Water Fae

Artwork by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.
This set may not be used for commercial purposes without
payment of a licensing fee to Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.

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Apsaras – Water nymphs of Hindu mythology who appeared as creatures of voluptuous beauty at the Churning of the Waters and who now dance in Indra’s heaven. They live in the fig and banana trees and play their lutes. They are companions of the Gandharvas and have a reputation for promiscuity based on the legend that no single group of beings would marry them; therefore, they are saved for those who arrive in paradise from a heroic death. This reputation includes a joy of bestowing some with good fortune in gambling, and also being the cause of irrationality and even madness.
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Affric – A water nymph who lives near Glen Affric in Scotland, she may even be a goddess of the river she protected who was debased when Christianity reached the islands.
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Aganippe – A spring water nymph who lives on Mount Helicon. Drinking of her spring’s water will give you inspiration.
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AEgina – A daughter of the river god Asopus and one of Zues’ lovers in Greek and Roman mythology.
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Alven (aka Ottermaaner) – These faeries are from the Netherlands. They are wingless beings, with bodies so light that they are translucent, who float through the air inside of water bubbles. Sometimes they appear dressed as an otter, and are only mean to those humans who destroy their homes and sacred plants. These tiny beings like to frolic in the moonlight, dancing through the night along the edges of their watery homes. Though they inhabit all lakes, ponds, and rivers, the River Elbe is their sacred homeland. They are lovers of the moonlight and the natural guardians of night-blooming flora. Because their only enemies are fish they only inhabit those bodies of water that have none. The best way to contact them is to visit their Faeryland home, the River Elbe. When you approach them do so as a being who loves the moon and nature. They may lend you their energies for protective and healing spells cast for a night-blooming garden or marine environment.
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Amphritrite (a.k.a. Amphytrite) – One of the Nereied nymphs, she was forced to marry the god of the sea, Poseidon. When she got tired of Poseidon cheating on her with Scylla, she changed Scylla into a sea monster to end the affair.
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Antiope – A daughter of the river god Asopus in Greek and Roman Mythology.
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Arethusa – One of the Nereids of Greek and Roman mythology.
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Asrais – These diminutive water spirits of England and Scotland are both male and female and, when they appear in human form, look as if they are in their 20s when, in actuality, they are very old souls. Their white bodies are so translucent that they are often mistaken for ghosts and they have been known to be both good and bad to humans. They are creatures of the night and can exist on land. Not enough is known about them to now how they feel toward humans, or whether or not they’d be willing to aid us in ritual and spell work, so exercise caution if you decide to contact them in their underwater kingdoms.
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Banshee

This one spirit that is very wide spread. She is known in many different lands by many different names (and even different spellings of the same name). Banshee is the American and Canadian phonetic spelling for the Irish Bean Si, or Bean Sidhe, whose name means Woman of the Hill, Mound, or Faeries, the Scots Gaelic Bean-Sith. In the Scottish Highlands she is called Caoineag (the Weeper or One Who Weeps) and Bean-Nighe (Washing Woman), mainly in the Hebrides region where she is also know as Coainteach, or Cointeach, One Who Keens, the name given to her in southwest Scotland, as well. In Celtic Scottish folklore she is Bean-Nighechain, Little Washer Woman, and Nigheag na H-ath, Little-Washer by-the-Ford. The French refer to this being as Cannered Noz, Woman of the Night, and in Cornwall, England she is Cyhyreath. In Brittany her name is Eur-Cunnere Noe, in Waterford she is Badbh, and in Wexford, Kildare, and Wicklow, her name is spelled Badhbh. In Kilkenny and Loais Badhbh carries a surname, Chaointe. Only to the Welsh is this being considered to be both male and female, and is referred to as Cyoerrath and Gwrach y Rhibym, or Hag of the Dribble. The Manx call her Ben Shee. Other names include Badh and Banshie, East Munster; Ban Sith, Bean Shith, Ben Side, and, in Britain, Tunnerez Noz.

The Banshee are comprised of female faeries who live as solitary beings who attach themselves to human families of noble blood. To these families her cries are a foretelling of death, in the role of a supernatural messenger. Some think that she is a ghost because of her appearance and clothing. She is described as being a beautiful woman with long red hair, a pale face, and eyes that glow red from her continuous weeping. She wears a flowing white gown and a shroud to cover her face in mourning. To some her warning wail is oddly comforting, but to most it is a shrill and terrifying sound, perhaps a reflection of how the listener views death. They are usually seen by the side of rivers washing the clothes of those about to die.

