Aos Sí

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The Aos Sí are the fairy people of Irish folklore, a race like elves. They are said to come from the Tuatha Dé Danann, the old Irish gods. The name Aos Sí means “folk of the sídhe,” referring to burial mounds where they are said to live. These mounds are also seen as doors to a hidden world. In English they’re often called fairy mounds, elf mounds, or hollow hills.

Origins and nature
There are two common ideas about who the Aos Sí are. One says they are the descendants or survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated underground when the Milesians arrived. The other says they are angels who fell from heaven but were not sent to hell. In many stories, the Aos Sí are powerful beings who can be both beautiful and frightening. They may be ancestors, spirits of nature, or gods and goddesses.

Homes and behavior
The Aos Sí guard their homes—places like fairy hills, fairy rings, special trees, lakes, and woods. If humans disturb these places, the Aos Sí can react to protect them. In legends, strangers who offend the fairy folk might be punished, and some stories tell of changelings who replace human children as punishment for trespass.

Names and kinds
The people of the mounds are known by many names, such as Aos Sí, aes sídhe, and daoine sídhe (or daoine sí). The word sídhe can also refer to the palaces or halls of the otherworldly beings. The most famous fairy woman is the banshee or bean sídhe, a figure who is said to wail to announce a death.

Other fairy beings include the bean-nighe (the washer woman), the leanan sídhe (the fairy lover), the cat-sìth (a fairy cat), and the cù-sìth (a fairy dog). The sluagh sídhe, or “the fairy host,” is a crowd of spirits. Some tales mention the siabhra (often called sheevra), a type of restless or mischievous spirit.

Times, festivals, and belief
The fairy world is thought to come closer to the human world at dawn and dusk, so the Aos Sí are believed to be easier to encounter then. Some seasonal festivals, like Samhain, Bealtaine, and Midsummer, are connected to them. In many communities, people kept a “Fairy Faith” by showing respect to the Aos Sí and avoiding angering them.

Practices and respect
People who believed in the Aos Sí would offer them food and drink—milk, baked goods, apples, and berries—to keep them friendly. They’d also try to leave sacred places undisturbed and protect fairy sites from road building or development.

Today
The idea of the Aos Sí remains a strong part of Irish folklore and culture. They are often imagined as “The Good Neighbours” or simply “The Folk,” and the belief in their presence has lived on in stories, songs, and customs in Ireland, Scotland, and among people with Irish roots.