Welcome to my home on the web. You may have noted the mountains in the banner are the misty Blue Ridge of North Carolina. Did you know time traveling Highlanders live there? Read about them in the Highland Gardens series. Curious about the big cat? Florida panther~from the Crimson Storm paranormal novel, Sea Panther.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Folklore Friday - Ghillie Dhu—Scottish Forest Faeries

TGIF. I'm at Voices From the Heart today, talking about recharging the muse and sharing a couple of waterfall photos from Shenandoah National Forest. And Paranormal Unbound is featuring the 2013 Golden Heart Finalists in Paranormal Romance, including me. Very excited! Stop by if you have a moment.

The following article was previously posted at Celtic Hearts and Castles & Guns.

The Ghillie Dhu

 

The Ghillie Dhu or Ghillie Dubh are solitary faeries believed to reside within Scottish forests, especially near Gairloch in Ross-shire, though one account claims many emigrated to forests in Northern America after following Scottish fur trappers to French Canada in the late 1700's.

Imagine a wee man of about three feet tall, dressed in garments made from leaves and moss, with hair black as a moonless night and eyes the deepest brown of a hazel nut. 'Tis said his skin color changes from green to brown to green with the seasons. He lives in the trees, preferring birch, and protects the woodland. He seems to be kind to children, with a nature both wild and shy. In Wonder Tales fromScottish Myth and Legend, Donald Alexander Mackenzie tells the tale of young Jessie Macrae who upon getting lost in the forest is directed home by a Ghillie Dhu.

Some accounts claim him to be a harmless sprite, while others recount a darker side. His name means dark servant to match his dark hair and dark eyes and darker temperament. Be wary of venturing into the forest at night when the Ghillie Dhu are known to be most active, for if offended by an adult human the wee man will reach out with thin, long arms and crush him in his angry embrace, leaving the human to rot into earthy compost. Instead, Ghillie Dhu might kidnap the human and drag him into faerieland to be enslaved.

An excellent depiction of a Ghille Dhu illustrated by Brian Froud can be found in the wonderful book, Faeries.

Are you afraid to walk in the forest alone at night?



The virtual tour for Just Beyond the Garden Gate continues...





 

Next week's tour stops:

 
06/11/13 Romance Junkies - Guest Post
06/12/13 Nancy Lee Badger’s Blog - Guest Post
06/13/13 Books ‘a la Mode - Interview
06/14/13 Star Crossed Romance - Guest Post



~Dawn Marie

No comments:

Post a Comment