.jpg)
Beyond the Seas
Here, on this podcast, we explore all the fascinating realms of mythology and folklore, along with the modern-day practice of The Old Ways--to understand how working with the past and present leads us to a more fulfilling future.
Stories are so vastly important to me--listen weekly for a new original, short-form tale that introduces each topic. Recipes, blends, practices, and ceremonies meet with the surviving tales from around the world and its cultures to create both an educational and relaxing, practical experience.
As always, grab your favorite bottle of red and settle in for a new tale--as I take you...
Beyond the Seas.
Cheers,
Kieran
Instagram: @beyondtheseaspodcast
Email me at beyondtheseaspodcast@gmail.com
Further info: www.kierandanaan.com/beyond-the-seas
Beyond the Seas
Fairy Lover, Fairy Woman: The Léannan and Béan Sidhe
Each of us yearns for a love that is requited and whole, one that surpasses and overcomes death. However, these maxims of living life fully, so as to embrace the Final Journey, are reminders to us all: there are guides, helpers, and spirits that join us on every journey. And it is two such spirits that, today, we venture forth with in our travels.
WE ARE GOING TO SALEM!
Instagram: @beyondtheseaspodcast
EMAIL ME: beyondtheseaspodcast@gmail.com
Tarot Collaboration: @thefeatherwitchnyc
Weekly Book: Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies
Podcast website: https://beyondtheseas.buzzsprout.com/
More info: https://www.kierandanaan.com/beyond-the-seas
Sources
-Hernandez, J.A. "Leannán Sídhe of Irish Folklore." J.A. Hernandez, 28 February 2023. www.jahernandez.com/posts/leannan-sidhe-of-irish-folklore
-legendsandmore. "Leanan sidhe - a Dangerous 'Fairy Woman' of the Otherworld in Irish Mythology." Legendsoflove, 8 September 2019. legendsoflove.wordpress.com/2019/09/08/leanan-sidhe-a-dangerous-fairy-woman-of-the-otherworld-in-irish-mythology.
-Sullivan, Kerry. "Wailing Out the Lament-Filled Origins and Legends of Irish Banshees." Ancient Origins, 24 December 2016. www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/wailing-out-lament-filled-legends-and-origins-irish-banshees.
Music
"De Novo" by Dear Gravity
'"Intimacy" by Ben Winwood
"As the Sky Turns Grey" by Beneath the Mountain
"Then There Was You" by Beneath the Mountain
"Irish Mountains" by Ben Winwood
Cheers Magick Makers,
Kieran
That star-studded night, he dreamt a dream.
Of the lover he once embraced as his own, far off in his past.
The beauty of her hair, the smell of her skin—the shade of her eyes at dawn and twilight.
The feel of her in his arms.
The aching in his spirit and the loneliness in his heart crept into the dream,
Turning the wooded glen into a place of darkness.
His heart beat rapidly and fast, as the woman in his arms morphed into something…
Darker.
Stranger.
Colder.
Long before he heard it, a shaking in his bones and mind rattled throughout his body,
For a slowly growing sound of despair was escaping the creature’s lips.
His once-lover-turned-creature was howling, moaning, crying, grieving,
And he was powerless to stop it.
A chill crept across his heart, as he realized that this was no mere dream.
This creature before him, now running off into the darkness of the trees,
Was warning him.
Was aching for him.
Was grieving for him.
He awoke with a fright, yet also a resolve in his heart.
Slowly, ever so slowly, his aged, old, aching bones moved in his bed.
And while sitting, stared around his home,
Knowing that, finally,
He was soon to die.
Yet praising the knowledge and certainty, that his next grand adventure…
Was about to begin.
(transition music)
Grand tidings and welcome to you on this, the thirty-seventh episode, of Beyond the Seas. My name is Kieran and here we are again, back at it for another week. Magick Makers, I am so, so excited to be coming out with this week’s episode, because…it is the big week of our big announcement! Stay tuned for that in a minute, as it is sure to be juicy and absolutely game-changing for the show. For now, the plugs: if you have not yet already followed us on our socials, head on over to Instagram, @beyondtheseaspodcast, and Claudia’s account, @thefeatherwitchnyc, to follow along with our daily reels and Claudia’s weekly tarot post, wherein she teaches you the Tarot one card at a time, one week at a time. It is a most exciting time for the show and I cannot be more elated that you are here with us today. So, Magick Makers, thanks for being here, with me, today.
