What does the word Sidhe mean?

Sidhe (pronounced Shee) is an Irish word that literally means a mound of earth.

{ You know those little pretty bumps of moss and earth that you see in the forest? }

In Irish folklore, these little mounds of earth are thought to be the humble homes of Aos Sí , or the Sidhe people. Some are larger than others, yet each houses the fair-folk, the wee-people, the fae…. a.k.a. the fairies.

The sidhe were also called the people of the mounds, or the good people.

The belief in the sidhe is a part of Ireland’s pre-Christian religion, and their gods were the direct ancestors of the sidhe. When the area underwent Christianization in the 5th century the sidhe were driven ‘underground’.

The fae folk, however, were never driven completely from the minds and hearts of the people, and the mounds of earth forever became their permanent homes.

So what does sidhe mean?
Quite simply, the fae. Those lovely little spirits that wouldn’t go away.

Where does the word come sidhe come from?

The origins of the word sidhe come from old Irish Gaelic.

Aos sí, (pronounced “ace shee“) is the newer word that comes from the ancient Irish aes sídhe (ace shee-thuh).

(Sometimes this is spelled Sìth.)

The word has been around for a very long time, and so has gone through many iterations and variations as different cultures and people emerged.

What are the sidhe like?

The sidhe people are a supernatural race that are said to exist in the otherworld, on a plane that sits between the humans and the Gods. They are the direct ancestors of the Gods, and are often described as both stunning and beautiful.

While most are breathtaking, they can both horrific and hideous – the Irish banshee ( bean sídhe ) being the most notorious example.

Personally, I am of the belief that the sidhe are like all energies of the universe, existing in duality and that the right balance is the key to happy interactions and serendipitous experiences.

{Good intention, proper balance, a dash of laughter and a good offering of milk and honey goes a long when working with these sidhe energies.}