© 2015–2020 Core Spirit. As with most evil forces, the Dullahan has a weakness – gold. She would make the artist her lover, sharing with them her intelligence, creativity and magic, but when she left, the men would be so depressed, they'd die. Dad forced her into an arranged marriage with a rich man who treated her terribly, and eventually, she commits suicide.

Oxford University Press, 1998.

Leanan Sidhe would then take her dead lovers back to her lair. Sporting one eye and a single gigantic leg, the evil creature was King of the Fomori, demons who lived in the dark depths of lakes and seas. Though the saint was desperately thirsty, he refused to drink from the poisoned wells and prayed for guidance. The saint is said to have stood on the mountain now known as Croagh Patrick and expelled all the serpents and demons out of the Emerald Isle into the sea to drown.

But most legends say the Banshee was terrifying enough on her own.

New posts will not be retrieved. The ancient Celts had hundreds of Irish mythical deities, but as with most cultures, they had their demons as well. The evil fire-spitter drowned in the ocean, leaving a swell behind that created the famous Hawk’s Well. The kelpie galloped around Ireland, looking like a lost pony, attempting to trick women and children into riding on it. Some say the Sluagh is the Irish version of the Wild Hunt, a European folktale about ghostly hounds or spirits traveling around in packs foretelling of death and disaster.

Another legendary Irish monster is the Dullahan, a name that can be translated to “dark man.”. Sporting one eye and a single gigantic leg, the evil creature was King of the Fomori, demons who lived in the dark depths of lakes and seas.

Another legendary Irish monster is the Dullahan, a name that can be translated to “dark man.” Often portrayed in contemporary fantasy fiction and video games, this foreteller of death is the Irish version of the headless horseman.

She would make the artist her lover, sharing with them her intelligence, creativity and magic, but when she left, the men would be so depressed, they’d die. Some of the Celtic “monsters” were originally gods, but were later demonized as pagan creatures when many of the Celts became Christians.

The kelpie is a monster right out of Celtic myth. She was buried near Strongbow’s Tree in Waterford, and one night, she rose from her grave to seek revenge on her father and husband, sucking their blood until they dropped dead. Rather than directly suck the blood of her victims, Leanan Sidhe got creative, and collected their blood in a giant red cauldron, which was the source of her beauty and artistic inspiration.