And now, the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! So!!! I have been itching and dying to tell you all that Beyond the Seas is taking a HUGE step into the realm of interviews, discussions, and chats with published authors on the Craft. Around a month and change ago, Crossed Crow Books, headed by the Malliway Brothers in Chicago, reached out to the show to proffer a collaboration between its publishing house’s authors and our witchy, folkloric podcast. Immediately, we said a resounding yes! And since then, we have had nothing but joyous fun, magick, growth, and opportunity with this incredible group of Magick Makers. Thus, our first ever author guest on the show will come up next week, July 25th, and feature none other than Crossed Crow’s latest published author, Nathan King. I had the great pleasure of sitting with him for several hours over Zoom and discussing his latest work, Awakening the Witchblood: Embodying the Arte Magical and his views on magick, the Craft, and other interesting topics along the way. Look forward to this week on Insta for our planned posts on highlighting our time together, as well as setting a notification on your devices for next Thursday at midnight, so you are one of the first listeners to hear what is sure to be a magickal moment in the history of Beyond the Seas. I cannot wait to hear your reactions and comments, Magick Makers, and to share the interview with you all.
And now, artistic and literary updates! Those of who you follow the show on Insta will know this info before now, but for those who have yet to hit that follow button: I am already in rehearsals for another show! If you are in the absolutely beautiful Cape May area, I highly recommend you book your tickets now for East Lynne Theater Company’s upcoming production of an exciting new adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial ‘M’ for Murder. I am playing the infamous Lesgate, the would-be assassin, and I am so overjoyed at the opportunity to be a part of yet another murder mystery this year. The Atlantic Ocean is mere yards from our housing location and I visit the beach every day after rehearsal: there is a double whammy of living not only so close to the beach, but also the liminality of water and earth meeting in such a close proximity. Wow, I am so grateful to be a part of this journey. Now, in terms of the book: last week, I gifted Claudia with one of her many presents from my time in Colorado, which was Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett. I was super happy to have found this book in Frisco, as its cover immediately leapt out to me. It was a deliciously quick read: it follows the protagonist, Emily Wilde, as she ventures to the icy northern interiors to make contact with the Faeries there, in the hopes of growing her illustrious Encyclopedia. While there, she is surprised by her coworker and more-than-friend, Wendell Bamleby, which…say that ten times fast. Together, they embark on adventures around the adventurous locations of the North and happen into more than one sticky situation—with a few drinks of locally brewed wine along the way. It is a delightful romp through a very close yet alternative world, and will delight you this summer season. It is the first of three, I believe, and will not disappoint. Head to your local library or second-hand bookshop to pick up a copy and follow along with the journey.
And now, the Card of the Week! This week is super-duper exciting because Claudia’s reel on this topic was nothing short of spectacular—and it could not have been more synchronous with the events that spiraled into and out of this week. Here is a direct quote from Claudia’s reel:“Indulge in life in such a way that everyone you encounter is one step closer to the person they’re supposed to be and to Spirit as a whole.” Baby, that is Temperance. Excatly as Claudia says, we the Healers and Magick Makers are treading the path not only this week, but for the foreseeable future, as those who take in that which needs more understanding, patience, guidance, empathy, and respect. Make no mistake, that also includes the heavy use of boundaries, rules, and regulations—but the path forward must be a peaceful and holistic one. The circle is always open, but never unbroken, right? Furthermore, a sense of balance of health, respect, understanding, and empathy within yourself—coupled with an awareness of your own boundaries, rules, and regulations. You are the diviner of your own fate, and you weave the path ahead and beyond. Guided by your own sense of inner peace and holistic power. Damn, what a week.
And now, the Wine of the Week! Guess whaaaaaaaat? It was going to be a Bota Box, but now it is not a Bota Box! Hahahaha. Because: the director of our show was extremely generous and created a four-course dinner for the company on our arrival night here, in Cape May. Included in that was a French red wine, a Côtes du Rhône, that astoundingly, absurdly delicious. It is La Grivelière’s 2022 Côtes du Rhône. It was one of the best French wines I have had, and my experience with French wines is rather slim at best. Regardless, it was one of the best. Now, it was by my side the entire night—and went well with practically everything. It has strong notes of oak, cherry, lilac, floral notes, hints of raspberry, and milk chocolate. Pair it with sharp Gouda cheeses, Coq au Vin, raspberry and chocolate cake with bits of fruit baked into the middle, and an exciting champagne toast that will knock you off your feet.
