Faery Places

Tír fo Thuinn (Land Under the Waves) Tír-Faoi-Thonn (Country Under Wave) Tír-fa-Tonn (Under-Wave Land) Gorre, Alsoth Goirtonn (Far Blue Isle)

It is the eve of Beltaine. Between the rising and setting of the moon, that night, the loughs and the seas of Erin become gates of glass that will open to let through any person who seeks the Country-under-Wave.
...And when the gates of glass are shut behind him, he must tarry in the Under-Water Land from Beltaine until Samhain, and harvest, when the nuts of the Magic Hazels will ripen to scarlet red. And on the eve of Samhain, he will draw near the Well of Enchantment and wait for the dropping of the nuts. ...But if this youth let the nuts slip through his fingers, he shall be in the power of Them in the Country-under-Wave – Country-Under-Wave: Alice Furlong & Mary McGarry

Ruled by The King of the Waterfalls [Uar Crualach (Waterfall, Hour, Time Red Lake) Aor, Awr, Our, Uarchride Mac Mael Toile, Uargal (Waterfall, Hour, Time) Aurthuile Ua Crunnmaeil, Erthuile, Airthaile (Flood-tide, Abundance, Plenty)] (pron. er-HEEL-a) a Fomorii: Beneath the Sea god and chief of the Cinel Eoghain: Yew Salmon who was killed in the battle of the Tuátha dé Danaan: Water from Heaven People on Slieve nan Ean: Mountain of Birds, in the east and his Queen, a long curly brown haired grúagach: giant’s daughter who was brother to the King of Oak Windows and can turn from a crop-headed hideous hag to a lovely harp-playing woman with the aid of a shamrock. In the Black Horse the son of the king [either Drochchroi: Ill-Omen [Aincel: Holly Fire], Damaiste: Damage [Digbai], or Santach: Want [Espaid / Hafgan: Summer] or Lir: Sea.] desires to have the daughter of the king of Norroway as his wife before the sun rises. She requests the silver cup, silver ring [in a lake of fire reached by crossing the snow mountain, ice mountain, and fire mountain] of her grandmother and a castle. He is drowned in a well and she marries the prince who was the helper. The black horse is the other son under enchantment, who gives his blessing. (58, 80, 183)

A twilight world that is reached through a sinking lake, the Red Cataract: Easaidh Ruadh. Its portal is the Shannon River. Its beauty is seen when the surface of the sea is clear as crystal and the wind does not blow. The green-billowed, foam-ridged hollow seashore has golden grains of sand. A mist of light rests on the mountains like silver fleece. The grass is as green as emeralds and bowers of flowers stand in full bloom.

The green valley has bright streams that shine like silver; flowing over beds covered with flashing gems. A multi-colored house thatched with birds feathers with golden doors, windows and pillars house people with hair the color of primroses, sloe-black eyes, milk-white skin, and cheeks red as the foxglove.

Inside the deep forest that glitters in eternal sunshine are gold rocks and flowers that never fade. The Nuts of Knowledge grow on the Hazels of Knowledge over the Well of Enchantment. The Salmon of Knowledge waits in the well to eat the ripened red hazelnuts when they fall from the trees at midnight on Halloween night. The great silver salmon eats and swims away, swimming all the seas of the round, rolling world. He has knowledge of everything that passes overseas and underseas.

Mortal boy Cian: Clear Water journeys there on the advice of Dectiré: Tenth but eats the food of the fairies which has put him to sleep through the nut time. Next May-Eve his brother Lugaid: Raven is sent to fetch him, but falls under the same fate due to rudeness to the fairies. Little sister Fedelm: 9 Times Beautiful leaves the next May-Eve finally catching the nuts. November is Latin for 9yh.

Diarmuid the Healer (Jeermit) son of Angus the Ever-Young goes to heal the dying Princess of the Land Under-Wave. He enters the portal from a sea-cave at Alsoth Goirtonn: The Far Blue Isle; picking up healing red moss along the way in the sea-cave: which is her heart’s blood. He arrives to see a golden palace, palace of crystal stone, and plain with red blossoms.

After passing white unicorns, white stags with golden antlers, trees with silver leaves with silver and crimson fruit, he sees a woman gathering rushes for the Princess of the Land Under-Wave who is under a seven year enchantment.

She covers him in rushes and carries him to the princess at the golden palace. When Diarmuid lays his hands on the princess, she is partially healed, but needs three draughts from the cup of the King of Magh an Ionganaidh: Plain of Wonder, filled with water from the Well of Healing along with the moss for full recovery. Diarmuid gets all of these things and she is healed. He returns home to find seven years passed in a day and a half. (101, 133, 201, 249) [Worlds List]

Am Bron Mara: Sea Sorrow (pron. ahm brawn MAH-rah) a wailing chant for the drowned not to be sung twice in one evening or after sunset. ‘It is bad enough to put sorrow on them, but it is 7 times worse to put anger on them. The Land-under-waves was not such a terrible place to spend eternity.’ (255)