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Bean-Nighe (a.k.a. Nigheadaireachd) – She is a small and slender evil spirit who has red webbed feet; long sagging breasts, and dresses in a green gown and matching shroud. A portent of disaster, she is usually seen beside desolate streams washing the blood stained clothing of those about to die. However, if a human should see her before she sees the human and is daring enough to grab one of her breasts and suckle it, that human may then claim to be her foster-child, and will be spared. Even if one is only bold enough to try and stand between the Bean-Nighe and the water, before she catches sight of one, then she will grant hone 3 wishes. She will answer 3 questions and then ask 3 questions, which must be answered honestly.
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Bean-Nighechain – The Celtic Little Washer Woman who is a spirit of doom and foreboding. She is a little old woman with only one nostril, large protruding teeth, and red webbed feet, who washes the clothes of those who are dying in battle while standing in the shallow, narrow part of a river. If one sees her first and grabs her, she must reveal the name of the doomed person and grant her captor 3 wishes, but if she sees one then death or disaster will soon befall said individual.
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Caoineag – The Scottish Gaelic weeping faery who wails beside a waterfall in the night to warn clans of impending catastrophe and disaster. She is one of a group of spirits in Scottish folklore known as fuaths. She is also a female family spirit (each clan has their own) who can be hard in nighttime lamentations warning of impending catastrophe, but she is never seen.
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Cannered Noz – This is the name of the French group of faery spirits whose name means Washer Woman of the Night. Though they are normally only heard, they occasionally manifest in the form of diminutive old peasant woman washing the linen of humans who have died without absolution. They inhabit the lonely narrows of rivers and stony stream banks and the locals will turn away at the sounds of them working.
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Coainteach (a.k.a. Cointeach; known in Scottish Gaelic as Canejach) – The Keener of the Hebrides and southwest Scotland who appears as a child or a very tiny woman dressed in a short green petticoat, a high-crowned white cap, and a green shawl, washing blood-stained linen in a stream or river. She is tied to the clans of the Curries, Macmillans, Kellys, Macfarlanes, Shaws, and Mackays, for whom she wails when disaster is imminent. Her cry is unusually loud and sad, sometimes sounding more like a scream, and more often heard than seen. If one should try to approach her, and is seen by her, she will strike them with her linen, paralyzing them for life.
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Cyhyreath (a.k.a. Cyheuraeth) – This is a spectral being, a bodiless voice that is heard groaning before death, especially multiple deaths brought on by disaster or epidemic. She inhabits an area in south Wales, east of Dyed, and the 3 Glamorganshires, particularly near the Towry River. She also weeps for natives who die while in foreign lands, and may even be a goddess of streams.
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Gwrach Y Rhibym (a.k.a. Cyoerrath, y Cyhiraeth, Cyhyraeth and Cyheuraeth) – The Gwrach Y Rhibym, or Hag of the Dribble, is a very hideous spirit of Cardiganshire that can be either male or female. They are said to have messily tangled hair, long black teeth, and long withered arms completely out of proportion to the length of their bodies, when they allow themselves to be seen. They usually walk beside the one they want to warn while invisible, and if they come to a stream or crossroads, they will release a ghastly shriek and beat upon the ground or water while crying, “My husband! My husband!” if warning a woman, or, “My wife! My wife!” to foretell the death of a woman to a man. To either they will cry “My little child! My little child!” if one’s child is about to die. If the listener is unable to understand what the Gwrach Y Rhibym is screaming it is the hearer’s death the faery is foretelling.
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Nigheag na H-ath – This Little Washer by the Ford is sometimes seen as a beautiful but weeping young woman, and at other times as an ugly grimacing hag, washing bloody garments at the ford of a river. She is a death omen to anyone who sees her and will even turn to tell the beholder that they are hers.
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Bean-Finn - A female Irish water spirit known in Germany as Weisse Frau, and as Jenny Greentooth in England. The Bean-Fionn’s name, which means “white woman,” comes from the color of her gown. She is a female faery who lives underwater in lakes and streams. She is considered to be dangerously malevolent towards human children, deriving great pleasure from drowning them when they play too close to her watery home. They are best avoided.
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Jenny Greenteeth – An evil and malignant water spirit who lives in the still waters of Lancashire, England. She can be found in any pool or pond that is covered with green algae or scum, where she waits for unsuspecting children to wander close enough for her to grab them with her long green fangs and drag them down to a watery grave.
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Weisse Frau – Unlike the others, this German water woman is very protective of children, it’s even believed that her kiss will make them nearly indestructible. She has been known to help those who are lost, but she will drown anyone who hurts or abuses children.
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Black Angus – A large black English faery hound who appears before those about to die, signaling that they will do so within two weeks. He reportedly has yellow eyes, sharp fangs, and wet paws, and will appear by jumping in front of you, turning, and growling. In Scotland he is called Cu Sith and Barguest; Cwn Annwn is his title in Wales, where they roam around the wastelands at night, and the Germans refer to them by a name that means ”Gabriel’s Hounds.”
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Barguest – This fiendish dog is also called Barghest and Boguest in the English counties of Northumberland, Yorkshire, and Durham. They have been described as having the shape of a black dog the size of a mastiff, with horns, fangs, and bright red eyes, or as a large shaggy-haired dog or bear with huge claws and fiery eyes. Sometimes it drags a chain, at others it is wrapped in chains. It has also been described as a headless human man or woman, a white rabbit, cat, or dog that disappears in flames, attesting to the creatures shape shifting abilities. He is best known for haunting an area of wasteland between Hedgingly Hill and Wreghorn near Leeds in Yorkshire, England. Whenever any notable citizen in the district was about to die it would appear, with all of the community’s dongs in tow, baying and howling in the night. Like the Banshee, they attach themselves to particular areas, and are portents of death or disaster for the one who sees it, or a member of their family. And, should anyone try to approach one, or cross one’s path, then he will inflict a terrible wound upon that person that will never heal.
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Cu Sith – These formidable faery dogs of Gaelic Scotland are not a portent of death, but rather a danger to mortals themselves. Described as being the size of a two-year old stirk (a yearling cow or bull), they are the guard dogs of faery homes, or sidhe, and of the faeries themselves when they venture out for human cow’s milk. These green shaggy-haired beasts are occasionally allowed to roam free, leaving huge footprints the size of a man’s in their wake, and hiding out in the clefts of rocks. They are also said to have long tails that they either coil up on their backs or wear in a flat braid.
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Cwn Annwn (a.k.a. Cwn Annwfn) – These Welsh “Dogs fo the Otherworld” are usually seen in packs of small, reddish-gray, or snow-white, red-eared spectral hounds. They are death portents, but never actually destroy anything themselves. When they are near by their cries sound like those of beagles, but from a distance their voices are full of wild lamentation. Sometimes one voice among the pack will loose a cry like that of an enormous bloodhound, hollow and deep. Because they terrify mortal dogs, a dog howling at night is considered to be a bad omen, and to hear the Cwn Annwn is considered a sign of one’s imminent demise. They are said to be hellhounds who hunt through the air for the souls of the living, to kidnap and lead those mortals who are damned to infernal regions underground. They are also known as Cwn Bendith y Mamau (Hounds of the Mother), Cwn Cyrff (Corpse Dogs), Cwn Wybr (Sky Dogs), and Cwn Toili (Toili Dogs).
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Gabriel’s Hounds (aka Ratchets) – These are monstrous spectral dongs with human heads who fly, baying high up in the air, sometimes called “sky yelpers.” When they stop to hover over a house it is an ill omen of death or misfortune for the home’s residents. “Ratchet” is an archaic term for a hound that hunts by scent, a name that is proof of the antiquity of the belief in their existence.
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Seven Whistlers – This group of evil spirits are the canine, banshee-like death portents of Worcestershire, England. They manifest as the sound of a pack of shrieking and whistling hunting dogs in search of lost souls. They come out on stormy nights and at sunset, racing through the skies as a death omen to any one who ears them as they come one by one. It is said that if all seven should arrive together then the world will end. In a sonnet by Wordsworth they are mentioned in connection with Gabriel’s Hounds:

He the seven birds hath seen that never part,
Seen the seven whistlers on their nightly rounds,
And counted them! And often times will start,
For overhead are sweeping Gabriel’s hounds,
Doomed with their impious lord the flying hart
To chase forever on aerial grounds.

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Wish Hounds – These are the ghost-like, headless hounds of Dartmoor and Dewerstone’s valley, sometimes called Yell-hounds or Yeth-hounds. They have also been seen in Cornwall hunting a demon named Tregeagle.
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Boobrie – A fabulous, gigantic shape shifting water bird that haunts the lochs and wells of Argyllshire (now Strathclyde). As a bird he is described as being black in color with a 2’11” long neck, a hooked 17” beak, very short legs, and webbed feet tipped with huge claws, and able to swim or fly over the top of water, with a cry like that of an enraged bull. They have also been seen and heard galloping along the top of water in the form of a horse, with a ghost-like appearance. They are water-bound creatures who will die if they come on land, so they prey on ships that are transporting sheep and cattle, beef and mutton being their favorite foods, though they will eat fish when meat isn’t available.
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Bunyip – A black amphibious creature that inhabits the swamps and marshes of the Australian outback. They are said to resemble short, chubby humans, and are very dirty, covered in algae and mud from the swamps. Their feet point to the rear, but are rarely seen since the Bunyips rarely get out of the water. According to the Dictionary of World Folklore they are large, have a loud harsh cry, and like to eat humans, especially women and children. But, in Edain McCoy’s A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk they bark like dogs to warn humans of encroaching dangers, help fishermen catch fish, and chase away poisonous swamp reptiles. He says that they are shy and, therefore, hardly ever seen, though frequently heard. Should you decide to seek one out for yourself, call out to them as a friend in search of mutual goodwill, at dust, sunrise, and in the night. They may be helpful in magick designed to protect endangered wetlands. They might also help you to catch fish and protect the area where you’re fishing. Listen for their call as a warning against danger while you’re working, camping, or traveling in marshlands and swamps. Or not.
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Cailleach Bhuerle - The lean, blue-faced hag of the Scottish Highlands who walks during the night carrying a holly staff with a carrion’s head as the topper, and a live carrion crow perched upon her left shoulder. One touch of her walking stick instantly causes death and she uses it each year, beginning on Samhain, to smite the earth, blighting growth and hardening the ground in preparation for snow. She is the personification of winter, the Crone goddess herself. Guardian spirit of deer, wild boar, goats, cattle, and wolves, gorse and holly trees, and also streams and wells. She is at her most powerful from All Hollow’s Eve (October 31st) through Beltaine, or Oestara (the eve of May Day, May 1st), at which time she becomes much weaker. It is then that she is believed, by most, to become a beautiful young maiden, and, by others to turn into a gray stone (many solitary megaliths were once sacred to her). She is described in a variety of ways with other names such as Black Annis, Gentle Annie of Cromarty Firth, the Gyre-Carline of the Scottish Lowlands, Cally Berry in Ulster, and the Caillagh Ny Groamagh in the Isle of Man. In her watery form she is known as Muileartach. A symbol of great wisdom and the graceful loss of beauty with age, she is usually clothed in black or blue-white tatters. Each year, when spring arrives, when buries her staff under a holly or gorse and, it is said, that if one should happen to find it, then one would wield power over all of human life’s destiny.
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Caillagh Ny Groamagh – Known as Cailleach Bera to the Irish, this Manx name translates to “Old Woman of Gloominess.” She is more of a weather spirit in this version, who is a tad on the clumsy side. It seems she fell into a crevice, now named for her, while stepping from the top of Barrule to the top of Cronk ynIrree Lhaa, her usual home. As the Caillagh ny Gueshag, or Old Woman of Spells, she was cast into the Irish Sea for practicing evil magick. So, each year, on February 1st, St. Brigit’s Day, she washes on to the Isle fo Man’s shores, where she gathers sticks for a fire to dry herself. If it is a nice day then she will find enough wood to endure a rainy spring; if the day itself is wet and rainy then she won’t be able to gather wood, then she will just make sure it’s a dry spring for her own comfort.
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Cailleach Bera or Beara – The Celtic corn spirit of Irish folklore and a great mountain builder, she is a supernatural being of great strength and cunning. She is credited with forming the Beare Peninsula near county Cork, and the Hebridean Islands, when the stones that filled her apron spilled because the strings broke. A master crop harvester she would challenge mortal reapers to a contest that only she could win. She was said to manifest in the form of a hare and race through the crop ahead of the reapers. And idol, called the Caillec, can be made from the last sheaf of corn, for she is said to be caught in it, the cutting of which is known as driving out the hare. This spirit is also said to have taught humans how to plant seeds sown in winter so they could be harvested as green corn, the oats of February, before the arrival of the autumn gales. This sowing, known as Coirce na bhFaoilli was seen as being more productive than sowing in April.
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Cally Berry – The Ulster version of the Cailleach Bheur, but here she is a malignant supernatural hag.
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Gentle Annie/Annis – This weather spirit is responsible for the strong southwesterly gusts of winds on the Firth of Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands. She has a blue-black face and a reputation for being treacherous. The firth is protected from wind on the north and east sides, but a gap in the hills lets spasmodic squally gales come gusting through. Well, on a beautiful day that has drawn all the fisherman out to sea, Gentle Annie will whip up a doozie of a storm and send it sweeping on through, upsetting the boats and endangering the fishermen’s lives. The name is a euphemism used by the local fishermen to ward off her vengeance.
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Gyre-Carline, Carlin, or Carling – The name for the Faery Queen who inhabits Fyfe, Scotland. She is the guardian spirit of spinsters, and it is considered an act of disrespect towards her to leave any flax un-spun on New Year’s Eve (December 31st). Doing so will invoke her anger and she will then punish the lazy spinner by taking it.
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Calypso (aka Kalypso) – This sea nymph of Greek and Roman mythology rescued Ulysses when he became shipwrecked, and held him captive for seven years, in Homer’s Odyssey. After Calypso declared her love for him, to him, she offered to make him immortal, if he would stay. When Ulysses refused, out of loyalty to his wife, Zues madder her help him return home safely.
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Cassotis and Castalia – The two nymphs who inhabit inspirational springs on Mount Parnassus, where they were often consulted for their prophetic and divination abilities.
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Clytie (aka Klytie) – She is the ocean nymph who, while out on the seashore, saw Apollo the sun god moving through the sky and fell in love with him. As she sat on the shore watching and pining for him day after day, her tail rooted into the earth, her hands and arms became leaves, and her hair became petals around her face, transforming her into a sunflower so she could forever watch her sun traveling across the sky.
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Corrigans (aka Korrigans) – These British dwarves are said to be beautiful, with long golden hair, flashing eyes, laughing lips, and dressed in flowing white gowns. These wanton, impish, sprightly female spirits love to engage in sexual union with humans and, therefore, are especially malicious towards Catholic priests, and others, who have vowed to remain celibate. Each Corrigan has the power to enrapture the heart of any man and doom him to pine to death for her love, literally. They are often seen in the woods or near streams at night, where they enchant human passers-by with their beauty and song, only to lead them astray. They also like to dance in stone circles in the night, and the coming of dawn or the ringing of a bell will return them to their true form, that of old hags. Like brownies, they do enjoy attaching themselves to the homes of mortals where they will do the household’s chores during the night. The males, on the other hand, can materialize as a horse or a goat and live only to create havoc. The mischievous females are known in Christian folklore for replacing stolen, healthy human babies with withered little Corrigan changelings.
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Crodh Mara - These are the water-cattle, or sea cattle, of the Scottish Highlands and will lead an entire herd of mortal cows into a fairy hill, if not watched very closely. While not as dangerous, they are similar to the Each Uisge.
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Cymothoe – A sea nymph of the Nereid, daughter of Nereus and Doris, who help the sinking ships of AEnus refloat.
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Cyrene – Daughter of the river god Peneus, who was kidnapped by Apollo and birthed his son Aristaeus, the first keeper of and guardian of honeybees.
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Daphne – The daughter of Peneios the river god who refused Apollo’s love and was chased by him. She ran to her father’s riverbank and begged him to save her, so he immediately changed her into a laurel tree.
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Diuturna – This nymph, also known as Juturna, was changed into a fountain by the king of the gods, Jupiter, and became the guardian of healing springs and wells, and by association, protector against destruction by fire. She is celebrated during the festival for workers who build aqueducts and wells on January 11th, Juternalia, and at the feast of Volcanalia, August 23rd, along with other nymphs who help prevent fires.
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Dracs – These malignant water faeries sometimes live in damp mossy caves near, rather than in, bodies of water, but they tend to prefer being in it, which is where they are most dangerous. They usually appear as giant floating purple blobs but, if a human male should happen by, they assume the form of a golden chalice or beautiful female to entice him. When the man reaches for his prize the Drac grabs him and drags him under to the Drac Kingdom as her mate. The male Dracs entice females who are suckling and abduct them as nursemaids for their offspring deep in the rivers.
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Ellyllon (plural form of Ellyl) – These tiny diaphanous elves from the Welsh faery world ride on eggshells as their chosen mode of transportation. They are very fair of complexion and hair and dress in beautiful white silken garments. These diminutive spirits are the subjects of Queen Mab and the guardians of the Lady of the Lake’s underwater domain. Their food consists of toadstools and faery butter (a fungus that grows in limestone crevices and under the roots of rotten trees), and they keep their faery cattle in the hills and on islands in lakes. They really like cleanliness and should they visit your home and find it tidy, they will bestow the household with gifts and good fortune, but will punish the household whose home is dirty due to laziness. The group of Ellyllon that inhabit an invisible island off the coast of Dyfyd are called the Plant Rhys Ddwfn, the Children of the Deep Rhys. They are very tiny while on their island but, once a week, they take on the size and shape of humans to shop the local market. They also wield magick of their own and may assist humans, if asked, as well. Not to be confused with the Ellylldan, the Welsh form of the Will o’ the Wisp.
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Eunice – A Nereid nymph.
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Fin Folk (aka Sea Gardeners and The Lady’s Own) – These Scottish faeries are also known in Cornwall and Wales as a race of supernaturals that inhabit seabeds and sunken offshore islands, such as their underwater paradise Eynhallow. Selkies and Merfolk are species of Fin Folk, but, unlike mermaids, Fin Wives grow old and ugly, prompting Fin Men to steal human wives. Other humans have been taken to see the Fin Folk’s homeland by choice. Eynhallow is said to be a utopian m8iniature kingdom replete with vibrantly colored flowers and lush foliage, their main source of enjoyment being gardening. The Fin Folk can easily be found by astrally traveling under the lochs of Scotland, but approach them cautiously and always be on your best behavior. They may be willing to assist you in magickal workings geared towards the benefit of gardens, plants in general, bodies of water, and marine life.
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Fir Darrigs (a.k.a. Far Darrig, Fear Darrig, or Fir Dhearga [Irish]) – The name of this fat, ugly faery with dark, hairy skin and a long nose and tail means “the Red Man,” in Irish folklore. They tend to dress in dirty tatters and carry a walking stick topped with a skull. They like to eat carrion, the smell of its rotting flesh makes their mouths water. In Munster they are said to be 2 ½’ tall wizened gnomes with long gray hair who dress in scarlet sugarloaf caps and long scarlet coats. In another form they are said to have red hair and like playing gruesome practical jokes on humans. The Fear Dearc of Donegal is dressed all in red, has long red hair, and delights in scaring humans with evil apparitions. There is, however, another Fir Darrig who lives in Faeryland. He, too, has red hair and is believed to be a human who was captured long ago, for with his help and advice one can escape from the Land of Fae.
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Fomorians
These spirits are known by many different names, such as, Fomoire, Fomoiri, Fomoriag, Fomhoraigh, Fomhoire, Fomorii, Fomor, Fomors, Fomore, Fe-Muir, and Foawr (Manx).

The Fomorians were the first inhabitants of Ireland, believed to be deities, though they have mistakenly been described as a race of hideous and evil demonic sea pirates. They are, however, described as being wantonly cruel gods, cutting off the noses of those who refuse to pay them tribute with one eye, one arm, and one leg.

The first invaders to battle the Fomorians were the kind and charitable Partholonians who, although victorious, were later killed by the plague within one week of May. However, during their 520-year reign they managed to clear four of Ireland’s island plains, form seven lakes, introduce agriculture, and become the first to divide Ireland into four sections. They also established the first civilization, giving birth to law and order, cauldron making, crafts, ale brewing, and hospitality. By the time they died they had grown to a population of 9,000.

The next people to invade Ireland were the Nemedians, a greedy bunch of seafarers who sailed around the world for a year and a half in search of a visible tower of gold, before landing in Ireland 30 years after the Partholonians demise. While there the Nemedians erected 2 fortresses, one in Armagh and one in Antrim, cleared 12 plains, and created 4 lakes. Mide, their chief druid, lit the first fire at Uisnech, which burned for 7 years and was used to light the hearth fires of all of Ireland’s chiefs. They survived long enough to battle the Fomorians 3 times successfully under Nemed’s leadership, but the 4th time would prove to be their undoing. The fourth and final battle was brought about by the Fomorians enslaving the Nemedians and forcing them to pay 2/3rds of their children and cattle as tribute every Samhain. At the end of the battle of Cnamross there were only 30 survivors, and they chose to leave, scattering themselves throughout the world.

The third group to conquer Ireland was the Fir Bolg who arrived 11 generations after the Nemedians fall and 37 years before the arrival of the Tuatha De Danaan. The Fir Bolg, under the leadership of Dela, land in Ireland at Malahide Bay in county Dublin, during the feast of Lughnasad, and Dela’s 5 sons divide the island amongst themselves. Gann and Segann decide to share Munster; Slaine settles in Leinster; and Rudreige founds a dynasty in Ulster. Dela’s 5th son and where he may have settled seems to be a mystery, as my research has yet to uncover this information. Since Ireland is already prepared to be cultivated, none of them clear any new plains or form any new lakes. They are, however, experts at war, their king Rinnal being the first to ever use weapons that had points, but fo some odd and unknown reason they never battle the Fomorians. Though they only ruled for 37 years, Eochaid mac Eirc was a great and generous king who established justice and provided for all rain to fall as dew and for every year to yield a bountiful harvest. The Tuatha De defeated the Fir Bolg at the First Battle of Mag Tuired, and the Fomorians at the second.

Fomorians of note include Agach, an enemy of the Tuatha De; Elatha mac Delbaith and Bres, children of Fomorian and Tuatha De intermarrying; their chief Conand, their ferocious leader at the time of their arrival, Cichol, and their king Eochaid mac Eirc; Catlitin, a Fomorian wizard; Corb, a tribal deity; Delga, who built the fortress of Dun Delgan (Dundalk); Domnu, the mother of them all; Indech, a king killed at Mag Tuired; Lobias, a druid; Morc, who came over from Africa; Neit, a god fo war; Searbhan, the one-eyed guardian of rowan berries; Tethra, a warrior chief killed at Mag Tuired; Gaborchend, the monstrous goat-headed descendants of the Fomorians.

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Cailitin – an Irish wizard who is friends with Mebd and who is defeated in a battle with Cuchulainn, one of Ireland’s three greatest heroes. He travels with his 27 offspring who have literally sprung from his body, and so he, therefore, insists on being regarded as a single warrior, as opposed to a clan. They all study sorcery and every poisoned spear that they throw makes a direct and deadly hit. Each of them suffers the same deformity, as well, that of having only a right hand and a left foot. Soon after Cuchulainn kills Cailitin his widow, Mebd, gives birth to sextuplets, three boys and three girls, all very ugly and evil in appearance. She has her children trained in the black arts so they can avenge their father’s death. They do so by shape shifting into various forms that lure Cuchulainn into dangerous situations, including the battle in which he is slain.
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Domnu – The mother of all Fomorians. She represents the forces of darkness and evil that were pitted against the goodness and light of the Tuatha De Danaan.
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Elatha mac Delbaeth – The handsome Fomorian king who rose from beneath the sea in a silver ship and mated with Eriu to produce their son Bres.
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Indech – The warrior son of Domnu who was killed at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. One version of his death says that Morrigan drained his blood and vitality before the battle, to show her loyalty to the Tuatha De, in another version he is killed by Ogma.
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Morc – The Fomorians chief from Africa who taxed and otherwise oppressed the Nemedians after the death of Conand, their one-time chief.
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Searbhan – This surly one-eyed giant guards the magickal rowan berries and is highly skilled in the arts of magick, as well. So skilled, in fact, that Dairmait had to turn the ogre’s own club against hime in order to defeat him in battle.
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Tethra – A god of the sea and the happy Otherworld who has a sword named Orma.
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Fossegrim – A Norwegian water spirit described as being golden-hired and handsome. He inhabits waterfalls and truly enjoys music and the company of humans. He can be found singing in the pools beneath the falls on sunny days. They are also expert harpers and can be a bit too playful at times.
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Galatea – The Nereid who fell in love with the mortal man Acis. However, because Cyclops was infatuated with Galatea he killed Acis in a jealous rage. When she found out, Galatea disappeared into the sea to grieve the loss of her lover.
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Glaistig, The – A shape shifting water faery of Scotland that usually appears as a half-woman, half-goat. Though she is kind to children, the infirmed, and the elderly, she is murderously cruel to men. It seems there was a male smith who trapped her, once. He then demanded that she furnish him with a herd of magick cattle and an impenetrable house. After she had done as he’d asked, the Glaistig extended her hand to say farewell, and the smith cut it off. The vegetation in Lochbar, Inverness, where this awful event occurred, is stained red to this day.
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Glashan – A group of Manx spirits, often mistaken as the Phynnodderee, who inhabit the south end of the island. They are shy fellas who, as friends of the farming community, will reap, thresh, and mill wheat during the night and secretly return to the hills before dawn.
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Gwragged Annwn – These beautiful Welsh Ladies of the lake have long blonde hair and are tailless. They are very gentle, kind, and helpful to human mothers, children, and poor people. They truly enjoy the company of mortal females, but have little or no interest in men, except as occasional husbands. They are the same size as humans but are easily distinguished by their incredible, flawless beauty and their inability to count higher than five, the number in which they like to collect their treasures. They love dancing under the light of a full moon and live in palaces under in the lakes of the Black Mountains of Wales. They are excellent wives and mothers, and their half human children are usually very talented musicians. Either physically or astrally travel to the Black Mountains to solicit their aid in spells of protection for women and children; they may even serve as temporary guardians to those in great need.
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Kelpie – This is a malevolent shape shifting water spirit of Scotland, where they’re described as being squat and round with pointy ears, big teeth and unkempt seaweed hair when in human form. They are capable of making themselves handsome, as well, but their heads remain topped with seaweed. In Ireland they manifest as beings with webbed feet, the body of a woman, and a horse’s mane and tail. They are most often seen in the full form of a horse. In any and all guises they are stupid, nasty, mean-spirited devourers of humans. They tend to inhabit rivers rather than lochs or seas, and have even been known to eat their own kind. I suppose their one redeeming quality is that they drown you before you eat you, that way you don’t fee a thing. In Ireland they are known as the Eac Uisce and Fuath, people in Cornwall call them Shoney, they’re called Nickers in Iceland, and in the Shetland and Orkney Islands they’re known as Nuggies. If I were me I’d stay away from these dudes, you might want to do the same.
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Each Uisge (Eac Uisce to the Irish) – This malevolent water horse of the Scottish Highlands, known as Aughisky in England, may be the fiercest and most dangerous of its kind, though the Manx Cabyll Ushty and Glashtin run close behind him. This shape shifting supernatural, known as Ceffyl Dwyr in Wales, differs from the Kelpie in that it prefers to live in salt water or large inland lakes, as opposed to running water, and is more adept at transforming itself. It usually appears in the shape of a sleek and handsome steed that almost offers itself to be ridden. The Irish Eac Uisce is most likely to come out on Samhain, when it likes to gallop along the beach and through fields. Te Scottish Each Uisge will sometimes appear as a giant water bird known as the Boobrie, or a handsome young man. In all of its manifestations he is a fearsome creature who likes to deceive and torment humans.
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Cabyll Ushtey – The vicious water spirit of the Isle of Man, also called Cabyll Uisge in Scottish Gaelic, whose name means Water Horse. They assume the form of either a horse or a handsome human male to lure humans into the water where they then eat them.
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Buggane – A very malevolent shape shifting spirit of the Isle of Man. It is most often seen as a huge man, with or without a head, a tail, and a large black shaggy dog with a white collar. In all forms he has glowing, torch-like eyes and is dangerous to humans, taking particular delight in chasing and frightening them.
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Ceffyl-dwr – The Welsh water horse who inhabits mountain pools and waterfalls. Its usual form is that of a gray horse that glows with a light that illuminates its surroundings. Sometimes they manifest as a goat or a handsome young man. They appear solid and will gladly drown you should you mount one. Catching one could prove to be difficult as they have he ability to evaporate into nothing but mist. Their beauty is deceptive, for the Ceffyl-dwr delights in leaping out of the water to snatch lone travelers by the neck and shoulders and either squeeze or trample and kick them to death.
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Fuath – A generic term for dangerous and malicious water spirits who can transform themselves into human form, and love to prey on mortals. Among those spirits that are known to be fuaths are Beither, Brollachan, Caoineag, Cuachag, Fachan, Fideal, Glaistig, Peallaidh, Shellycoat, Urisk (or Uruisg), and Vough (the phonetic form of their name).
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Beithir/Beithur – A large class of Fuath that lives in caves and narrow circular valleys with high walls (corries). They’re most active on summer nights and announce their presence with flashes of lightning, although they are rarely seen. Their name is also associated with snakes, and they have been said to have long tails.
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Brollachan - An evil diminutive spirit who inhabits the millstreams of Scotland whose name means “Shapeless Thing” in Gaelic. Although basically nothing more than a gelatinous blob, they do have eyes and a mouth and are capable of speaking two phrases: “Mi phrein (myself)” and “Tu phrein (thyself)”. They are Fuath children.
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Cuachag – A dangerous river sprite who, in the form of a girl with curly hair, haunts the river of Glen Cuaich in the Scottish Highlands.
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Fideal – The female water demon of Loch na Fideil in Gairloch, in the northwest Highlands, in what used to be Ross and Cromarty. This Fuath subspecies is the personification of entangling bog grasses and water reeds that lures men to an underwater grave. She was, apparently, killed by a man named Ewen at the expense of his own life. “Ewen killed the Fideal and the Fideal killed Ewen.”
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Peallaidh (“the Shaggy One”) – One of the Scottish Urisks, a Fuath subspecies, who haunts rivers, lochs, sea shores, and the forests of Perthshire. She is most closely tie to the town of Aberfeldy, 32 miles northwest of Perth, which has been named for her. She is not a water spirit but is, nonetheless, evil and mean-spirited and her body is covered in long shaggy hair.
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Nickers (Nikke, Nicor, Neck) – The names for this Scandinavian water demon include Nacken in Sweden; Nakineiu and Nakk in Estonia; Nakki and Nakimmeito in Finland; Nickar in the Faroe Islands; Nickur, Ninner, and Haikur in Iceland; Nickel in Rugen Island; Nikyr in the Isle of Man; and Nokke in Denmark and Finland; Nix in Germany and Switzerland.