And, finally, this week’s topic. I was deciding on what to write and discuss this week on the beach and thought, “well, if this isn’t a place where people come to live and relax, it is also a place where they contemplate what comes after.” Thus, I had the notion and feelings of death and passing on my mind for a while—for some reason, hopefully nothing too prophetic—and felt the need to honor that intuition. Ergo, back to the Emerald Isle we travel this week, as we uncover and explore the facts and myths surrounding two of Ireland’s faerie figures: The Léannan Sidhe and the Béan Sidhe. What, exactly, do they represent? How did they come to be such prominent figures in the minds of the Irish? Do they still hold such sway today? And, most importantly, how do we work with them in our magicks today?
For now, grab your favorite bottle of red, find a comfy chair, and close your eyes as I tell you the tale of Fairy Lover, Fairy Woman: The Léannan and Béan Sidhe—and take you…
Beyond the Seas.
(transition music)
Love and light, death and chaos. These are but four of the many maxims and archetypes that suffuse our world and the human experience therein. The desire to be wanted and loved, unconditionally and wholly; the fear of what travels through the night, and heralds what is to come. For across the seas and mountains of our world, there are stories and legends surrounding these very motifs. But for our travels today, we turn our attention once again to the magick of the Emerald Isle. For here, there are more than a few tales and myths surrounding not only the Fae, the Good Neighbors, but also—more specifically—the Fairy Love and the Fairy Woman—the Léannan and Béan Sidhe.
To begin, let us first turn our attention to the otherworldly Fairy Lover, the Léannan Sidhe. From the Legends of Love blog, “The Leanan sidhe was well-known among the people of Ireland as a beautiful, yet dangerous, “Fairy Woman”. The appearance of the Leanan sidhe caused fear in towns and villages because the young men who were chosen as the lovers of the unearthly temptress were doomed to suffer an untimely death.
“The young men of Ireland who were gifted poets, artists, musicians and writers became the sole objects of the Leanan sidhe’s love and attention. They were unaware that the beautiful woman in their midst was a powerful shape-shifter of the Otherworld.
“Leanan sidhe means “Fairy Lover” in Gaelic as the strange, supernatural spirit always took the form of an alluring woman. The shape-shifter won the heart of her young lover by magically transforming into the most desirable woman he ever laid eyes on.
“According to Irish folklore, the Leanan sidhe belonged to a magical race called the Aos si.
“Aos si means the ‘people of the barrows’ and ‘people of the mounds’. The Aos si lived beneath the mounds which are scattered around Ireland today.
“They were once venerated in Ireland as the pagan gods and goddesses of the Tuatha Dé Danann, or the “Tribe of the Goddess Danu”.
“The Tuatha Dé Danann were a mystical, superhuman race who ruled over Ireland for thousands of years. The druids and Celtic tribes in Ireland paid homage to the gods and goddesses of the Tuatha Dé Danann during the Iron Age.
“The people of Ireland considered the Tuatha as benign deities of the Otherworld who brought the gifts of healing, fertility, ancient wisdom and life. The gods also taught the Irish skills and crafts which allowed them to prosper.
“The Tuatha Dé Danann were banished to their enchanted kingdoms beneath the ground after the Milesians invaded Ireland. The Milesians were the ancestors of the Irish people.
“The Leanan sidhe was one [of] the powerful deities who became known in folklore as Fairy Queens, kings, banshees, ganconers and the supernatural creatures of the Otherworld.
“The Fairy Woman often visited the mortal world to find a human lover. The Leanan sidhe wished only to love a young poet or artist so she could bestow on them the gifts of inspiration and creativity.
“Some said the Leanan sidhe yearned to bear a child. She was possibly a being of the Otherworld who found procreation with other members of the Aos si difficult.
“The mysterious spirit of the Otherworld only sought the love of a mortal man. The Fairy Woman was faithful to her young admirers. She came to them in secret and engaged in passionate trysts.
“The young poets, musicians and artists became so infatuated by the Leanan sidhe that they could no longer eat or sleep. Their romance with the Fairy Woman was a torturous existence as they were obsessed with the beautiful maiden who inspired them.
“The Leanan sidhe gave her young admirers the spark of inspiration so they could create the greatest works of art, music and literature known to mankind.
“Some accounts claimed the Leanan sidhe left her lovers as she feared for their well-being. The power of the woman from the Otherworld overwhelmed mortal men and soon drained them of their vitality and strength.
“Sadly, the young men’s yearning for the Leanan sidhe was so unbearable that they were driven to madness and eventually death.
“Other versions of the folk legend said the life-force of the young men was deliberately drained by the evil Fairy Woman during their brief affair. They suffered terribly when the madness overcame them and death followed soon afterwards.
“The cruelty of the Leanan sidhe was such that she carried the souls of her lovers to the unknown lands of the Otherworld.
“The most famous Leanan sidhe in Ireland was the Fairy Queen Aine. Aine was venerated in West Munster as a sun-goddess of fertility, love and sovereignty during the Iron Age.
“Aine belonged to the Tuatha Dé Danann and made her home on Cnoc Aine, or “Aine’s Hill”. The sacred hill of Cnoc Aine is known today as Knockainy in County Limerick.
“The goddess, Aine, was later transformed into a beautiful Fairy Queen in the folklore of Ireland.
“The Fairy Queen, Aine, was known to be particularly fond of young poets and indulged in many brief affairs with the love-struck men. Some were taken away to her kingdom in the Otherworld, never to be seen or heard of again.
“Aine remained the respected guardian of the people of West Munster. The pagan mid-summer rituals dedicated to the goddesses continued on the sacred hill of Cnoc Aine.
“Legends of the Leanan sidhe were also found in the folklore of Scotland and the Isle of Man.”
What I find particularly interesting about this Fairy figure is the desire for love in mortal men. It is the creative aspect inherent within their beings that, to me, suggests an other-ness. For talent, in our world, is the one true thing that is randomly distributed in our kind. And for that very reason, be it luck or fate or the Gods’ design, these mortals are made all the more desirable to the Fairy Lover. Perhaps that suggests a lack of inherent ability within the Good Neighbors—though for me, personally, I highly doubt that.
Here is another piece of fascinating information. From J.A. Hernandez’s website, “As far as his involvement with the leannán sídhe, [William Butler] Yeats published a book in 1892 titled Fairy and Folk Tales with [this] brief description.
‘The Leanhaun Shee (fairy mistress), seeks the love of mortals. If they refuse, she must be their slave; if they consent, they are hers, and can only escape by finding another to take their place. The fairy lives on their life, and they waste away. Death is no escape from her. She is the Gaelic muse, for she gives inspiration to those she persecutes. The Gaelic poets die young, for she is restless, and will not let them remain long on earth—this malignant phantom.’
“His description of the leannán sídhe and many other tales are either accurate, controversial, or riddled with problems—depending on who you talk to. He wasn't the first to mention this type of Irish muse by the name, though. A few years before, in 1887, there was another publication with an entry…[in] "Poet Inspiration. Eodain the Poetess" in Ancient Legends, Mystic Charms, and Superstitions of Ireland by Jane Wilde. Wilde's entry is more of a tale than a description, and it doesn't really touch on the darker aspects mentioned by Yeats.
“As far as the price or the deal the leannán sídhe requires for her inspiration, the only people to know for sure are probably those who have taken it? Most stories depict the leannán sídhe as female, but there are a few where the leannán sídhe takes the form of a man—which [implies] that it could take the form of pretty much anything.”
Refill your drinking horns, your goblets, your chalices, for the second half of Fairy Lover, Fairy Woman: The Léannan and Béan Sidhe, after this brief break.
(transition music)
And we’re back. As with everything in our world, there is nothing more constant than change. And it is our spirit of balance and equilibrium—Temperance, as it were—that allows us to navigate those moment-to-moment shifts that occur throughout our daily lives. For in those moments of decision and change is where our true nature and power arise, wherein we learn most about ourselves and our inner faculties. And in such a situation where death is involved is where we meet the most liminal aspects of ourselves, that otherness. Ergo, to death and the foretelling on the wind of its arrival do we now turn, most specifically to the Béan Sidhe.
From our dear, dear friend, Ancient Origins, “To hear her harrowing wail tear through the night sky was an omen of certain death. The cry of the banshee implied that someone in your family had died or was about to– or, that you were about to meet an untimely end. An old Irish myth, banshees are closely related to the people of the Aes Sídhe (spirits or faeries) and the Morrígan (the triple goddess of fate, particularly in war). Sometimes banshees have been depicted as old and haggard, but other times they are seen as young and beautiful. Usually, a banshee is said to travel alone; however, when a person of particular greatness dies, they will go in groups. But regardless of their appearance or numbers, banshees always mean death.
