A gancanagh () () is a male

fairy A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

from the

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

of Ireland, known for seducing women.

Etymology

The name has been rendered under various spellings including geancánach or ganconer. Sources collected from County Meath by the

Irish Folklore Commission The Irish Folklore Commission () was set up in 1935 by the Irish Government to study and collect information on the folklore and traditions of Ireland. History Séamus Ó Duilearga (James Hamilton Delargy) founded ''An Cumann le Béaloideas Éir ...

indicate that the word (pronounced gankanah or gankaneh) could also mean a small or precocious child, indicating fairylike smallness.

Legend

In 1888,

W. B. Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the ...

noted that the gancanagh was not found in dictionaries and the fairy was not well-known in Connacht. In a story collected in ''The Dublin and London Magazine'' in 1825, ganconer is defined as "a name given to the fairies, alias the 'good people,' in the North of Ireland." They are described as little men who live in caves, led by Captain Dearg (The Red Captain). One ganconer kidnaps a human woman, and her sweetheart must win her back on Halloween night. He catches her at a crossroads, but she is caught between him and the ganconers and dies. In another story in the same magazine, a group of ganconers plays hurling, and carries off a widow’s cow to a fairyland beneath the lake of Loughleagh. The owner retrieves the cow, but the moment someone says the name of God nearby, the cow sinks into the ground never to be seen again. According to Nicholas O’Kearney writing in 1855, the Geancanach was a little man similar to the Leprechaun, but lazier. He appeared in lonesome valleys with a dudeen, a short clay pipe which was consequently known as “the Geancanagh’s pipe.” (The dudeen was also associated with the Cluricaune, another fairy.) The Geancanagh seduced shepherdesses and milkmaids. It was considered highly unlucky to meet him, and any man who had wasted his money chasing after women was said to have met a Geancanagh. Captain Dearg and an army of ganconers appeared in the poetry of John O’Hanlon as fairy soldiers who ride through the air. O’Hanlon identified ganconer as an alternate name for the fairies or little folk. Irish poet Ethna Carbery characterized the “Love-Talker” as a handsome incubus-like fairy with black eyes. He has no shadow, and his approach is accompanied by a mist. He seduces maidens, leaving them to waste away and die afterwards. He is banished by the

sign of the cross Making the sign of the cross (), also known as blessing oneself or crossing oneself, is both a prayer and a ritual blessing made by members of some branches of Christianity. It is a very significant prayer because Christians are acknowledging ...

, but too late for the protagonist of the poem, who has already kissed him. In one 20th-century story collected by the Irish Folklore Commission, a geancanagh stars in a leprechaun-like role. He is captured and forced to show where his gold is buried, only to trick his captor.

In popular culture

* W.B. Yeats used "Ganconagh" as a pseudonym. * In the series of books "'' Wicked Lovely''" of Melissa Marr, two characters, Irial and Niall, are gancanaghs. * In the series of books "'' The Folk of Air''" of

Holly Black Holly Black (; born November 10, 1971) is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the ''New York Times'' bestselling young adult ''Folk of the Air'' series. She is also well kn ...

, the characters of Liriope and her sons, Locke and Oak, are gancanaghs.

References

{{Fairies European legendary creatures Aos Sí Fairies Irish folklore Irish legendary creatures Tuatha Dé Danann

Etymology

Legend

In popular culture

See also

References