Irish Lore, The Blarney Stone .

 

The Blarney Stone.

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The Blarney castle was built by Cormac Laidir MacCarthy, the 9th Lord of Muskerry, who also founded the nearby Friary  and Carrignamuck castle.

Blarney castle is located in Blarney, County Cork Ireland and is perhaps one of the most famous castle's on the emerald isle, it was Built as a military stronghold by Cormac Láidir MacCarthy / MacCárthaigh in 1446 and is home to the magic stone known world wide as the Blarney Stone. 

It has become so popular throughout the years that now millions of  tourists come from all over the world just  to kiss the stone each year. 

The word "blarney" originated  during the 16th century when the lord's of Blarney Castle,  the MacCarthy clan, used clever  words to stall Queen Elizabeth I's demands for the castle and territory. 

 Kissing the Blarney Stone is believed to grant you  the ability to speak persuasively and eloquently to anyone, this ability is known as the "gift of the gab" The term "blarney" itself refers to skillful flattery or misleading talk. 

The stone is a large piece of limestone at the top of the castle, which is set in the wall below the battlements.

 Tourists that want to kiss the stone or assisted by a guide to lean over backwards and kiss it(there is safety railings in place as well). 

There are a few different origin stories regarding the magical stone.

Some believe the stone received it's magic by Titania the Queen of the Faeries, who told the MacCarthy clan to kiss it for answers. 

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Religious stories surrounding the stone.

Some claim the stone is the Stone of Jacob from the Old Testament and that it was brought to Ireland by the Prophet Jeremiah. 

Another story tells that the Blarney Stone served as a deathbed pillow for the legendary St Columba — the saint credited with spreading Christianity throughout Scotland. Some claim, that the stone was taken from Scotland and brought to Ireland.

A less biblical, story suggests that the stone was part of the Stone of Scone (also known as the ‘Stone of Destiny’) — a legendary block of stone used in the coronation ceremony of Scottish Kings. 

It is believed that Scottish hero Robert the Bruce give the stone to the MacCarthy chieftain as a token of gratitude for supporting the Irish in the Battle of Bannockburn. 

Brazilian Myth: Yara/Lara.

 

Lara..

Mãe das Águas 

 mother of the waters

Lara also Know as the “Lady of the Waters, or Mother of the waters” is most often depicted as an attractive yet very  dangerous  and seductive mermaid-like cryptid from Brazil.

She lives in the rivers and lagoons, where she sings her haunting songs to attract the local fisherman  using her beautiful voice and good looks to call them to their deaths, similar to Greek sirens.

 with the combined beauty of her voice and seductive figure she easily lures  men into the water where they seldom return. The few that do manage to escape her are haunted by her otherworldly songs for the rest of their life often driven to madness.

 In most  versions of this myth she lures men who fell under her spell into the water to drown them.

In other variants her spell  would compel him to simply leave everything he had  behind and live with her underwater forever because of her beauty ...though in this kinder version she is  said to be a very loving and attentive wife and would love him for  the rest of his life.

However she is   immortal and will spend most of eternity alone. (Humans only live so long).

In yet another versions  

She was a beautiful young warrior-woman, skilled in combat and the art of  war though she lives  in a patriarchal tribe, she eventually gained the admiration of the entire tribe and even her father the chief respected her ability, however her brothers grew jealous of her and  decided to murder her during the night. 

According to this version she defended herself from her brother's and accidentally killed them in the process upon discovering he's sons dead , her father became furious at her.

 She fled to the jungle  but was eventually captured and punished for her brothers death's, by being drowned in the river.

 A different ending to this version  claims the brothers  killed her the nigh of the attack and dumped her body in the river then  blamed the night goddess, Jaci, for her disappearance.

In both versions she ends up in the river, And is turned into a mermaid   by the nearby fish on the night of a full moon or by Jaci.

Now  she takes her revenge on all men by seducing them and drowning them in the river.

Some claim even being near her territory is enough to drive a man crazy and make him want to enter the water.

Ghostly Folklore: Dames Blanches 🇫🇷👻

 

Dames Blanches.

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In French folklore there is a ghost like woman often seen near bridge's or alleys.

Her name is Dame Blanche .

 The most common version of the legend says she would stop someone and ask them to join her in dance or assist her in a certain way in order to pass. If the passerby offered her assistance, she would make him courtesies and disappear,  if he refused to play along with her request, he would meet an unfortunate end.

The name Dames Blanche translates to  “White Ladie / Ladies” 

She is a supernatural entity most often thought to be a spirit though some believe she may infact be a type of fay .

She can be seen near near caverns, ravines, bridges and other narrow places where she can attract the attention of people passing by.

In France, the Dames Blanches are most  popular in  Lorraine and Normandy and were said to appear in Occitan, the Pyrenees mountains with various other sightings throughout the country.

The Dames Blanches have similar counterparts in name and characterization in Germany she's called  Weiße Frauen and in  Dutch she's  the Witte Wieven.

She may also have ancient connections to a pre Christian guardian goddesses known as the Matres,  specifically the Dominæ, who watched over the home, perhaps became the Dames of folklore.

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Thomas Keightley (1870) describes the Dames Blanches as a type of Fae known in Normandy "who are of a less benevolent character." They lurk in narrow places such as ravines, forest, and on bridges and try to attract passerby attention. They may require one to join in her dance or assist her in order to pass. 

If assisted she "makes him many courtesies, and then vanishes." One such Dame was known as La Dame d'Apringy who appeared in a ravine at the Rue Quentin at Bayeux in Normandy, where one must dance with her a few rounds to pass. 

Those who refused were thrown into the thistles and briar, while those who danced were not harmed. Another Dame was known on a narrow bridge in the district of Falaise, named the Pont d'Angot. She only allowed people to pass if they went on their knees to her. Anyone who refused was tormented by the lutins(a type of hobgoblin), cats, owls, and other creatures who helped her.