Dictionary of the Nature Spirits: Class C - Human-like

The following class of Nature Spirits is basically the ones that resemble average humans the most. While possibly thinner or slightly shorter than average humans, these Nature Spirits generally have the same appearance of humans and are closely related to the Old Gods of paganism. Some scholars believe these are “demoted” gods from polytheistic religions, others say they are a human-like race all their own and people to this day have “fairy blood” and special psychic powers. Unlike the dwarfs, many of these beings appear as female.

Bean-Tighe:
Origin: Ireland

Appearance: The Bean-Tighe look like small elderly ladies dressed in peasant clothing. They are somewhat chubby with very kind-looking faces. She’s rarely seen, and most likely heard sweeping the floor.

Gender: Female

Personality: Maternal and wise. They are attached to the old families of Ireland and assist with everything from housework to caring for the family pets. Sometimes they will take up residence if a household leaves strawberries and cream out for them.

Relatives: The Brownie, who also assists in house chores.

Human Interaction: The Bean-Tighe will finish any chores the lady of the house is unable to finish in the course of a day. She will care for the children and the animals all in exchange for a daily offering of fresh strawberries. There is a test that can be performed to see if a Bean-Tighe has taken up residence in a home. If a wet piece of linen is left out to dry hanging in front of a hearth, she will come out and turn the linen when one side is dry, as long as she’e thinks she’s not seen.


Beansidhe:
Origin: Ireland/Scotland/water element

Appearance: There are two variants of the Beandishe, depending on which part of Ireland The Bean Si is young and attractive. She is usually dressed in either green (most common), white or red, with blood-red eyes from crying. She’s usually wearing a veil. The more sinister version, the Bean-nighe looks like a deformed, haggard woman with webbed feet one tooth one nostril. She also has long, sagging but nursing breasts (with a challenge that will be explained later). The Bean-nighe warns of violent death.

Gender: Female

Personality: The Bean Si is quite apathetic towards humans. She does her job of warning of death, and moves on. She may be more of an omen opposed to something evil. She is said to wail for the departing family member, who is the one not to hear the wailing. The Bean-nighe is more sinister. She is usually seen washing blood-stained clothes in a stream and predicts an imminent and sudden death.

Relations: The female death omens exist all over the world, but the closest related would be La Morena of Mexico who is said to have drowned all her children in life and now warns of when a child dies.

Human Interaction: The Bean Si is known to only warn of the deaths of the members of the old Clans of Ireland, usually those with the surnames of “Mac” or “O” (MacDonalds, O’Hara, etc.).The Bean Nighe is not so selective. With so many mixed families it’s possible for the BeanSidhe and Bean Si to warn several people of death, and her popularity is on the increase in Ireland. There is one wish-granting story associated with the Bean-nighe, if a beave soul can mange to suck a breast of the Bean-nighe she will grant a wish or serve as his guide. One Bean-Sighe story has made it to the U.S. She haunts the Tar River near Tarboro in North Carolina.


Brown Men:
Origin: Scotland, element of fire

Appearance: Shorter than the average man, but proportionally correct. They are lean with large arms and bronze-colored hair. The dress in brown, green or other nature colors.

Gender: Male

Personality: Avoid humans, but protect animal life in the Scottish Moors. Little is known about them due to their aversion to humans.

Relations: Said to be the cousin of the Brownie, but the personality is more like the Zips of Class A.

Human Interaction: little if any. Some say if a human is truly sympathetic to the abuse of animals and desperately need help with a wounded animal the Brown Men will assist.


Cailleac Bhuer:
Origin: Scotland, element of water.

Appearance: Also known as the Black Annis, she is an old woman who walks the forest at night with a walking stick tipped with the head of a crow. Her clothes are tattered blue. Her familiar, a crow is perched on her shoulder. She has jagged teeth and one big blue eye.