“In Gaelic lore, these harbingers of death are known as bean-sídhe, which simply means ‘fairy woman.’ According to tradition, a bean-sídhe is a “woman of the fairy, maybe an ancestral spirit, appointed to forewarn members of certain ancient Irish families of their time of death” (Ireland’s Eye, 2016). The families warned were those of the insular Celtic lands (meaning ones that had not been overrun by Norse, English, or Norman invaders). These families usually have an O’ or Mc/Mac prefix, such as O’Connor, O’Brien, O’Neil, McNeil, or McCnaimhíns.
“The origin of banshees is not entirely known, though it does seem to be an Irish creation. The most prominent theory suggests the legend originated from the cry of a barn owl. In ancient battles, the armies would start marching at dawn. Their movements would startle owls that were just settling down to sleep. The birds would then screech and fly away as the army approached. Their cry would alert the opposing army/ city defenses of the coming threat. Naturally, many would die in these confrontations, so the owl’s screeching cry came to be seen as a sign of death.
“In ancient Ireland and Scotland, mourning rites included a keening woman - known as a bean chaointe. Such women would wail and weep for the deceased. Most often this act would come as a natural expression of grief from family members. Yet, one could also hire a bean chaointe for added effect at funerals.
“Legends say that the Aes Sídhe would come and keen with unparalleled poignancy for truly noble Irish families. But, being spirits, the Sídhe could often tell right away when a family member had died. So, a bean-sídhe would begin the mourning rites of wailing - and the cry would drift over the Irish hills far faster than a message carrier could travel. The wailing of the banshee was thus the first news of death in the family.
“If the deceased were a great or holy person, several banshees would appear together to sing their mournful laments in unison. Later on, the banshee would appear just before death to warn the family of its impending loss. However, most of the time, the first person to hear the banshee’s screech is the person who is about to die.
“While the intentions of the Sídhe were noble, banshees inevitably developed a bad reputation and became heavily cursed and feared. There is little evidence to suggest that banshees ever actually killed anyone, except maybe by fright. But being disembodied spirits with chilling cries, they became associated with ghosts and other devilry. Banshees soon had a reputation of being hate-filled creatures.
“There are certainly stories of murdered young women or mothers who died in childbirth becoming banshees, but altogether the descriptions of banshees varied. Below is a sampling of some of the more prominent banshee portrayals: An old woman dressed in black with long grey hair covering her face with a veil. An old woman with long white hair and red eyes, dressed in a green dress. A deathly pale woman with long red hair dressed in a white dress (sometimes a shroud.) A beautiful woman wearing a shroud. A beautiful woman with silver-white hair wearing a long shimmering silver dress, carrying, or using, a silver comb. A headless woman naked from the waist up carrying a bowl of blood.
“Originally, “when they manifest themselves, Banshees appear as beautiful enchanting women that sing a sorrowful, haunting song which is filled with concern and love for their families.” However, over time the legend became too good of a ghost story to pass up. Banshees came to be viewed as wicked hags who delighted in bringing news of death; their cries would chill a listener to the bone and could even make you go insane. The traditional concept of a family guardian lamenting kinfolks’ deaths faded away - much like the tradition of wailing at a funeral. Today, it is really only the ghostly, superstitious personality of the banshee that remains.”
And so, the telling of our tales and travels together is complete. What is so powerful about these two figures, the Fairy Lover and the Fairy Woman, is their reminder to us all: do not fear who you are, what you desire, and what you will inevitably experience. To live life fully and presently, secure in the knowledge of oneself and its faculties. To become one again with the inner worlds inherent within you, that others desire to see manifest in reality. For reasons of love, entertainment, warning, and despair, our human experience is never complete without the Temperance of fear and trepidation towards living those moments fully and completely. And the lessons we learn along the way? Well, that is to be shared between yourself and the Sidhe. And as a result, your magick, my magick, our magick, will always be made stronger…because of it.
(transition music)
The stories, research, and production elements were done and edited, respectively, by me, Kieran, with sources attached in the description. If you want to be a guest on the show, or have a topic you wish me to explore and discuss, send me an email at beyondtheseaspodcast@gmail.com. And be sure to hit the follow button, on whichever platform you enjoy the podcast, and look forward to more content next week. Until then, seek the veil between the worlds, and allow yourself to travel…Beyond the Seas.