Bachelors of the Fae

This post is for the ladies, with a special dedication and thanks to my friend Sarah Oschman (for bringing the Ghillie Dhu to my attention).

Most often we hear about fae seductresses and fairy wives, however, there are some rather charming and handsome gentlemen of the fae waiting in the woods.  As always you have to watch your step with the fae...

Fae bachelor number 1, is tall, dark, handsome and good with kids, it's the Ghillie Dhu!

The Ghillie Dhu is a Scottish nature spirit that haunts birch groves and wear clothes made from leaves and moss.  Not a big talker, the Gillie Dhu is a mainly solitary fae but according to one account in Mackenzie's A Hundred Years in the Highlands, when a little girl was lost in the woods the Ghillie Dhu looked after her and brought her safely home.

Fae bachelor number 2, is known as the Love Talker, the ganconer is a solitary fae known for being a heart breaker.  He always appears with a trademark clay pipe and charismatic grin.  Any woman that speaks with the Love Talker is unable to resist his charms.  As soon as the ganconer has won her heart the maiden's paramour vanishes and she is left to mourn the loss of her love, pining away for him until her death...so he's a bit of a bad boy to say the least, watch out ladies!

Resources:

Briggs, K. M., "Some Late Accounts of the Fairies".  Folklore, Vol. 72, No. 3 (Sep., 1961), pp. 517-518. Web. 31 March 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1258579

Froud, Brian and Allen Lee.  Faeries.  New York : Abrams, 1978.  Print.

Paciorek, Andrew L., "Night Terrors and Lovers".  Strange Lands: Supernatural Creatures of the Celtic Other World.  Web. 1 April 2014.