Some Irish Vampires

Sile na Gig
Other names Shee-lah na Gig, An Chailleach Beara (the Old Woman of Beara), Black Annis, Clotha, Hag, Old Hag, Sheelagh na Gig, Sila na Gig
In Celtic lore of Ireland Sile na Gig was a type of vampiric earth spirit or mother goddess from which all life came forth. She was very ugly, she had an extended vulva, pot belly, twisted face and withered breasts. Her image was still found even after it was outlawed by the Church. Its possible that Sile na Gig was a little-known Celtic goddess by the name of Clotha. She was the embodiment of battle and weaver of soldier’s burial shrouds. The goddess had similar traits to the Banshee, she washed bloody shrouds at the riverbank too.

Dus Duce
In Celtic lore there is a vampire demon called dus which means specter. He consumes the flesh and blood of humans

Neamh-Mhairbh
Other names Neam Mare-bub, Murbhheo, Heamh-mairbh
In Irish folklore there is a vampire Revenant that’s created through magic, it’s called neamh-mhairbh meaning the undead. It feeds off of human blood. Neamh-mhairbh isn’t a species of vampire but a vampire that’s created through magic.
This sounds great..magic making vampires!
Abhartach (remember him?) was considered a neamh-mhairbh because it was his own magic that allowed him to return

Fir Gorta and Fear Gortagh

Irish Vampire Fir Gorta
A bit of a history lesson first: In 1845-1851, The Irish Potato Famine took place. In the hardest places turned to eating “Relish Cakes” a small cake made with oatmeal, turnip greens, and fresh blood that was drained from the necks of animals.

After the blight, it was believed that some people had developed a taste for relish cakes and didn’t stop eating them. Only after the Potato Famine ended did the Fir Gorta (hungry man) come into existence. He is portrays as a skeletal man holding a staff in one hand and a begging cup in the other.

Legend has it that the Fir Gorta would go to the back door of houses that still ate relish cakes. In a weak feeble voice, it would ask for food or money. If the occupants didn’t give him anything, they would all become sick.

Hungry Man

Fear Gortagh
Also known as Fear Gor-ta, Fair-Gortha, Fairy Grass Fear, Gortach, Fod Gortac, Foidin Mearuil (Stray Sod) and Grave Grass. This one has so many names I confused myself…
In Ireland there are patches of earth –spots where someone died from starvation- that have vampiric tendencies it’s known as fear gortagh or hungry grass.

It looks like the grass all around it so there isn’t anything to give it away for hungry grass until its too late. When you walk on it you’ll get extremely hungry. Running away won’t stop Fear Gortagh from continuing to eat you live energy. The only way to save yourself is to eat and drink something quickly or you’ll die of hunger pains.

Photo Credit:
Fear Gorta: http://metraxus.deviantart.com/art/Fear-Gorta-295486981

Ennerdale

Let’s change this up a bit…No stop yelling it’s still about vampires. I would never take your loved Vampire Wednesday away from you vampire-holics.
We’re still in Ireland…
Ireland has so many vampires and vampire like beings a vampire-phile like me feels like I’ve died and gone to vamprie heaven…or hell…or….anyways. I’m so happy right now with all my Irish vampires. *Sigh*

Okay, let’s get on to the vampires…

The Vampire Dog of Ennerdale.

In May of 1810 in the town of Ennerdale (located near the English and Scottish border) was the first report of animal hunting sheep. Soon the animal was described as a large dog whose tracks were long and deeply set in the ground. Its reported that it killed 6-8 sheep a night, ripping holes in their throats and draining their blood.

None of the carcasses were ever found eaten or even partially eaten. In early September of that same year a large black dog was seen in a cornfield and shot. The killings stopped for a short time then started again, this time in Ireland. The idea of a wolf was quickly dismissed as the last one was seen back in 1712. The vampire dog was blamed, reports of it killing as many as 30 sheep a night now, it’s hunger obviously having increased.

The sheep were killed exactly the same as they had been in England. Their throats had been ripped out and the carcasses drained of blood. The paw prints were also described as those from England, long deep and with obvious claws.
On April 11 the large dog was shot again, this time by the archbishop, ten years later it was spotted again a hundred miles away. The cycle of finding drained sheep, sighting the dog, shooting and killing, after a few days the dog would be seen again some hundred miles later repeated.

In Limerick, Ireland it bit a man who shortly afterwards went insane and was admitted to Ennis Insane Asylum. In 1874 the dog was shot again, everyone waited for him to reappear. He never did, until nearly 30 yrs later. On Novemeber 1 1905 The London Mail reported that sheep were found slaughtered(their throats were ripped out and they’d been drained) in Badminton.

The dog was reported as being shot and killed near Gloucester on November 25, again on December 16 in Hinton. On March 19 1906, 51 sheep were killed on one night near Guildford. That was the last report of the vampire dog. Throughout the last killing spree a hyena and a panther were blamed, they were said to have escaped from a menagerie. There were no reports of such animals escaping any zoo.

During the 65 years the Vampire Dog of Ennerdale killed 237,250 sheep, that averages 10 sheep a night. If these numbers are correct the vampire dog consumed 1,594,320 liters of blood. That’s enough to fill 2 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The Vampire Dog roamed England Scottland and Ireland from 1810-1874 and again briefly from 1905-1906

Too Cute Vampire Dogs…Which do you prefer?

