It was also believed that gateways existed in caves, woods, beside streams or wells where man could cross into the Otherworld. It was a magical and mystical place. A place of happiness, good health and eternal youth. But also a place where fairies and wicked beings could sometimes be indistinguishable. Spirits of the Otherworld might help or hinder people according to their whims. Often in order to gain help from those of the Otherworld a challenge would be involved. The Celts would ask fairies, tree spirits and the spirits of nature to come to their aid. But their capricious nature was always respected. That’s also why fairies would be blamed for just about anything that went wrong from poor harvest, bad weather, milk turning sour, infant death to items going missing for no accountable reason.
The Celts believed that the Otherworld existed alongside our normal world. We may not be able to see the Otherworld but at certain times of the year, the veil between the two worlds was thin. This is when it was more likely that spirits and creatures who inhabited the Otherworld found it easier to cross into our world (such as at Halloween).
It was also believed that gateways existed in caves, woods, beside streams or wells where man could cross into the Otherworld. It was a magical and mystical place. A place of happiness, good health and eternal youth. But also a place where fairies and wicked beings could sometimes be indistinguishable. Spirits of the Otherworld might help or hinder people according to their whims. Often in order to gain help from those of the Otherworld a challenge would be involved. The Celts would ask fairies, tree spirits and the spirits of nature to come to their aid. But their capricious nature was always respected. That’s also why fairies would be blamed for just about anything that went wrong from poor harvest, bad weather, milk turning sour, infant death to items going missing for no accountable reason.
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Welcome to the Celtic OtherworldInvisible to the naked eye and visited by only a few, here are tales of the magical and mysterious Otherworld. Archives
July 2014
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