Gender: Female

Personality: She may be misunderstood. The old stories say she lives in a cave with the skins of children and babies decorated all over the walls. She in some stories is known as a child killer. However, some pagans believe she is a devalued crone goddess who had her bad reputation bestowed on her from frightened Christians.

Relations: Hecate, the dark Greek night goddess.

Human Interaction: She is traditionally avoided as a child-killer. She’s is the one who mothers used to scare misbehaving into behaving. She should be avoided.


Corrigans:
Origin: England, associated with water

Appearance: Ugly old deformed women by day, but beautiful blonde maidens by night.

Personality: Very intelligent. Riddle solvers, and great at solving many types of problems. To see one at night will make a man die pining away for her.

Gender: female

Relations: Any of the Greek sea nymphs for their irresistible beauty, or any of the shape-shifters.

Human Interaction: One Camelot story survives of a Corrigan. King Arthur needed to solve a riddle in order to safe himself from being killed unarmed from an armed knight. The riddle was “what does a woman truly desire?” Arthur didn’t know, but a hag named Dame Ragnell did. She and Arthur Struck a bargain. She would answer the riddle if she could have Arthur’s most handsome knight Gawain. Gawain agreed and was very good to the ugly old woman. After married Dame Ragnell showed her other side in the bridal chamber, a beautiful young woman. She told him she can be either beautiful in the day and ugly at night, or ugly in the day and beautiful at night. Gawain had to choose. Gawain gave HER the option to choose. Giving Dame Ragnell the choice broke the spell, and she stayed beautiful and wise until her death.


Glaistig:
Origin: Scotland, associated with water

Appearance: From a distance, she appears as a beautiful young woman, but up close she is made up of animal parts.

Gender: Female

Personality: for woman and children she is very friendly and harmless. For adult men she’s the absolute worst.

Relations: Vampires, it’s understood since she is a bloodsucker of adult men. Also Mary Player who drowns men when they approach her.

Human Interaction: Though known to aid and like women, children, elderly and sometimes farmers, she will kill adult men. She has two methods, either sucking the blood from her victim or drowning him.


Guagach:
Origin: Scotland

Appearance: She appears as an old shepherd woman with a walking stick. She wears a green dress, and looks very old and haggard. She has facial hair and very withered skin.

Gender: Female

Personality: very friendly and wise unless turned away when she needs help. She assists in protecting cattle.

Relations: the House dwarfs, the Brownie, for example who assist in exchange for little food and shelter but will become malicious if ridiculed or harmed.

Human Interaction: She is known to walk the villages of the Highlands asking for food and to sit by the hearth for a spell. If a homeowner grants her request, she will protect his livestock. If refused, she will steal livestock. She is said to occasionally steal a male infant from young parents, but will often return the baby due to watching the mother suffer from her loss.


Gwragedd Annwn:
Origin: Wales/Associated with water

Appearance: Beautiful blond women who are seen singing and dancing by sacred lakes.

Gender: female

Personality: Friendly and helpful to women, love children but are uninterested in men unless for a mating partner from time to time. They are, however, very sensitive to criticism.

Relations: the Lorelei, and Glastig who assists exclusively in helping women and children.

Human Interaction: They make cold wives, but excellent mothers for any man who would choose to marry one. They also offer excellent protection for women and children whether assisting in magic or helping lost travelers.


Leanansidhe:
Origin: Isle of Man/water element

Appearance: Beautiful young women with pale vampire-like skin. She is, in essence, a demon-like entity or vampire
Personality: She is an excellent poetess, and will offer her services, for a price.

Gender: Female

Relations: Mephinstophenes, who gave Faust a life of success and riches in exchange for his soul. The Glastig and Red Cap for the draining of blood from human victims.

Human Interaction: She will inspire a poet to write the best works possible, but the price is death. Legend says she will drain the blood of her poetic victims and pour it into a giant vat which giver her the beauty and talent to continue gathering more victims.


