The Dark Muse

Photo removed by author

The Leanan-Sidhe as depicted by Brian Froud.  I know I’m all about the Brian Froud illustrations.  What can I say? I think his work is awesome covered in more awesome. Yes, double dipped awesomeness. J

I do appreciate the fact that this post is very late and I’m a failure as a blogger.  I keep finding things that take me away from my work. Thursday night I was tired and cranky.  Last night I caught up on the phone with a friend.  Today I was catching up on episodes of Lost Girl, Royal Pains and The River and cleaning my home office.  Those shows aren’t going to watch themselves, you know, and I haven’t seen the top of my desk in weeks (maybe months at this point.)  I’ve now successfully avoided my responsibilities for ages.  It’s time to get down to business.  I have blog post to produce and a novel (or two) to write.  

This week’s post is all about the Irish faerie the Leanan-Sidhe or the Leannan Sith to the Scotts or the Lhianan-Shee to the folks on the Isle of Mann.  There are a few other ways to spell her name, but I won’t bore you guys with that.  Have you ever noticed that Irish words (or Scottish words) make no sense?  Her name is pronounced “Lanawn Shee” and it means “faerie sweetheart.”  I guess you could call her that.

According to “A History of Irish Fairies” by Carolyn White, the Leanan-Sidhe seeks love and domination over mortal men.  She does her best to seduce.  It isn’t difficult.  She can change her looks at will, appealing to a man’s desires and predilections.  If the man can resist, she is his slave.  If she succeeds and we all know she will, she owns his ass (and soul) unless he can find someone to take his place.

The Leanan-Sidhe is a passionate lover, but the price of that passion is a very short life for her lover.  To him, no other woman exists.  She is his entire world.  The desire to possess her destroys him in the end. 

 She inspires her lover to create glorious music or poetry.  He pours his heart and soul into her, into his art until there is nothing left of him.  Like a vampire, she takes everything from him.  This is why they call her the Dark Muse.

Why does she do it?  Maybe she really gets off on dominating men, of holding their lives in her hands. Or maybe she's great lover of the arts and her sole intent in to inspire.  She uses what's she got to aspire to greatness.