Different myths,Folklore and legends

[tori111]

Hi

I,ve heard of so many interesting types of Folk/mythical creatures,..would be interesting if we listed one or more of each and described the myth/creature breifly.Also if you think ther's any truth to the myth or what might have caused it?.Pic would be cool 2!

I,ll start...

The Banshee...

A women who is part fairy who appears and wails/Sobs.. hauntingly just before someone is to die...she is sometimes accompnied by a headless horseman and black carriage with a coffin.It was said that if you opened the door while you heard her or the rumbling coach as it passed, a basin of blood would be thrown on your face by her horseman!Not sure what might have started this tale..

An Irish Myth.

Cheers

[thefirstman]

A Banshee was a name for a faerie.Another tale of the Banshee,or rather another variation of the Banshee,is the Washing Woman,you are most likely to see her near a stream or river,she is supposed to be washing the bloody clothes of the person who's death she is foretelling.here is some info on the Banshee or Washing Woman:She is usually depicted as an older woman with long red hair, a pale complexion, and a long grey cloak draping over her body. Some say that she has no real substance and appears more as a mist-like cloud, or is seen with one nostril, breast, and tooth.

Sound's freaky that last description,i believe that the Banshe may be a Fallen Angel,foretelling the death of people.Some sort of spirit,or even poltergeist.but i am looking to find the origin of these tales.i will be back.

[thefirstman]

The headless man on the black carriage with a coffin is a different omen of death,although still connected with the Banshee,is very rarely seen alongside her.This other omen is called The Dullahan.

[thefirstman]

Ok after much searching and looking,i have found out that the origin's of the Banshee tale are unknown,apparently they are women who died during childbirth,with dark circumstances.Also they were also women who were killed by dark witche's.Sorry but i looked hard.

[tori111]

Thanks for that very interesting,

NOTE.IGNORE THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS TOPIC..POSTED IT TWICE...FOR SOME REASON IT WASN,T SHOWING WHEN I CHECKED EARLIER!

Cheers

[Magikman]

Taken care of Tori. Here's a little more info for you on the banshee, posted by Hammy a while back:

CLICK HERE

MM

[Cufflink]

I was looking for a good artist's impression of a banshee, but came across this.

Banshee

Aka : Washer of the Shrouds, Washer at the Banks, Washer at the Ford, Cointeach, Cyhiraeth, Cyoerraeth, Gwrach y Rhibyn, Eur-Cunnere Noe, Beansidhe, Bean Chaointe, the Bean-nighe, Kannerez-Noz, Washerwoman, death spirit.

Country of Origin: Ireland, Scotland, Germany

Origin: The bean-sidhe (woman of the fairy) may be an ancestral spirit appointed to forewarn members of certain ancient Irish families of their time of death. According to tradition, the banshee can only cry for five major Irish families: the O'Neills, the O'Briens, the O'Connors, the O'Gradys and the Kavanaghs. Intermarriage has since extended this select list.

Appearance : Whatever her origins, the banshee chiefly appears in one of three guises: a young woman, a stately matron or a raddled old hag. These represent the triple aspects of the Celtic goddess of war and death, namely Badhbh, Macha and Mor-Rioghain. She has very long, flowing hair and wear green dresses with grey cloaks. In Cornwall she is said to have long black teeth.

At times she is seen in lonely places, beside a pool or stream, washing the linen of those soon to die, and folding and beating it with her hands on a stone in the middle of the water. She is then known as the Bean-nighe, or washing woman; and her being seen is a sure sign that death is near. The Beansidhe's keening (mourning wail) can also be heard at night prior to a death.

In 1437, King James I of Scotland was approached by an Irish seeress or banshee who foretold his murder at the instigation of the Earl of Atholl. This is an example of the banshee in human form. There are records of several human banshees or prophetesses attending the great houses of Ireland and the courts of local Irish kings. In some parts of Leinster, she is referred to as the bean chaointe (keening woman) whose wail can be so piercing that it shatters glass. In Kerry, the keen is experienced as a "low, pleasant singing"; in Tyrone as "the sound of two boards being struck together"; and on Rathlin Island as "a thin, screeching sound somewhere between the wail of a woman and the moan of an owl".

The banshee may also appear in a variety of other forms, such as that of a hooded crow, stoat, hare and weasel - animals associated in Ireland with witchcraft.

[tori111]

Wow...thanks for that.Did,nt know the myth went so deep.

The CHANGELING

.another myth....apparently a group of faireis or fairy/Trow would change a new human born child with that of there own...one that was ugly and ill looking.The faireis were also called trows in the Orkeny islands.

The Changeling child usually lives for a short period maybe up to 17 years.The Changeling is always misbehaved and difficult to control and leads the foster mother to exhaustion!

If the Mother wants her child back it was said that she must whip the child with a branch from a weeping birch tree.This would bring the Fairy...Trow...Mother Back with the human child and take her own after hearing

her child cry out.

This myth is esp popular in Northen Europe nad the Orkney islands.

P.S thanks for that info guys on the banshee.

[Naveed]

Here's some info on some of the Norse mythical creaures. http://www.runegame.com/vbf/showthread.php...&threadid=25943 It's on another forum I go to and posted by someone with a lot of viking/norse knowledge.

[tori111]

HARPIES

Harpies were originally beutiful blond maidens with wings in early greek mythology.They later were cursed with ugly feautures and Talons.(Why wre they cursed?)

They were knowen to carry off men to the underworld and inflict punishment on them.They represented the storm winds.

The 3 famous harpies were Pordago, Aello and Ocypete.(Any more info would b cool)

Here,s what pordago looked like before llol!

[Althalus]

Harpies

"Robbers". In earlier versions of Greek myth, Harpies were described as beautiful, winged maidens. Later they became winged monsters with the face of an ugly old woman and equipped with crooked, sharp talons. They were represented carrying off persons to the underworld and inflicting punishment or tormenting them. Those persons were never seen again. They robbed the food from Phineus, but were driven away by Cailas and Zetes, the Boreads, and since then they lived on the Strophades. The Harpies were probably the personification of storm winds. They are: Aello, Celaeno, and Ocypete.

Winged female demons from Macedonia who preyed on little children, drank their blood and ate their entrails. They were supposed to be the descendants of the Harpies.

Ocypete

"The Swiftwing". One of the three Harpies.

Celaeno ("the Dark"), also Podarge ("fleet foot"), is one of the Harpies. She was the lover of Zephyrus and mother of Xanthus and Balius, the supernatural horses of Achilles.

Aello is one of the Greek Harpies who was employed by the gods to make peace and carry out punishments for crimes. Aello was described as a beautiful, winged maiden. Later other writers described her as a winged monster with the face of an ugly old woman, with crooked and sharp talons and claws. She also was described as taking people to the Underworld and torturing them. Aello is known as the Storm Swift of the three. She was also described as a horrid woman with the body of a bird.

[man_in_mudboots]

amazonians/amazons

tribe of beatutiful warrior ladies. they would rape men they caught on the roads so de tribe would not die out. male prisoners of war would be sex slaves or just slaves. they would burn or cut off their right breast (or left dependin if dey were right or left handed) to use de javelin better. would drown all male babies. often said to have such large breasts dey could trow dem over dier shoulders so dey could run witout gigglin all oer de place. vry little use of metals or close contact fightin, mostly archery, javelin, trowing knives/stars, catupult, ect.

[tori111]

Thanks for that info Althalus.

[crosswarrior]

How bout the Nephelem of Jewish tradition. They were said to be decendants of a union between humans and fallen angels