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Description
Water Sidhe

50 x 70 cm

Acrylic on canvas

Nearly every lake in Ireland has a story or legend about Underwater Worlds in which hosts of the Sidhe live, occasionally rising above the water to visit the mortals, to give aid or even on some occasions to ask mortals for their aid.
There are many legends about how the lakes in Ireland were formed; usually from magic Underworld wells which rise up and fill the plains above.
To the ancient Celts, water was sacred and has often been considered as a living being, having powers of sustaining, bestowing ,taking and restoring life.
Celtic tribes were know for honouring springs, wells and lakes as being sacred and as portals to otherworld or the land oft he gods.In old legends, lakes, rivers and pools were homes of many gods and goddesses, fairies and elven beings, such as gwragedd Annwn, Lady of the Lake, Glaistigs, Undines, Nixies, Loreleii, Rusalki, Naiades.
These are known for their enchanting beauty, but also for their treachery and magic. Water ladies of the Sidhe can also appear as mystical and seductive, singing unearthly,bewitching songs in order to lure young men into their clutches and to drown them, while others can bestow them with magical treasures, gifts and healing. Many water fairies are said to be shapeshifters, because oft he fluid and changeable nature of water itself, which is only given shape by the vessel that holds it.

Sinnan and Boand are Irish River Goddesses with similar haunting stories. In story of Boand, She got her name from her relationship to the River Boyne, whose waters she set free against the wishes of her husband Nechtán son of Labraid. "How the Boyne was born" tells this story. She could not withstand the power of the waters she released and was drowned as a result in one version of the tale, in another version she is wounded in her eye, her arm and her foot.

Fenian Cycle tells stories about female guardians of sacred waters, such as the story of the well of the moon, belonging to Beag, son of Buan of the Tuatha de Danann, which provided wisdom and the gift of foretelling to anyone who would take a sip from it. And the three daughters of Beag had charge of the well, and they would not part with a vessel of it.

In other legendary story, “The Hunt of Slieve Cuelinn” , Hero Finn came to a enchanted lake, and there was sitting on the brink of it a young maiden, the most beautiful he had ever seen, having hair of the colour of gold and a skin as white as lime, and eyes like the stars in time of frost; but she seemed to be some way sorowful and downhearted and bid him to help her in finding a ring which was lost in the middle of the lake. As Finn handed it up to her out of the water, she gave a leap into the water and vanished,while Finn lost all his strength and youth, becoming old grey man, weak and withered.Enchanted was put on him by a woman of the Sidhe, Miluchradh, daughter of Cuilinn, that some say was Manannan, son of Lir, through jealousy of her sister Aine. In the end, Finn was saved by his comrades, who forced Mannanan to give him healing liquid from his golden vessel , after which appearance and strength came back to him.

In the case of the Lady of the Lake, the surface of the water was an illusion created by magic to disguise her palace.

The Bean – Nighe , or „washing woman“ is the type of banshee who haunts the Lonely streams of Ireland and Scotland, washing the blood-stained garments of those about to die.

The Gwragedd Annwn are Welsh water fairies, beautiful Lake maidens who occasionally take mortals to be their husbands.
They are known to be enchanting and mysterious, often seen rowing gently to and fro in silver or golden boats on the surface of the lake.There is a legend of a submerged town in one of the many lakes in Wales said to be the home of Gwragedd Annwn.
Some people have seen towers and battlements beneath the surface oft he water and heard sweet unearthly music.

In other days, every New Year`s morning a door was to be found open in a rock by a Welsh lake and those who dared enter came upon a secret passage which led them to a small island in the middle of the lake. Here they found themselves in an exquisite garden inhabited by the Gwragedd Annwn who feted their guests, pressing on them all manner of fruit and flowers and entertaining them with beautiful music. Gwragedd Annwn known many wondrous secrets, and guests were welcomed to stay as long as they wished. However, they were warned that island is a secret and nothing from it should be taken away.One visitor pocketed a flower he had been offered, but the moment the thief touched “unhallowed” land again, the flower vanished , he fell unconscious and from that day the door has remained firmly closed.

