Folklore and Fairy Forts: Re-Use of Archaeological Landscapes in Ireland

Summary

The re-use of sites and landscapes in both ancient and contemporary contexts is widely recognized in archaeology. In Ireland, many sites show evidence of use throughout prehistory and into the historical era, although the meaning of these places changed substantially over time and continues to evolve today. This paper will examine historical and contemporary folklore surrounding archaeological sites in Ireland, focusing largely on the nineteenth and twentieth century understanding of raths, Early Medieval domestic sites, as "fairy forts." Fairies, otherworldly creatures, could be benevolent and generous or cause destruction, illness, or even death. Wise farmers have long respected the fairies and have avoided disturbing their homes—the fairy trees, bushes, and "forts" that dot the island. Yet fairy legends are not just tales of magic and the supernatural; these legends, rooted in specific places in the landscape, helped people mediate local and regional power relationships and uphold social mores. Today these legends not only survive but are spread by tourism, and therefore raths and other archaeological sites are understood in different but overlapping local, regional, and international contexts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage