#irishfolklore

The Celtic festival of Lughnasadh (LOO-nuh-suh), also referred to by its later Christianized counterpart Lammas (from “Loaf Mass”), is a powerful turning point in both the spiritual and agricultural year. Celebrated on August 1st, Lughnasadh is one of the four major cross-quarter festivals in the Celtic wheel of the year. It falls between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Autumn Equinox…

A merman or mermaid  who needs a magical cap to transition from deep water to dry land. During the time of ancient Celts, Merrow were described as beatiful women who were swimming in the sea. The surface of the water hid the tails of these supernatural creatures. Sailors and fishermen found the merrows irresistible, especially when they would comb their hair. Merrow applies to both male and female of the species, and they were said reside in Tir fo Thuinn, or The Land beneath the Waves. 

Merrow men were said to be so ugly that female Merrows would not take them as mates. Not as much is known about the male merrow, except that they were said to be jealous and envious of humans appearances and they were lonely so they would take the souls of drowned sailors and keep them captive under the sea in revenge. 

Female Merrow however were beautiful and preferred the company of human men. In order to keep the female merrow on land it was said that the human needed to take the cap of the merrow before they were enchanted by the song or held captive underneath the sea. The cap holds the power of the merrow and allows them to live under the ocean. 

Written accounts of merrow luring Irishmen to their deaths occur all the way back to the ancient Annuals of Ireland. Legend suggests that at Killone Abbey in Country Clare, an Merrow swam up to the cellars to steal wine, she was caught and killed, but before she died, she dragged herself back to the lake and every 40 years the lake turns red as a reminder. 

In the 1960s there was a report of a sighting of a Merrow woman in Kilconly Point, Kerry. In 1936 there was a reported sighting of two Merrow men in Renvyle County Galway. Martin Heanue and Thomas Regan were approached by a bearded Merrow who attempted to grab their scabbard, one of the fishermen went to hit the Merrow when the other stopped him, there is a superstition that if you hit a merrow with your oar you would die within the year. 

In some folklore tales, the Merrow were said to have webbed feet and green flowing hair, they sang beautiful songs, but not to lure sailors to their watery deaths, but to be entranced by their voices, for love. 

Catch of the Merrow

By Tomas O Carthaigh

The waves in time give up the sight

Of the Merrows catch that fishes at night,

The tears that washes the faces with grief,

Wash them anew bittersweet relief

At least their flesh is among their own again

To be laid with forefathers and remembered then,

The Merrows of life misfortune or folly

Or pressures too great for a person to carry

No creature is it as once believed to be

Still the Merrow takes her share to the waves

Of the Sea.

https://www.beachcombingmagazine.com/blogs/news/the-irish-folklore-of-the-celtic-merrow

https://symbolsage.com/the-merrow-mythology/