Lorelei:
Origin: Germany

Appearance: A beautiful young woman who sits on rocks singing.

Personality: Manipulative and cunning. They entrance shipmen and their ships thus crash into rocks.

Gender: female

Relations: The Greek Mythology, the Sirens whose singing lure ships to the rocks. They can be read about in The Odyssey.

Human Interaction: Their purpose is to destroy humans and their ships. Though very beautiful, they are very dangerous.


Ly Erg:
Origin: Scotland, water element

Appearance: Looks just like a Scottish soldier, only somewhat smaller, maybe about 4 _ feet tall. He’s not a dwarf since he’s completely proportional due to his small size. His giveaway is his right hand. This hand is bright red. He can be found on deserted roads by rivers.

Personality: As a soldier, the Ly Erg will challenge anyone to combat in a fight the competitor will never win.
Gender: Male

Relations: the Red Cap, as the cap his stained with human blood, so is the hand of the Ly Erg.

Human Interaction: If the Ly Erg spots a potential victim, he raises his right, blood-stained hand as a symbol to do battle. The victim then must promptly retreat or face death. If the victim survives the battle, to engage with the Ly Erg still means death within 24 hours.


Moerae:
Origin: Greece, Earth element

Apprarance: Three women, dressed in Grecian robes are in three stages of life. The first is Clitho, the youngest who dresses in pink or light yellow and carries thread. Known as the Spinner she looks about fifteen years old. The next is Lachesis, the measurer. She is portrayed as a woman about thirty dressed in green. The third is Atropos, the inevitable, or the cutter. She is the old woman who dresses in black.

Personality: Apathetic. Just do their job as they see fit.

Gender: Female

Relations: Atropos is the dispenser of death, who, like other death omens simply does her job as the dispenser of death. More closely the spinner Mother Holle.

Human Interaction: none. The three have a process: Clitho dispenses the thread while Lachesis measures it. The thread represents life. Atropos cuts the thread whether short for dying young or long for dying old. It’s a form of predestination.


Mother Holle:
Origin: Germany, associated with earth

Appearance: Appears as a woman in her late 50s with long black hair wearing an emerald green dress. She can be found in sacred wells.

Gender: Female

Personality: Mother Holle offers her service of divination to people who seek out her help. She is a spinner who basically has a spinning wheel which represents the Wheel of Fortune. Her services are paid with an offering of gold.

Relations: Similar to the Moerae, in some stories she is seen as the dispenser of justice.

Human Interaction: Mother Holle will help in matters of divination for the small price of gold. She is also seen as a devalued crone goddess in some cultural segments. She will be rewarded with gold, or by having her bed made properly.


Nixen:
Origin: Switzerland, associated with water

Appearance: Nixen look like young, handsome people. Children are called urchins. The males can be easily singled out by their Kelly green teeth. They are said to have an undersea kingdom ruled equally by a king and queen.

Gender: male and female, children are reported as well.

Personality: Prankish and often dangerous, yet musically talented. The Nixen are the musicians of the waters. They are known for being master fiddlers with very catchy tunes. Despite this talent they are very dangerous to humans. Their music is often used to lure humans into the water to death. They’ll also drown sailors by causing shipwrecks. Some stories say Nixen can cause storms.

Relations: The German Lorelei and the Greek Sirens, each who lure humans to death by drowning.

Human Interaction: The Nixen victimize people in two ways. One way is by simply drowning them. The other is by taking them to their undersea lairs to use them for breeding. Often the victims badly damaged corpse is found floating down the river or tossed on the bank. Despite their ominous reputation, they do share the gift of music, and some German folk music to this day is accredited to wandering musicians who accidentally stumble upon a Nix with a fiddle and lived to tell about it.


