Also called Leannán Sídhe, Leanhaun Shee, the fairy sweetheart.
The tale
On the Isle of Man the Lhiannan Shee is a fairy woman who haunts springs and attaches herself to a man, visible only to him, and draws his life away. In Ireland, Yeats described the Leannán Sídhe as a fairy mistress who inspires poets, giving them brilliance and a short life. In both traditions she is a beautiful, dangerous presence.
When they are met
- near springs and wells at night
- Samhain
Staying on their good side
- keep your balance in creative work
- make time for real human company
- never accept a lover who drains you
Honouring them, or keeping safe
- Honour your own inspiration without letting it consume your life.
- Keep up friendships and rest while working on a demanding creative project.
What their tales teach
- the tales teach the cost of obsession
- creative inspiration
- healthy love
Symbols
- the muse
- the spring
- the harp
Yeats's picture of her as a muse of doomed poets is partly his own literary development.
Sources
- Moore, The Folk-Lore of the Isle of Man
- Yeats, Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry
More Celtic folklore
- The Banshee The keening woman of the fairy mound
- Selkies The seal folk who come ashore
- The Púca The shape-shifter of November
- The Aos Sí The people of the fairy mounds
- The Kelpie The water horse of the lochs
- The Tylwyth Teg The Fair Family of Wales
- Leprechaun The solitary fairy shoemaker
- Clurichaun The fairy of the wine cellar