Fear gorta
In Irish mythology, the fear gorta (Irish: Man of hunger / Man of famine; also known as the fear gortach) is a phantom of hunger resembling an emaciated human.
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Ireland |
|---|
 |
| History |
| People |
| Religion |
| Art |
| Literature |
|
According to Yeats' Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry the fear gorta walks the earth during times of famine, seeking alms from passers-by. In this version, the fear gorta can be a potential source of good luck for generous individuals.[1] Harvey relates a myth that the fear gorta was a harbinger of famine during the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, and that the spirit originally arises from a patch of hungry grass (féar gortach).[2] In the region of Kiltubbrid, the term is also used to refer to a sudden hunger that can seize people traveling in the mountains, that will become fatal if not quickly satiated.[3]
See also
References
- Yeats, W. B. (ed.) Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. 1888.
- Harvey, Steenie. Twilight places: Ireland's enduring fairy lore. World and I, March 1998, v13 n3
- Duncan, Leland L. (1893). "Folk-Lore Gleanings From County Leitrim". Folklore. 4: 183. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