Nymphs:
Origin: Greece, associated with the element of whatever they inhibit

Appearance: Beautiful women of nature. Nymphs are more of a sub-class of nature spirits on their own, and we may write up the nymph class eventually. Some inhibit trees (dryads) some the ocean (Oceanids and Nereids) and some inhibit sacred trees. According to the Ancient Greeks they have two origins: earth nymphs are generally the offspring of Zeus and minor nature goddesses and ocean nymphs were formed when Zeus castrated the Titan Cronus and the blood fell to the sea creating the Oceanids and Aphrodite the Goddess of love.

Gender: always female

Personality: Nymphs are known for tending nature and excessive sexuality. In Ancient Greek stories they are rendered for sexual flings of both man and gods alike.

Relations: The Nymphs are more of a Family, or class of their own, but are similar to several nature spirits.

Human Interaction: Nymphs are generally known for two things when it comes to human interaction: Excessive sexual contact with men and artistic expression. The Greek and Romans built fountains in the cities called nympheaums, which were dedicated to local water nymphs. In this instance they are held in a higher regard. Later the Renaissance recycled the nymph in art and once again she dominated paintings and sculptors.


Peg O’Neill:
Origin: Ireland, water element

Appearance: Pale, and looking like a female frozen corpse.

Gender: Female

Personality: Peg is very similar to a ghost, but has the qualities on a water demon as well. One legend says she was once a maidservant who slipped in ice and broke her neck and died fetching a bucket of water. Since then she has been known as the evil water spirit of the Ribble River in Lancashire. She is also known to haunt Waddow Hall. In fact on the grounds of the Hall there is an old well and an ancient headless statue originally dedicated to a Roman Nymph. The statue and the well are dedicated to her now. Peg O’Neill has a heavy price to pay, however…

Relations: The many spirits who drown people as well as well spirits.

Human Interaction: Peg O’Neill demands sacrifice. Every seven years she must have an animal sacrificed to her via drowning. If an animal isn’t drowned she will come out and drown a man or woman by reaching out of the spring and drowning them.


Tuatha de Danann:
Origin: Ireland, any element

Appearance: Looks just like the Irish locals, only slightly smaller

Gender: male, female, and children

Personality: Warrior-like, but generally harmless since they see justice and recognize good vs. bad. They love sports, especially hurling, and love music. They are said to be a people of a great Irish goddess named Dana but were later driven underground by the predecessors of the Celts (the Milesians) 1,000 years ago. Since then they have lived in the boroughs. They’re also masons, and the ancients megoliths are often said to be constructed by their hands. They’re extremely intelligent, talented and powerful magically. They are also said to possess the Stone of Destiny and the Sword of Lugh.

Relations: The Gnomes are also family fairies and leprechauns possess secret treasures.

Human Interaction: Said to aid humans with magic spells. They can be quite powerful when invoked. It is said that if one comes upon a borough and knocks on it three times and asks it to open in the name of Dana, a passage will open up and the person can learn from the Tuatha da Danann.


Vilas:
Origin: The Alps, associated with Earth

Appearance: Beautiful women who love in the Alpine forests. So attractive that men who see them pine away for them.

Gender: female

Personality: They have no interest in humans, but are known to help animals in need. They will on occasion rescue a human traveler indirectly.

Relations: They devote their time to caring for animals, like the Zips or the Brown Men.

Human Interaction: Little, but they will save live lives indirectly. They will lead guide dogs to stranded travelers, and let out a low-pitched knock sound to warn to impending disasters like avalanches. It is believed they assist with the famous rescue dogs of St. Bernard Monastery. They love all animals, but dogs are their favorites.


Yan-An-Od:
Origin: England

Appearance: Appears as a nice old man wearing the clothing of a shepherd with a walking stick. He has a white beard, but when people get to close to him he slowly fades away.

Gender: male

Personality: Benign, an animal lover

Relations: The Guagach, who is a female shepherd and assists with cattle.

Human Interaction: He can’t be approached directly, but is a big help among herders. Just one of the many nature spirits who helps with livestock.