Irish mythical creatures

Water kelpie or just kelpie is a shape-shifting water spirit originating from Scotland. It inhabits pools and streams, nearly every big body of water in Scotland has a kelpie story, the most well known being that of Loch Ness. It usually appears in the shape of horse but can take the human form, this is where the association with the Christian idea of Satan. In the late 19th century an interest in transcribing folklore came about, the recorders were inconsistent in their spelling and the…

The púca (Irish for spirit/ghost), pooka, phouka, phooka, phooca, puca or púka, is primarily a creature of Irish folklore. Considered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune, they could either help or hinder rural and marine communities. The creatures were said to be shape changers which could take the appearance of black horses, goats and rabbits. The púca has counterparts throughout the Celtic cultures of Northwest Europe. For instance, in Welsh mythology it is named the pwca and in…

Cù-Sìth(e) (pronounced Koo-Shee) are mythological creatures in Irish (spelt cú sídhe), Scottish and Celtic folklore and mythology.

Creatures #2

“Mythical Creatures of the British and Irish Isles. Image: NeilParkinsonMakes #AncientMaps”

A creature sometimes known as the otter-hound to modern mortals. Though its proper name may sound more like a sneeze than a word to those unlucky enough to speak no Erse. You can check out the Iri…

Tormented spirits, man-eating griffins, and of course, dragons; are just a few of the mythical creatures that feature in Welsh folklore.

The third Mythical Creature in our alphabetical list from Animal Alphabets is Cat Sidhe. twitter.com/AnimalAlphabets The Cat Sidhe is an Irish or Scottish creature which is all black except for a white spot on its chest. Names for it vary; as well as Cat Sidhe, there is also Cait Sidhe and Cath Sith. It is a large fairy cat which will try to steal the souls of the dead before they are buried, but in my painting, he seems like he’d look really cute while doing it! Just as a side note, in case…