As an actress, I often find myself playing in interesting ways and situations. Playing in woods with fairies is a prime example of this – a day spent exploring a glorious Scottish wood, with Celtic folklore themes in mind, in aid of developing a site-specific piece of theatre.
It was a magical time, and the magic began even before setting out for the site: I loved the lore I found in my research. As a result, I am writing a Celtic Folklore series, and this section is about the animals of the area and their associations.
A number of the animals below relate to Celtic Festivals and a lot of the characters mentioned here can be found in the Celtic Folklore introduction – see links to the right.
Red Deer
Deer are pathfinders and often lead heroes into encounters with the Otherworld, sometimes shape-shifting – the mother of the hero Ossian changed into a deer. Deer have also been discovered in burial grounds, possibly as guides to the next world. They are associated with the instinctual self, grace and purity. In Gaelic, red deer can be known as Dearg (red).*
The Hind embodies subtlety, grace and femininity, and is known as ‘fairy cattle ’ in Scotland, being milked by the fairies on mountain tops and cared for by the Cailleach in various forms.
The Stag represents pride, independence and purification, and is connected to the Horned One in his various guises, and to Merlin. Antler shedding reflects death and rebirth, and the Stag is associated with Samhuinn, now known as Hallowe ’en.
*Note re. Gaelic names: There are many different names from which to choose; where one is common, I use this (such as Sionnach for fox), otherwise some choices are arbitrary. More can be found in Gaelic Names of Beasts.
Crow and Raven
The Crow and the Raven seem interchangeable in Celtic lore. The hooded or scald-crow (Badb) is often translated as raven in connection with goddesses. The Morrigan in particular is associated with these birds, sometimes referred to as ‘stalkers of the battlefield ’.
They relate to magic, prophecy, underworld messages, destruction and healing. In Scottish folklore, the crow is said to have 27 different cries, each for a different event. Only the wisest seer of the land can understand their words when a molmacha, or flock of crows, are in full cry together. Their behaviour, too, is used in divination.
There is a tradition that Churchill replaced the ravens that left the Tower of London, during the bombing of WWII, as they are associated with the protection of the land through the legend of Bran the Blessed. Bran means ‘raven’ and Bran the Blessed was a Celtic hero whose head was buried where the tower now stands as a measure for protection against invasion from overseas. It is said that great harm will befall Britain should the ravens leave the tower.
Red Kite
‘Kite ’ was once an insult, as is seen frequently in Shakespeare’s plays. One example of this comes in King Lear, when Lear is furious with his daughter Goneril, calling her ‘detested kite’. In Shakespeare’s day, this bird was common, known as a carrion-eater and city scavenger of refuse heaps, and associated with savagery.
Due to persecution, however, the Kite (Croman) became extremely rare – indeed extinct in some parts of Britain – and the species had to be reintroduced into England and Scotland.
As a result, these birds have become proud symbols of their homeland, a real transformation of associations.
Red Squirrel
The Squirrel (Feorag) is associated with preparation, dexterity, activity and alertness. These qualities are obvious in squirrel behaviour: the gathering and storing of food in preparation for hard times, their speed over ground and through the trees, and their alert manner when still.
Traditionally, the Red Squirrel is meant, as the Grey is a later interloper, often unpopular nowadays for bringing harm (via disease) to the Red, who now only resides in a few areas of Britain, notably in Scotland.
Fox
The Fox, (Sionnach), is associated with adaptability – often being a shape-shifter – flexibility, cunning, subtlety and diplomacy. There are many stories showing the cunning of the Fox, not always to its credit, but it should be remembered that ‘cunning ’ comes from kenning, meaning ‘to know ’, without necessarily carrying slyness.
That slyness may, however, be associated with the false trails a fox can leave in order to deceive its hunters – and foxes were hunted for their pelts, perhaps in a ritual manner. Like the Deer, the Fox was often part of burial rituals, found now in excavations.
Badger
The Badger (Broc) connects to perseverance, along with the patience and persistence this requires. He is considered self-reliant, determined, assertive and willing to work, with an earthy wisdom. Brocan was a name for Pictish wise men.
That said, the Badger was not always treated with respect – the game ‘Badger in the Bag’ started, according to legend, with the celtic hero Pwyll tricking a rival into a bag and each of his men having a turn at kicking the supposed ‘badger’ he had trapped. Bagging badgers before dealing with them (or indeed baiting them) also has to do with their aggression and fighting skills.
Celtic Animals Around the Year
The associations in this table are taken from Celtic Totem Animals by John Matthews.
Information about the fire festivals mentioned in the table (Samhuinn, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh) can be found in Celtic Festival Folklore.
Further Exploration
There are, of course, many other animals and birds to be found in the rich Celtic lore (as seen in the Celtic Animals Around the Year table), as well as more information available for the ones I have mentioned. The above is really a brief introduction, based on a particular magical wood and the animals I was asked to look up.
If you are interested in knowing more about Celtic folklore, you may wish to check out the work of Caitlin and John Matthews and that of Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm (often illustrated by the beautiful art of Will Worthington). There are also some connected books visible to the right, available at Amazon.
Should you wish to read further in the Playing in Woods with Fairies series, the following are available right here, at Hubpages:
Celtic Folklore – an introduction to the series, including some Lords and Ladies of the Land
Celtic Tree Folklore
Celtic Festival Folklore
, Playing in Woods with Fairies – Celtic Animal Folklore www.ozeldersin.com bitirme tezi,ödev,proje dönem ödevi