In the folklore of Scandinavia this creature is a shape shifting water demon that inhabits seas, lakes, rivers, and streams. He has been seen as a blonde boy wearing a red hat, an old man with a dripping wet beard, the torso of a young man, and the body and legs of a horse (a centaur), and as a gorgeous white stallion whose hooves point to the rear. They can often be heard playing music and, so long as one doesn’t interrupt them, pretty much ignore humans; however, should one mount one that is in the form of a horse, one will be summarily drowned and torn to bits. Nickers sometimes want human wives and make very attentive lovers but, if shunned, they become murderously enraged. Iron can be used as a protective talisman against these beings, for it binds their powers.
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Nacken – The Scandinavian “Water Man” who appears on the edge of lakes as a Backahast, or floating on the water’s surface as a log or upturned boat.
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Backahast – An evil water horse that inhabits fresh water lakes and rivers, killing those he can lure into the water.
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Nakk – A fearsome shape shifter who can take on any form, and can be heard singing along the edges of bodies of water. Any mortal who hears him becomes spellbound and, upon finding the source of such enchanting music, is immediately swallowed alive. Seeing him is a sign that a drowning is about to occur, usually one’s own or that of one of one’s family members.
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Nakineiu/Nakineitol – The female Nakk of Estonia who usually appears in the form of a mermaid with long golden tresses. She can often be found combing her hair on the water and tending to her herd of water cattle as they ride the waves.
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Nakki – The evil Finnish water spirit attendant of Ahto, the water god, in his magnificent underwater kingdom with bejeweled palaces. He appears at the edges of lakes, in the mornings and evenings, in various forms designed to lure humans to their doom. For, if one doesn’t propitiate him with a coin or a prayer, he will drag them under and drown them.
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Nakkimmeito – The female mermaid of the Nakki, she has beautiful long golden hair, a gleaming white torso, the tail of a fish, and breasts so voluptuous that she can throw them over her shoulder. She can be seen combing her long curly tresses, quite frequently, while sitting atop the water.
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Neck (aka Neckan and Nec) – These Scandinavian shape shifters are a type of water spirit that inhabits lakes and rivers. They often manifest in the form of a man with blonde hair, green eyes, and a beard playing a harp on top of the lake. Sometimes they assume the form of a log, an upturned boat, or a dog on the banks of lakes and rivers, as well.
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Nix (a.k.a. Nixe, Nixie) – Merfolk-like spirits of Germany and Switzerland that live in bodies of freshwater. When they choose to be beautiful it is to lure mortals to a watery grave. More often than not they appear as wizened little folk with green skin, teeth, and hair, or in the form of a gray horse. They have families, complete with children, and dwell in beautiful under water palaces, though their children are reputed to be ugly. The German Nixes partake of the popular faery past-time of replacing human babies with changelings known as Wasserkopf. They also, like the Ellyllon of Wales, like to disguise themselves as housewives to shop in human market places, but they are easily recognized by the water that drips from their aprons, making them easy to avoid, as well. The males occasionally take human females as wives or lovers, but they always retain a well-paid midwife.
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Nuggies (a.k.a. Neugle, Noggle, Nuggle, or Nygel) – This scary water spirit of Scalloway on the Shetland Islands mainland inhabits Njugal’s Water. It appears in the form of a beautiful little gray horse, about the size of a Shetland pony, bridled and saddled, with a strange wheel-like tail curling over its back. If one should try to ride a Nuggie it will immediately enter the water with the trapped human, but its intentions are usually more mischievous than evil. More often than not the human will just suffer from a severe drenching and then the creature will disappear into the water as a dancing blue flame. Its other mischievous prank is stopping water mills during the night, due to an inexplicable attraction to them, irritating but harmless. They can be driven away by thrusting an iron rod through the mill’s vent hole. Having been seen by Scandinavian and Shetland immigrants off the coast of British Columbia they are also known, in Canada, as Nogles.
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Nokke (known by the same name in Finland) – The Norwegian “Water Man” often seen floating n the water’s surface, who also chooses to appear in the form of a horse, a grass snake, or even a haystack. Like the rest of the Fuaths this being is dangerous to humans and is best avoided all together.
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Glashtin or Glastyn – In his human form he is a dark, polished young man with glowing eyes and curly hair, who can be spotted by his ears, which though tiny and delicate, are shaped like a horse’s. He inhabits the banks of rivers and lakes where he waits, in equine form, for unwary humans to mount his back so he may take them under water and eat them.
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Kaboutermannikens – Not to be confused with Klaboutermannikens, these Dutch goblins are usually naked and hairy or garbed in old, dusty red clothes and a hat, hence their nickname “Red Cap.” Unlike the evil fiend of the same nickname, aka “Bloody Cap,” these industrious little sprites work in mills during the night grinding corn, storing the bags of flour, and replacing worn millstones. He will even use his tiny green hands (the same color as his face) to invisibly light fires in the household hearth at night, providing warmth for the sleeping family. To keep him happily employed simply feed him a slice of buttered bread with a glass of beer, a gift of clothing will send him away.
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Klaboutermannikens – These invisible faeries of Germany and the Bel-Ne-Lux countries inhabit the figureheads of ships that are carved from ancient and sacred woods. Not only do they protect ships from rocks, dangerous storms and winds, and sickness, should the ship sink they will help the souls of the sailors to leave the water and go to the Land of the Dead, without their help one’s soul would remain trapped in the sea forever. To date, the only known way of contacting them is by carving a figurehead for them to inhabit. But, since these items are more rare than they used to be, you could try evoking them in ritual. They would be most helpful in protecting you while you’re traveling by water, or in rituals to bless sea vessels.
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Lorelei/y, The – In England she is called Mary Player. Other names for this beautiful and malevolent class of faery are Merewipers, Meerweibers, Sirens, and Havfraus. Sometimes called Lurlei, she can be found perched upon the cliffs that overlook the Rhine River, where her enchanting songs lure the curious to their deaths on the rocks below. The Mary Player of England delights in sinking ships, by circling them three times. There is a poem written about the Lorelei, and her nasty habits called Die Lorelei by Heinrich Heine.
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Sirens – These are a group of evil sea nymphs in Greek and Roman Mythology. The children of Phorcys are also known as Sireens, Sirenes, and Syrenes, and are described as being half bird and half woman. They tend to gather on the rocks of Sicily where they sing to attract sailors, either leading them astray and leaving them for lost or enjoying them as a meal. Their individual names are Aglaopheme, Leucosia, Ligia, Parthenope, Pisinoe, and Thelxiepia. Odysseus was able to make it past their island by having his entire crew use wax ear plugs and strapping himself to his ship’s mast, and Orpheus, while sailing with Jason and the Argonauts, is credited with defeating them by singing more sweetly than they do.
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Havfraus – These Danish creatures are beautiful golden-haired mermaids who can be seen combing their hair while afloat at sea. They can be both kind and cruel, and are regarded as seers. They have been seen driving herds of pure white cattle over the dunes to feed along the shore and hovering over the water through a veil of early summer sea mist. When sighted in either of these circumstances they serve as a warning of impending wild storms. If you are burning an ocean side fire in the night and one should appear to you in the guise of a cold, wet, young and beautiful being, her sole purpose is to lure you to lure you to her side and take you to her underwater realm to add to her collection of bodies that have drowned and never resurfaced. Use extreme caution if you decide to contact them.
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Lodona – The nymph of British mythology who inhabits the crystal waters of the stream named for her that flows into the Thames at Shiplake. The god Pan was pursuing this supernatural huntress, so she prayed for safety and was instantly turned into a brook.
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Ly Eng – This little guy is one of a kind and native to Scotland. He is described as being small in size, dressed like a soldier, and having a red right hand. He is a portent of death who will allow you a second chance at life, if you retreat from his challenge, signaled by his stopping in your path, facing you, and raising his red hand. Should you opt to except his challenge and fight him, you will be dead within two weeks. It is said the color of his hand is from bloodstains of those he has killed in combat. He usually hangs out on desolate waterside roads and can, of course, be found in Faeryland, but contact is not advisable.
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Mal-de-Mer – These invisible beings of Brittany and Cornwall may only be fear-forms resulting from groups of criminals called Wreckers who lured ships to rocky outcroppings during night storms at sea. The Wreckers would then pillage the ruined wooden ships and sell off the stolen cargo.
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Marica – The guardian spirit of the River Liris and Faunus’ lover in Greek and Roman mythology.
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Memphis – The daughter of the Nile river god whose name was given to the city that she protects along the River Nile, and later, to a city in Tennessee.
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Merfolk/Merpeople [aka Merrows (the Murdhuachas), Havfrues and Havmand, Ben-Varrey and Dinny-Mara, Blue Men of the Minch, Fish-folk, Water Dancers, Walrus People, Sea Cows, Rusalki, Asrai, and the Roane)

These water spirits are well known throughout the world as creatures who have the torso and heads of humans and the nether regions of fish. They are known to be both kind and cruel and their descriptions vary by region. They all despise humans who damage and pollute their homes, but they have reportedly helped people who were drowning and guided ships to safety when they were about to wreck. They all make their homes under water, some in magickal bejeweled kingdoms and palaces, others in the wreckage of sunken ships. Occasionally mermaids have been known to mate with humans, but mermen never have and, merchildren are so well protected that none have ever been seen. Merfolk, though not immortal, do live much longer than humans.
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Mermaids – Because they often leave the water with a mirror and a comb, to sing upon a rock while combing their long beautiful hair, they tend to lure sailors to their deaths. This may be intentional or just a result of boys being boys; however, seeing one is considered to be a portent of disaster. In some traditions they are said to delight in dragging human males to their undersea homes and encaging their immortal souls. On the kinder side, they have been known to serve as seers, offering prophetic advice to humans, and, if caught, will grant one three wishes. Like most wish fulfilling faeries who must first be captured, they are bound to fulfill their captor’s wishes, but will contrive to twist the original meaning – never trust forced compliance. Some mermaids cannot survive for very long on land while others can transform their tails into legs, even marry human males and live on land for many years. The offspring of mermaid and human marriages have webbed fingers and toes and are very skilled in medicine. For, in addition to their powers of prophecy, mermaids have an extensive knowledge of herbs. In some of the early Celtic descriptions they are depicted as being monstrous in size, one was even said to be 160 feet long with hair 18 feet in length (comparatively short), and fingers and a nose seven feet long (she had died and washed ashore). The Merfolk don’t only inhabit bodies of salt water, some species live in fresh water lakes, as well.
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Merrows, the Murdhuachas – Irish water beings who can be seen playing in the rough and tumbled waters stirred up by an approaching storm. Their females are as irresistibly beautiful as any other mermaid, having pale skin, dark eyes, and long flowing tresses, and they also tend to genuinely like humans. Merrows, more than any other race of mermaid, fall in love with and marry human males, producing children that are covered in scales. The mermen, on the other hand, while still affable, are ugly creatures who have green skin, teeth, and hair, sharp red noses, tiny narrow eyes, and short, fin-like arms. The males do, however, make great drinking partners, due to their generally friendly and jovial dispositions. All Merrows have webbed fingers and are able to transform themselves into humans, or other land animals, by means of their magick red feather caps. If their cap is stolen they are unable to return to the water and the thief could use this knowledge to snare one as one’s spouse. One of my five sources states that Merrows, in the form of the Irish Murdhuachas, have the upper bodies and heads of mammals other than human, and the tails of fish. This same source, The Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk, states that they are moody creatures who are just as likely to help you out as they are to hurt you. Edain McCoy also writes that they only reside in the Atlantic Ocean and may be related, as cousins, to the Fomorians.
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Ben-Varrey – These are the benevolent mermaids of the Isle of Man. They too are long-haired singers who lure men to their demise, but, as I stated once before, this may not be intentional. Most of the stories about these beautiful sea maidens are of them warning humans of coming storms and rewarding those who show them kindness. In one unusual tale a baby mermaid steals a human girl’s baby doll and is commanded, by her mother, to give the little girl her pearl necklace to atone for the theft.
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Dinny-Mara (Dooiney Marrey) – Manx mermen who are almost as friendly as male Merrows. They are known for rewarding kind humans and warning sailors of coming storms, just like their female counterparts, and are also said to be very attentive and affectionate fathers. However, it should be known that they cannot abide whistling and doing so while out at sea will cause him to whip up some very strong winds.
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Havmand – A very kind Scandinavian merman, known to Greenlanders as Havstrambe, who is unusually handsome, having a beard that is either green or black and hair to match. When not in his under water home, he can be found hanging out in the cliff and rock caves along the shore.
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Blue Men of the Minch – The Minch is the passage that runs between the Outer Hebrides and the Inner Hebrides and Scottish mainland. The Blue Men (known as Na Fir Ghorma) are, as their name suggests, completely blue-skinned. They do, however, have gray beards. They are malevolent spirits who appear from out of their under water caves to summon torrential storms and capsize ships, sending those sailors who foolhardily try to cross the Minch to their deaths. The Blue Men will allow a ship safe passage if the captain can best them in a rhyming contest by always getting in the last word.
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The Roane – The Roane, whose name means, “Seal” are the gentlest of all the faery people and are best known to the people of the Scottish Highlands and islands. They appear in the shape of humans but need their sealskins to swim back to their under water cave homes, where they can remove their skins and breathe the air again. The spirit of the Seal People is loving and kind, and the maidens can be seen dancing along the shore on midsummer evenings. If a human male can snatch the skin of a Seal Maiden he can force her to marry him but, as with all marriages between mortals and faeries, she will reclaim her skin and leave, eventually. In the Shetland Islands they may also be called Sea Trows.
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Muireartach – The water spirit form of the Cailleach Bheur who, as such, is included among the Fuaths. Also known as Muileatach, Muileateach, and Muirlarteach, she is described as being a bald hag with a blue-gray face and only one eye. As a sea spirit she also has a reptilian form and she lives in a watery Celtic underworld, from which she sometimes emerges to cause destructive winds and storms. She has even been known to beg at people’s doors to be allowed the warmth of their fire. Though the appeal is made by a sopping wet, pitiful old woman, to grant her entry would be a big mistake, for once inside she will swell to terrifyingly enormous proportions, destroying everything in your house. On rare occasions she has been known to be benevolent, though. She carries a pot of balsam with her that can heal the sick, and she can restore life to the dead by sticking her wizened finger into their mouths. How you would persuade her to do either of those things is a mystery.
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Nucklelavees – One of the most repugnant creatures that the Scottish imagination has ever conceived; and the Scots are experts at horrors! These malignant sea faeries of the Hebrides Islands can shape shift into just about any form they wish. In their natural state they are Orcadian sea monsters with large, powerful bodies rising out of a horse’s back with fins for feet. They have incredibly hideous faces and if cut they bleed black blood. They only emerge from their salt-water homes to spread evil wherever they can. Among their favorite sports are things like blighting crops, destroying livestock, and killing every human they can catch, the only escape from him being crossing over or going into a body of fresh water – the one thing these creatures cannot endure. Emitting an odor that has been described as a blend of rotten fish and eggs covered in mildew, they announce their arrival well in advance. Some pagans believe them, to be the souls of earth- bound humans or evil pirates who died at sea and are now trapped in purgatory. Icky, yucky, poo! Why would you want to contact these foul beings? If you can think of a reason, please, share it with the rest of the class. Bleeeach!
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Rusalky [aka Rusalki, Rusalka, Chertovka (jokestress), Shutovka (demon joker), Leskotukha or Loskotukha (tickler), and Kitka or Khitkha (abductor)] – In Southern Russia they are known to be beautiful maidens with long, flowing blonde hair, occasionally clad in sheer white gowns. In the north the Rusalky are described as old women with green hair, pale faces, and ghastly, glowing green eyes on a torso endowed with incredibly huge breasts. Regardless of their appearance they behave just alike; the Rusalky live in bodies of water during the dark months of winter, and move into the forests and meadows for the summer. While living on the surface in their green abodes, they lure young men into their deadly embrace, by singing and dancing under the moonlight, and then pulling them beneath the water into an eternal grave.

There is one Russian tale of a Rusalky who was capable of love. In the story she marries a mortal prince on his word that he will be eternally faithful to her. Then, one night he breaks his promise and she leaves him and returns to her home in the river. The prince becomes distraught over his foolish mistake and heads out to find her. When he does find the Rusalky’s home he begs for her forgiveness and reaffirms his love. Though she warns him that she has reverted to her previous form and is now a true Rusalka, his only desire is to hold her in his arms. Fully aware of the consequences this will bring he kisses her and then dies in her loving embrace.
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Vodyanik – Russian mermen, male Rusalkis. They are unpredictable characters who will help a fisherman one day and tangle his nets the next. They usually appear as a chubby old human male with green hair, capped with a hat of water-reeds, and a coat that drips water from its hem. Although they are usually helpful or mischievous, they have been known to drown people on occasion, probably out of vengeance.
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Naiades – The water nymphs of Greek and Roman mythology who preside over lakes, rivers, streams, and sometimes fountains. They are pictured as beautiful maidens wearing a crown of rushes in their hair and leaning against an urn from which fresh water flows. There are a large number of Naiades and their individual names are recorded in many different legends. The Naiades were the nymphs of freshwater streams rivers and lakes, but were not limited to these water courses. Many Naiades could be found prancing around with Artemis, who chose 20 Naiades from Amnisus for companions. They were the daughters of rivergods. They had extremely long lifetimes, but they were not considered immortal, and were believed to have sat in on the Gods discussions on Olympus. There are 5 types of Naiades:

Pegaiai, the Nymphs of Springs

Krinaia, the Nymphs of Fountains

Potameides, the Nymphs of Rivers and Streams

Limnatides or Limnades, the Nymphs of Lakes

Eleionomai, the Nymphs of Marshes

There is a painting by John W. Waterhouse's of Hylas and the Nymphs. That particular story is important to the Greeks as Hylas, the beautiful beloved (yes, in the sexual way) of Heracles, was sent to go get water on the island of Mysia, and the naiads there, totally taken in by his beauty, carried him off. Every year, the priests marched to a neighboring mountain and called Hylas's name three times. Someone will have to tell me if they still do this.
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Lara – The Roman water nymph who gave birth to Mercury’s guardian spirit daughters known as the Lares. She was an especially talkative nymph who exposed the infidelities of Jupiter, the king of the gods, so that in his wrath he had her tongue cut out. After receiving her punishment she was so ugly that she became known as an Italian nursery bogie, used to scare children into good behavior.
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Nereids – This is a group of sea nymphs whose name means “the Wet Ones.” They are the daughters of Nereus, the old man of the sea, and the nymph Doris. They are described as being beautiful young maidens with long blonde or green hair and the tail of a fish. They are often seen playing in the waves or riding on sea horses along with the Tritons as the attendants of Neptune, the sea god, and his Nereid wife, Amphitrite. There are said to be somewhere between 50 and 100 of them in existence, and most of their names are in Spenser’s The Faerie Queen. The most famous among them are Amphitrite, Doto, Galatea, Panope, and Thetis.

