Irish Ringforts ~ Where the Fairies dwell

 

 Irish Ringforts ~ Where the Fairies dwell 

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 A cloud of mystery looms over the ringforts, that speckle the countryside of Ireland.

This mystery persists due to the mythology surrounding them ~ they are the gate way to the realm of the fairies, and are protected pieces of Irish history that few dare to disturb.

 Accounts of missing livestock, trances, death, and other misfortune have kept the fairy forts protected for many years.

However, a few brave historians and archaeologists are beginning to peel back the curtain, and search for answers regarding these ancient structures.

 A ringfort is a general term for a circular space, which could sometimes be raised above the surrounding ground.

In other cases, the fort could be surrounded by a shallow ditch.

The ditch that surrounded the fort would have been fortified by a palisade of timber, a hedge, or a thick growth of trees and shrubs.

 The average ringfort tends to be around 27-30 metres in diameter, however, some have been found to be as large as 75 metres in diameter.

Some ringforts have been found to have a “souterain”.

This is an underground passage that was typically carved out of the natural rock or clay, underneath the fort, but could also be made of stone.

It is said, that the “souterain” was used as a refuge by the inhabitants of the fort, as well as storage in safer times.

 While there are thousands of these forts speckling the Irish countryside, few have dared to embark on a detailed study of the structures.

Historian, Dr. Matthew Stout, has begun to study the Irish ringforts.

He suggests that the majority of these structures were constructed in a three-hundred-year period, from the beginning of the seventh century to the end of the ninth.

 The functions of the ringforts are debated.
Archaeologically, it was understood that the fort was owned by a free man and his family, and was tended as a farmstead typically raising cattle.

As the name would suggest, the forts had a defensive aspect as well.
The shallow moats suggest that the ringforts were used for protection from “hit-and-run” raids on the cattle housed within the ring.

 Aside from their practical purposes, the ringforts have a more tradition-heavy and mythological aspect to them.
“Raths” in Ireland are also known as “fairy forts,” as they were said to be the homes of mythological creatures such as fairies, leprechauns, and giants.

It was said that the forts were imbued with Druids magic and as such the fairies were protected within them.

 The very early inhabitants of Ireland, known as the 'Tuatha De Danann', were heavily associated with myths and stories about fairies.

As such, the forts themselves were seen as gateways into the world of the fairies.
It is also said that leprechauns are keepers of the gold, which has been hidden within the structure.

 Since the forts were protected by magic, legend has it that death will come to anyone who so much as cuts the grass, or bushes surrounding the fort.

There are numerous myths surrounding the forts, that range from the distant past into our own day.

 From this legend comes accounts of people having seen or heard lights and music coming from the raths at night.

As such many refused to go near the sites, let alone disturb them.
When the sites are disturbed there have been reports of missing livestock, people going into trances or deep sleeps, and even death.

It is perhaps this superstition that prevents the ringforts from being studied in more depth.

The Tudor Intruders (and more)

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 Source~AncientOrigins
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 Irish Ringfort Grianan of Aileach, Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland