Monday, April 8, 2013

The Ceasg and the Baobhan Sith

Do Mermaids Have Fangs?


By Dawn Marie Hamilton

Did you see the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, On Stranger Tides? Ever since I did, I’ve wondered whether there existed a basis for mermaids with fangs. Do any of the mermaid legends mention fangs? What about Scottish folklore? Could a mermaid with fangs be drawn from the merging of two mythical Scottish fae creatures?

Perhaps the first is the ceasg or maighdean na tuinne (maiden of the wave), a Scottish mermaid of the Highlands. Appearing as a half-human woman and half-grilse (salmon), the ceasg were said to lure young men into the sea's depths. Other accounts describe love affairs between the mermaids and human males with the offspring of these relationships becoming great sailors and sea captains. Some tales attribute the mermaids with the ability to grant three wishes if captured. Of course, to force such action, the mermaid's soul must be destroyed.

The second, the baobhan sith, is a vampiric faerie known to be dangerous and evil. Although sometimes taking the form of a crow or raven, the baohan sith more often appears as a beautiful young woman, wearing a long green gown to hide her hoofed-feet. On a single evening each year, she rises from her grave to seduce a young man into dancing with her until he is tired and weak from the drinking of his blood.

At first, I believed the combining of these two creatures would produce a mermaid with fangs. Then I read an account stating the baobhan sith use long fingernails to draw the blood of their victims.

So what do you think? Do mermaids have fangs?

 

Monday, April 1, 2013

2013 Golden Claddagh Contest

~Permission to Forward Granted and Appreciated~

2013 Golden Claddagh Contest

CONTEST OPENS APRIL 1, 2013

Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh! Don’t let our chapter name dissuade you; your entry does not have to be Celtic based to enter. We have four categories for unpublished manuscripts: Historical, FF&P, Contemporary, and Young Adult.

Our contest opens on April 1st with a final due date of May 1st, 2013. Finalists will be notified by June 15th, 2013 and winners announced at the Celtic Hearts AGM at RWA Nationals in Atlanta. All finalists will be invited to the AGM, if they are able to attend.

ELIGIBILITY

The competition is open to RWA members and non-members. The Golden Claddagh Contest is open to published and non-published authors but the submitted work must never have been published in any format. The entry must be either a full-length novel (greater than 40,000 words) or a novella (no less than 20,000 words and no more than 40,000 words). Short stories and novelettes are not accepted.

Entry fee is $15 for CHRW members and $25 for non-members.

CATEGORIES

CONTEMPORARY: Long & Short Contemporary / Romantic Suspense / Strong Romantic Elements: Includes single title, romantic suspense, long and short romantic fiction with a contemporary setting set after 1945. Main focus is the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.

FF&P: Future, Fantasy & Paranormal / Steampunk / Alternative History: Romance novel where the mains focus is on the romantic relationship, but the future, fantasy or paranormal elements are integral to the story (includes time-travel).

HISTORICAL / Celtic: Romance novel set primarily before 1945 — any location.

YA: Young Adult / Middle Grade / New Adult: Romance novels or novellas in which young adult themes constitute an integral part of the plot. Main focus is still on the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.

FINAL ROUND JUDGES

Contemporary – Julie Mianecki of Penguin Books, Chelsey Emmelhainz of Harper Collins Publishing

FF&P – Alissa Davis of Carina Press and Laurie McLean of Foreward Literary Agency

Historical – Meredith Giordan of Carina Press and Susie Townsend of New Leaf Literary Agency

Young Adult – Aubrey Poole of Sourcebooks and Becky Vinter of Fine Print Literary Agency

Find the Contest Entry Form and Rules at Celtic Hearts Romance Writers website or blogsite. Sign up today! You know you want to. So what are you waiting for?

~Permission to Forward Granted and Appreciated~

Cate Parke
CHRW Vice President—Programs
2013 Golden Claddagh Contest Coordinator

Monday, March 11, 2013

The Fenoderee of the Isle of Man

By Dawn Marie Hamilton

The Isle of Man sits in the Irish Sea. With its Celtic and Norse origins, Manx folklore includes many stories of mythical creatures. One such creature is the Fenoderee.

Originally a knight of the Ferrishyn royal court, the faerie tribe of Man, the Fenoderee lost his status by falling for a mortal woman and missing the faerie's autumnal festival while courting his lover. In punishment, his handsome glamour was taken from him, and he became an ugly, satyr-like creature, covered with copious body hair. At least, that is what I believe.

Some compare him to the
Brùnaidh, the Scottish brownie.

The Fenoderee prances about without clothing, complaining that trousers and coats and hats are naught but discomfort. He becomes offended if offered garments, and will vacate the area in a huff.

He is known as an able worker of considerable strength, offering services, such as the herding of animals, to the farmers of Man. He is well suited to performing quarry work, lugging loads of stone too heavy for mortal men. His favorite task is mowing, and for clipping the grass with incredible speed, he has been nicknamed 'the nimble mower.'

The Fenoderee is a creature of folklore I wouldn't fear meeting.

Who is your favorite creature of folklore?