Hidden in the mists of County Limerick, beside the still waters of Lough Gur, lingers a tale that echoes from the old world — one of many real-life accounts found in The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W. Y. Evans‑Wentz.
This is the story of Áine, the mysterious fairy woman believed to guard the lake. To some, she is a fairy queen; to others, a goddess cloaked in mortal memory. But all who live near the lough know her as a presence both beautiful and haunting.
🌕 The Lady in the Moonlight
On midsummer’s eve, when the air turns strange and the veil between worlds thins, Áine is said to ride her white horse across the hills. Her golden hair glows like firelight, and the sound of her laughter drifts over the water like wind in the reeds.
One shepherd swore he saw her by moonlight, combing her hair on the shore. Entranced, he stood motionless — until she turned to look at him. Her gaze held the weight of centuries. She vanished into the lake, leaving behind a silver comb glittering in the sand.
When he touched it, he dreamed seven nights of a world filled with music, color, and joy — but woke each day feeling older. By the eighth morning, he was gone.
🧝♀️ Are Fairies Just Stories? Insights from The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
In The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries, Evans-Wentz doesn’t treat tales like this as fairy tales in the modern sense — he records them as living belief. From Ireland and Scotland to Brittany and Wales, he collected firsthand accounts from locals who truly believed in these beings.
These aren’t sanitized stories. They’re raw, real, and often unsettling — where fairies could bless, trick, or even steal your soul.
Áine is one of many such figures: part myth, part memory, part warning.
If you enjoy real folklore, you might also like my story about the Red Cap or this fairy-inspired outfit collage
✨ Want to Read More?
If this tale stirred something in you — a memory you’ve never lived, or a dream you can’t explain — there’s more waiting.
📖 You can find the full book on amazon by W. Y. Evans-Wentz.
It’s a gateway to a world where fairies aren’t fantasy — they’re folklore. And in places like Lough Gur, they’re still watching….