Get him out of the sun!

Look at those fangs and eyes!

A true vampire, cape, red eyes, and a coffin!

Photo Credits:
Black Vampire Dog: http://www.popscreen.com/p/MTMxNzc2OTQw/Amazoncom-Vampire-Dog-Prop-Home-Kitchen
Bony Vampire Dog: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dartboard/389423907/
Sunlight Burns Dog: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/28/1044247/-Wednesdai-Woozles
Count Pug: http://www.bitethepower.com/count-pugula-vampire-shirts.html
Vampire Chihuahua: http://www.mysmalldogclothes.com/small-dog-clothes/pet-halloween-costumes-verrry-scarrry/

The Earl of Desmond

Vampire Wednesday.
I have another Irish vampire for you.

The Earl of Desmond lived in Limerick County Ireland, there once stood a castle over looking Lough Gur (Loch Gair in Irish) A count who said he was a scholar and used magic lived there. He always kept his magical ceremonies secret. He never let anyone see him as he practiced his art. His wife would beg to watch, he finally gave in, but under one condition. She couldn’t make a sound no matter what she saw. Only after she vowed to obey did he start his ritual. He began to shape-shift into various forms soon taking a shape so horrible she couldn’t hold her scream any longer.
As the scream came out of her mouth the castle began to tremble and sink into the nearby Lough Gur. NO ONE escaped!

I’m sorry I have to say it. . . I don’t want to but I have to. . . Sometimes a man is right. There I said it.

The Earl is now a vampire revenant, sometimes he leaves his watery home and travels around the surrounding countryside looking for young adults he can find and bring to the castle. He drains them of their energy through sexual intercourse.
The Earl is forced to exist in this manner until the time comes for him to “restore all to as it was.”

He’s also been called..Gearoid Larla Fitzgerald

Dullahan

For today’s Vampire Wednesday were looking at yet another Irish Vampire. I never knew there were so many. I’m beyond excited!

Dullahan
The Dullahan is pronounced DAH-hool. He has a lot of variations to his name including Dullaghan, Far Dorocha, Gan Ceann, Headless Horseman

The Headless Horseman is well known from Washington Irving’s American retelling of the German folklore short story “The Ledend of Sleepy Hollow.”

After the potato famine started in 1845 people started saying the Banshee was accompanied by a headless man riding on a horse. They were seen particularly at midnight on Feast Days.

The Head was which was the color and texture of molded cheese, smiled from ear to ear. Sometimes the man would hold his head other times it was tied to the saddle. Some said that the horse was also headless.

There were also stories that the man drove a coach made of human thigh bones which was pulled by six black horse with skull heads, their eyes lit by candles in their sockets.

Really it doesn’t matter if he’s on horseback or if he’s driving a coach, he races down roads spreading disease, entire households suddenly fall ill.

Dullahan uses a bullwhip to lash out anyone’s eyes who happens to see him. He’s cursed with poor eyesight. Lucky victims get a bucket of blood tossed on them.

The Dullahan is incredibly greedy and will accept any momentary offering that’s thrown at him.

 

Photo Credit:
http://celticqueens.blogspot.com/2011/06/irish-dullahan.html
http://strangestate.blogspot.com/2011/09/more-irish-monsters.html

Carrickaphouka Castle

Carrickaphouka Castle (Carric-Poo-ka) it means “The rock of the pooka”. McCarthy Castle is the variation of Carrickaphouka name.

This one is going to be so cool. Are you ready? Remember, stick with me no matter what goes through your mind, I promise there is vampirism in here.

Today Carrickaphouka Castle in Ireland stands in ruins, rumors say it’s haunted too!

In 1601 a type of fairy creature the Pooka lived in a large boulder that was on the land. This boulder was used to build McCarthy Castle. The Pooka like many other fairies could shape-shift. Pooka can shape-shift, his favorite forms were that of an eagle, a large horse, and a wild goat.

I hear you. “Fairies, shape-shifting, castles, but where are the vampires?” I ask you to just go along with me.

Cormac Mór MacDermot Tadhg McCarthy, Lord of Muskerry (that is a mouthful!) was made High Sheriff of Cork County after the Battle of Kinsale in 1601. The new English rulers couldn’t control the Irish lords, and High Sheriff was given the duty of rounding those that opposed up.

James Fitzgerald a very popular man was one of these “rebel lords” he had a huge following most being displaced nobility themselves. The High Sheriff invited Fitzgerald to McCarthy Castle. The meal was served to Fitzgerald, but it was poisoned.

Fitzgerald’s death wasn’t enough for the High Sheriff. He wanted to impress the English. He had the body drained of blood and cooked. To the horror of his English masters, he then set about the act of eating the flesh and drinking the blood in front of them.

The drinking of blood, even if it’s been drained from the body, it still counts as vampirism.

All of Ireland was shocked and outraged. The High Sheriff’s clansmen tried to say that he had been possessed by the Pooka. The High Sheriff fled to France shortly after.

After his death, his spirit returned to McCarthy Castle. At night, sounds of painful wails and screams of terror are heard coming from the ruins. Anyone who walks by them at night; will be viciously attacked by unseen, spectral claws that will cut deep enough to draw blood, that’s lapped up. Often fresh blood is seen on the remnants of the castle gate.