They also comprised many female deities of chief importance rating from war Goddesses, mother Goddesses, to ruling Goddesses. If a woman hopped on, the monster would then run into the water, drowning its victim, and then would take her to its lair to eat her. Caorthannach, thought by some to be the devil’s mother, is a demon that was fought off by St. Patrick when he banished the snakes out of Ireland. The demon slid down a mountain away from the saint, but Patrick spotted her, and chased her down upon the fastest horse in Ireland, which was brought to him. Not to worry, though – there is one way to defeat Dearg-due. Another snake-like evil Celtic creature is the Questing Beast, a monster with the head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the backside of a lion and the hooves of a deer. One monster, however, managed to escape – Caorthannach, the fire-spitter. 8. She would make the artist her lover, sharing with them her intelligence, creativity, and magic, but when she left, the men would be so depressed, they'd die. The Dullahan – the Irish headless horseman. Dearg-due, an Irish name meaning “red blood sucker,” is a female demon that seduces men and then drains them of their blood. Another snake-like evil Celtic creature is the Questing Beast, a monster with the head of a snake, the body of a leopard, the backside of a lion, and the hooves of a deer. No, it won’t kill her, but at least you’ll hold her off until next year! Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Epona is a Celtic horse goddess associated with fertility, a cornucopia, horses, asses, mules, and oxen who accompanied the soul on its final journey. Some Irish families would keep their west-facing windows shut at all times to keep the Sluagh out of their homes. The Questing Beast, known to be quick, was hunted down by many a knight, and in Celtic myth was chased by King Pellinore, an Arthurian character. Balor can kill someone just by staring at them with his evil eye, so he kept it closed most of the time, so as not to constantly be tripping over dead bodies. The Irish demon would sometimes transform into a handsome man to lure women to its trap, but a telltale sign that it was a kelpie was if that “man” had kelp in its hair. The kelpie galloped around Ireland, looking like a lost pony, attempting to trick women and children into riding on it. The creature can take on multiple shapes, but usually, it appears in the form of a horse. The evil fire-spitter drowned in the ocean, leaving a swell behind that created the famous Hawk’s Well. When he stops riding, a human dies. He is often described as a giant with a large eye that wreaks destruction when opened. The beast’s constant cry was said to sound like the bark of 30 dogs. Here are out Top Ten Mythical Celtic Monsters! Some of the Celtic “monsters” were originally gods but were later demonized as pagan creatures when many of the Celts became Christians. Descriptions of her appearance vary, from an ugly old hag to a beautiful young woman, but all agree that the creature’s blood curdling wail will be heard three times before someone dies. Caorthannach, thought by some to be the devil’s mother, is a demon that was fought off by St. Patrick when he banished the snakes out of Ireland. Now known as Dearg-due, the vampire rises once a year, using her beauty to lure men to their deaths. Both a muse and a demon, Leanan Sidhe is another one of Ireland’s mythological vampires. Some say the Sluagh is the Irish version of the Wild Hunt, a European folktale about ghostly hounds or spirits traveling around in packs foretelling of death and disaster. As with Dearg-due, to prevent the undead Leanan Sidhe from rising, one must put a cairn of stones over her resting place. Guess this is one demon you can check off your list of scary creatures to worry about this Halloween. The Celtic Pantheon believed in 3 aspects of the Irish Celtic Gods and Goddesses, 3 aspects of a single God.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some Irish families would keep their west-facing windows shut at all times to keep the Sluagh out of their homes.

Irish demon monster, the Banshee is among the top most terrifying Irish demons. One monster, however, managed to escape – Caorthannach, the fire-spitter. Leanan Sidhe – the evil Irish fairy-muse. The latest Core Spirit news, articles and products, sent straight to your inbox. According to Irish folklore, Sluagh is dead sinners that come back as malicious spirits. 10. Carman is the Celtic goddess of evil magic. Carman is the Celtic goddess of evil magic. Patrick eventually made it to the Hawk’s Rock, where he waited for Caorthannach.

Balor can kill someone just by staring at them with his evil eye, so he kept it closed most of the time, so as not to constantly be tripping over dead bodies. Yes, Dracula himself is an Irish creation (Irishman Bram Stoker created the monster in his masterpiece novel), but there’s also a vampire that resides right smack in the middle of Ireland. The Questing Beast, known to be quick, was hunted down by many a knight, and in Celtic myth was chased by King Pellinore, an Arthurian character.

Some versions of this legend say that the Dullahan throws buckets of blood at people he passes, while other say he simply calls out the name of the mortal that will soon die. 2. As with Dearg-due, to prevent the undead Leanan Sidhe from rising, one must put a cairn of stones over her resting place. Questing Beast – the Celtic hybrid monster. To prevent the undead from rising from the grave, simply build a pile of stones over her grave. Though they’re not so much “demons,” Sluagh are scary creatures that hunt down souls. The Dullahan – the Irish headless horseman, Another legendary Irish monster is the Dullahan, a name that can be translated to “dark man.”. No, it won’t kill her, but at least you’ll hold her off until next year! The pursuit was a long one, and Caorthannach knew St. Patrick would need water to quench his thirst along the way, so she spit fire as she fled, and poisoned every well she passed.

Often portrayed in contemporary fantasy fiction and video games, this foreteller of death is the Irish version of the headless horseman. These spirits come from the west, flying in groups like flocks of birds, and try to enter a house where someone is dying to take away that person’s soul. Though the saint was desperately thirsty, he refused to drink from the poisoned wells and prayed for guidance. Esus . The fairy was a beautiful woman who was said to give inspiration to poets and musicians – but at the price of their lives.