In Modern Greek folklore they are said to be beautiful maiden nymphs who dwell in the countryside and in forests, where one may hear them playing in their bouzouki (a stringed instrument with a long neck and a pear-shaped body). They can be mischievous toward humans, by tricking them into dancing until they’re exhausted, or by kidnapping them and leading them astray into muddy places. If offended they may retaliate by making one’s face swell or become otherwise distorted.
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Oceanids –This is the name of the sea nymphs also known as Okeanides and Okeaninai, in Greek and Roman mythology. The daughters of Tethys and Oceanus, there were anywhere between 50 and 3,000 of them. The most popular Oceanids are Amphitrite, Doris, mother of the nereids by Nereus, Styx, Asia the wife of Prometheus. In the Roman mythology of Homer Electra is the daughter of Atlantis and one of the nymphs in the constellation Pleiades. Jupiter fathered her son Dardanus, the mythical ancestor of the Trojans. Electra is said to have left the Pleiades so she wouldn’t have to watch the fall of Troy, and only shows herself, occasionally, as a comet. She is also Thaumus' wife and the mother of Iris, the goddess of the rainbow in Greek and Roman mythology. Eurynome, another of the Oceanids, is said to have given birth to the children of Zues known as Charities.
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Phynnodderee (aka Fenoderee, Fenodyree, Finoderee, Phenoderee, Phynnodderree, Glashan) – Okay, once again Edain McCoy’s Phynndderree is different from that of my other four sources, so we’ll give her version first. In A Witch’s Guide to Faery Folk the Manx Phynnodderee are a group of solitary beings that were expelled from faery society for offending one of their kings. As further punishment this same faery king condemned them to exist under water as ugly, skinny little dudes with leathery skin and randomly placed tufts of silver hair covering their bodies. They live in the shallows along the Isle of Man and are perfectly comfortable with their nudity. They are very ill tempered, though they have never been known to hurt anybody they did abduct a fella, after healing his sick calf, because he hadn’t bothered to protect himself. If Edain is correct then these guys are best avoided.

Now, according to my other sources, the Phynnodderee is a one of a kind being who was once the handsome Uddereek of Faeryland, who was transformed into an ugly, hairy creature for falling in love with a mortal girl named Glen Aldyn, and for not attending the Autumn Festival so that he could dance with her in the Glen of Rushen. As part of his punishment he was kicked out of Faeryland and now uses his manly size and amazing strength to help humans maintain their farms by performing tasks such as herding, mowing, reaping, and threshing, between dusk and dawn. Though he will always welcome food and drink, a gift of clothing will cause him to leave. There is a song about the Phynnodderee as Yn Folder Gastey, The Nimble Mower, that goes like this:

Finoderee stole at dawn to the Round-field,
And skimmed the dew like cream from a bowl;
The maiden’s herb and the herb from of the cattle,
He was treading them under his naked sole.

He was swinging wide on the floor of the meadow,
Letting the thick swath leftward fall;
We thought his mowing was wonderful last year,
But the bree of him this year passes all!

He was lopping the blooms of the level meadow,
He was laying the long grasses ready to rake;
The bog-bean out on the rushy curragh,
As eh stroked and mowed it was fair ashake!

The scythe that was at him went whizzing through all things,
Shaving the Round-field bare to the sod,
And whenever he spotted a blade left standing
He stamped it down with his heel unshod!

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Selkies – These sea spirits of the Shetland and Orkney Islands are similar to the Roane of the West Highlands, but not as peaceable a species. Like the Roane they wear seal skins to assume the form of a seal, which allows them to travel through the sea from their underwater homes to land and back again. They, too, have been known to mate with humans, the males as temporary lovers and the females as captive wives, producing offspring whose toes and fingers are webbed. Unlike the Roane, the Selkies will exact revenge upon any human that harms one of their kind, by sinking their ship with a terrible storm. They may be willing to help in spells of protection during sea voyages, and are said to know all the secrets of the world’s oceans, perhaps if you establish a solid friendship with them they will share those secrets with you.
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Shellycoats – Small harmless faeries who, nonetheless, delight in teasing, tricking and bewildering humans. They resemble fish and have smooth round bodies of dark red or purple, huge mouths, and big beady eyes that afford them excellent night vision. They live in shallow bodies of fresh water and woodland lakes. When moving about on land the shells hanging from the waterweeds covering their bodies make a loud clattering noise, and, in the water they tend to bob near the surface with only their eyes showing. Though they will find their pranks most uproariously amusing, if you reprimand them they will sulkingly go away until they feel they’ve been forgiven. They serve no known purpose in magickal workings, but you can try contacting them if you’d like, just use caution.
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Shopiltees – These are playful little water spirits that resemble sea horses, not to be confused with the Shetland Cabyll-Ushtey, Shoopiltee, and a dangerous water pony. Shopiltees are very friendly and playful, though what help they may lend to magickal workings is unknown. Feel free to contact them and find out, though.
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Snow Faeries – Also known as Father Frost, Frost Faeries, Winter Faeries, Jack Frost, The Frost King, Old Man Winter, and The Snow Queen. These diminutive seasonal sprites are tiny winged beings dressed all in white who have no interest in the dealings of humans. Their sole purpose for being is that of spreading winter across the lad. In some parts of the world they are one, a single being who is the personification of winter.
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Father Frost – The Russian spirit of winter who lives in the forests and wild areas of the Arctic Circle with his daughter, the Snow Maiden. He is a kindly old man who has a long white beard with hair to match, and is dressed all in furs. He is the Russian Santa Claus who travels throughout the land with his daughter, in a reindeer sleigh, placing gifts for deserving children under their decorated trees on New Year’s Day.
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Jack Frost – The English mischief-making elf who personifies freezing weather. Dressed all in white, with icicles dangling from his beard and clothes, he nips at the toes and fingers of those who go outside on cold days, and finds particular amusement in making human noses bright red. Everywhere he goes he leaves sparkling frost crystals in his wake.
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The Snow Queen – The Danish faery queen of the ice realm whose beauty is as dazzling as the ice crystals themselves. Known as Yuki-Onna to the Japanese, who travels in the blizzards blown out of the Arctic wastelands to entice mortal men into her loving, yet deadly, embrace.
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Uilebheist – The Scottish Gaelic name for Oillipheist, or Oillepheist, also spelled Uilepheist. They are multiheaded sea monsters, hydras, who inhabit and protect the rocky shorelines of the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Being a species of dragon, they can be powerful assistants in magickal rites.
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Undines – The water elementals themselves who, as with all other elementals automatically appear in your circle, when their direction, west, is invoked, and lend very powerful energy to any spell or rite, especially those pertaining to water. Their emperor is Necksa, and they are usually seen in female form. Though they are very moody and emotional, they are kind and helpful towards humans.
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