Description
Water Sidhe

50 x 70 cm

Acrylic on canvas

Nearly every lake in Ireland has a story or legend about Underwater Worlds in which hosts of the Sidhe live, occasionally rising above the water to visit the mortals, to give aid or even on some occasions to ask mortals for their aid.
There are many legends about how the lakes in Ireland were formed; usually from magic Underworld wells which rise up and fill the plains above.
To the ancient Celts, water was sacred and has often been considered as a living being, having powers of sustaining, bestowing ,taking and restoring life.
Celtic tribes were know for honouring springs, wells and lakes as being sacred and as portals to otherworld or the land oft he gods.In old legends, lakes, rivers and pools were homes of many gods and goddesses, fairies and elven beings, such as gwragedd Annwn, Lady of the Lake, Glaistigs, Undines, Nixies, Loreleii, Rusalki, Naiades.
These are known for their enchanting beauty, but also for their treachery and magic. Water ladies of the Sidhe can also appear as mystical and seductive, singing unearthly,bewitching songs in order to lure young men into their clutches and to drown them, while others can bestow them with magical treasures, gifts and healing. Many water fairies are said to be shapeshifters, because oft he fluid and changeable nature of water itself, which is only given shape by the vessel that holds it.

Sinnan and Boand are Irish River Goddesses with similar haunting stories. In story of Boand, She got her name from her relationship to the River Boyne, whose waters she set free against the wishes of her husband Nechtán son of Labraid. "How the Boyne was born" tells this story. She could not withstand the power of the waters she released and was drowned as a result in one version of the tale, in another version she is wounded in her eye, her arm and her foot.

Fenian Cycle tells stories about female guardians of sacred waters, such as the story of the well of the moon, belonging to Beag, son of Buan of the Tuatha de Danann, which provided wisdom and the gift of foretelling to anyone who would take a sip from it. And the three daughters of Beag had charge of the well, and they would not part with a vessel of it.

In other legendary story, “The Hunt of Slieve Cuelinn” , Hero Finn came to a enchanted lake, and there was sitting on the brink of it a young maiden, the most beautiful he had ever seen, having hair of the colour of gold and a skin as white as lime, and eyes like the stars in time of frost; but she seemed to be some way sorowful and downhearted and bid him to help her in finding a ring which was lost in the middle of the lake. As Finn handed it up to her out of the water, she gave a leap into the water and vanished,while Finn lost all his strength and youth, becoming old grey man, weak and withered.Enchanted was put on him by a woman of the Sidhe, Miluchradh, daughter of Cuilinn, that some say was Manannan, son of Lir, through jealousy of her sister Aine. In the end, Finn was saved by his comrades, who forced Mannanan to give him healing liquid from his golden vessel , after which appearance and strength came back to him.

In the case of the Lady of the Lake, the surface of the water was an illusion created by magic to disguise her palace.

The Bean – Nighe , or „washing woman“ is the type of banshee who haunts the Lonely streams of Ireland and Scotland, washing the blood-stained garments of those about to die.

The Gwragedd Annwn are Welsh water fairies, beautiful Lake maidens who occasionally take mortals to be their husbands.
They are known to be enchanting and mysterious, often seen rowing gently to and fro in silver or golden boats on the surface of the lake.There is a legend of a submerged town in one of the many lakes in Wales said to be the home of Gwragedd Annwn.
Some people have seen towers and battlements beneath the surface oft he water and heard sweet unearthly music.

In other days, every New Year`s morning a door was to be found open in a rock by a Welsh lake and those who dared enter came upon a secret passage which led them to a small island in the middle of the lake. Here they found themselves in an exquisite garden inhabited by the Gwragedd Annwn who feted their guests, pressing on them all manner of fruit and flowers and entertaining them with beautiful music. Gwragedd Annwn known many wondrous secrets, and guests were welcomed to stay as long as they wished. However, they were warned that island is a secret and nothing from it should be taken away.One visitor pocketed a flower he had been offered, but the moment the thief touched “unhallowed” land again, the flower vanished , he fell unconscious and from that day the door has remained firmly closed.