Gabriel. Their analogues spirits known as the Seven whistlers. As an example, the mass appearance of ghosts can also be called numerous ghostly troops, mention of which is found in all corners of the British Isles.

The literature has become very popular folklore character, as a Dullahan, which is essentially the male variant of the Irish Banshee. It is known to all, the headless horseman. Its appearance is a rather frightening picture: he rides the black horse, holding under his arm or in his right hand, his head with shining eyes, and in the other hand is the whip, which is a human spine. Meeting him in the middle of the night is, of course, a harbinger of imminent death. Harbinger of death is also and Gaiters (Ghost being able to take the form of a dog, horse or goat).

Mystical creatures that live in water

Aldabraensis found in folklore and aquatic creatures the most famous representative of which is a Nessie – monster inhabiting the Scottish Loch ness. He is usually depicted as a creature resembling a dinosaur or a huge long-necked seal: thick, massive body, long neck, small head.

The theme of water creatures could be so mysterious a character as Kelpie – a water spirit in the image of the horse from Scottish mythology that's dragging people into the water. It is not a simple creature like Nessie, and a werewolf that can turn into animals and people (as a rule, the Kelpie turns into a young man with tousled hair). It is believed that before the storm you can hear Kelpie howling.

A water horse in the folklore of the Shetland Islands call "nyohl" and "sea horse Oh Ushe". She is not a werewolf and looks like a normal horse, but just as kelpies dragging people into the water.

Less dangerous to man is the creature called Krod Mar. In Scottish folklore the so-called magic of the sea cows that occasionally come ashore and unable to mate with ordinary cows. They are dangerous because they can lead the whole flock in an unknown direction.

In addition, in the legends there are creatures resembling mermaids'. This Merrow (Irish mermaid, with a fish tail and small webs between the toes) and Task (also known as "maiden of the waves" in the folklore of the Scottish highlanders).

In the beliefs of the Islands to the North of Scotland is sea people in the form of large seals that can turn into people. They are called Selkies. It is believed that in order to meet that RUSAL must go to the sea and shed into the water seven tears. Mostly stories about the relationship between humans and these mythical creatures are erotic in nature, although there are cases when these creatures just helped the man. In contrast to the water of the people of Rohan, they cannot themselves become a people, throwing off the seal skin.

Werewolves can also be attributed Multiartha. The serpent gets out of the sea and turning into one-eyed old woman, asks to go to the house. If its empty, he jumps on people.

In the beliefs of the British Isles there are also scary and evil monsters. Among them vicinity, Nuckelavee (a sea spirit that looked like a centaur without the skin, carrying death to everything that will meet on the way: animals, plants and people), Fedal (seduces the men and drags under the water), and Fo-a, who is also an evil water spirit. Traditionally fo-described as anthropomorphic noseless creatures with a horse's mane, webbed between the fingers or with a spiked tail.

Other mystical creatures

As in other cultures, in folklore of the British Isles there are your werewolves, vampires, and poltergeists. The werewolves here do not turn into wolves, and foxes. The vampire, however, is a woman, not visible to anyone except the victim. Such beings are called Lanan-Shi and relate in part to water spirits, because they live in wells. Poltergeist (noisy spirit or Ghost) to British folklore presented in the form of spirits, which are called "sumatoshnyj" (poltersprites). They are inherent properties of traditional poltergeist: they're pounding on the floor, rumbling in the attic, throwing stones on the roof, creaking furniture, etc.

Among other mystical creatures stand out FAE and Pixies. Their implementation often found in literary works of the fantasy genre, and sometimes they belong to the same species, and sometimes different. They are mischievous nature spirits who love to pull a prank. In some works this species include Elves.

Among all the FAE in Irish folklore stands the representative of a Leprechaun. This naughty FAE that look like little old men, shoemakers by profession. They differ in that the Irish love home brew and are spirits, guardians of treasures. There are many beliefs that are associated with leprechauns. It is believed that their treasures are in the pot, buried in a secret place known only to the leprechaun and which he may specify in exchange for their freedom, if you manage to catch him. Besides the hidden treasures, the leprechauns coins is that they carry two leather pouches: a silver shilling, which always returns to the purse if they pay a gold coin that the leprechaun uses to bribe honest people caught in a difficult situation. She usually turns to leaves or ashes once the leprechaun is breaking up with her.

Despite the abundance of characters from British folklore now reflected mainly in works of art - books, movies, TV shows, games and even cartoons. Among the actors of modern facts narrated by the witnesses, primarily to meet the ghosts and the Loch ness monster. Other members of the British legends to almost not get into the stories and the cameras of witnesses.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»