The Sluagh

The Sluagh (pronounced SLOO - AH) were a last minute entry into my current work-in-progress, Death’s Fair Maiden, but they are indeed a welcome one, as they have the potential now to show up in more stories, and their role can be further developed. Sluagh, in Irish, means “Host.” They are also known as the Underfolk and are a gang of unforgiven dead that appear in this world during Halloween or Samhain (SOW-EEN) as it was known in ancient times. 

Back then, they were what might have been called “Faeries run amok,” who had no loyalty or allegiance to anyone and would terrorize humans without mercy. When Christianity took over Ireland, the Sluagh gained a more specific origin and purpose. To begin with, they were no longer wild fairies. Instead, they were unrepentant dead sinners still roaming the world. They were now, or had been, humans instead of fairies. 

Even death was said to defer to the Sluagh. Up close, they resembled frail, withered humans with sparse bits of black hair on the tops of their heads. Their hands and feet were bony claws, and they had beak-like mouths full of gnarled teeth. They also possessed black leathery wings that folded around them like a cloak when they weren’t in use.  

Don’t worry if you come across the Sluagh in person. It’s not an immediate death sentence. They tend to feed upon the sick and dying, especially if that person has not been given Last Rites. The heartbroken and those ready to give up on life are another of their favorites. The Sluagh appear like a flock of dark birds in the sky, flying in a V-pattern. They swarm their prey like a whirlwind and feast upon its soul. That person would then join the ranks of the Sluagh. Those who still believe keep the doors and windows on the west side of their houses shut in order to make sure the Sluagh cannot get inside.

They were amendable to sacrifices. To be specific, they would spare their intended victim if someone else offered to take their place. So there might be some good-hearted members of the Sluagh, which might be why there are stories of the Sluagh saving some humans’ lives.   While they do appear on Halloween/Samhain, the Sluagh can also be summoned any time. All one has to do is simply utter their name. The second way of summoning the Sluagh is by feeling heartbroken or depressed. Now I know as someone who experiences major depressive periods, it’s not a matter of choice. You’re overcome. You can’t just snap out of it, even if you’re afraid of being swarmed by the Sluagh. I take this as meaning that people who are depressed are especially vulnerable to the Sluagh. Our melancholy is like a hot trail they can follow.

I struggled for a bit on how the Sluagh should appear in Death’s Fair Maiden. The scene takes place at a Halloween carnival, so a couple of supernatural characters can compare how modern Halloween compares to ancient Samhain.  

Anyway, having the Sluagh descend upon the carnival like a giant flock would be difficult to pull off. Namely, how could it be explained away afterwards, without causing a giant ruckus? I did come up with a way to do that, but then the question came how two characters, as powerful as they were, could defeat so many enemies?  

The supernatural scenes in this story have also been pretty low-key, and I thought that having a big display that was NOT part of the story’s conclusion would stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.  

What I decided on was that in 21st century America, there is not a lot of magical energy for creatures like the Sluagh to draw upon, especially out in the suburbs. To that end, instead of a giant flock, I decided to turn the Sluagh into scavengers that roam the ground in small packs, searching for victims to carry away. I’ve written that scene, and I think it works. Like with a lot of the creatures I research for this blog, the more fascinated I become in them, the more -and I begin imagining how to feature them in further stories. Right now, I’m thinking of having some innocent soul (or souls) that are part of the Sluagh. They were either taken by force or sacrificed themselves in order to save another — and there is a family member who is trying to rescue them somehow. We’ll see how it goes!