A baobhan sith is a part of
the Scottish mythology. It is often associated with banshee and Ieanan sidhe.
They are vampiric fairies. They are called the White Woman by people who live
on Highlands. This creature trick men with their beautiful faces. They will
dance in front of the men with seductive moves until those men fell into sleep
due to exhaustion. The Vampire fairy will then feed on their blood. It can be
killed with a cold iron like most of the vampires.
The History of the Baobhan Sith
The Baobhan sith has both the characteristic of the fairies and a
vampire. It has the beauty of a fairy usually wearing a green or a white dress.
It has an enchanting ability to lure male travelers or hunters. It is known for
its blood sucking nature which is a trait of the vampiric creature.
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| Bloody Tango by VampireCherry on DeviantArt |
There is a popular Scottish tale about The Baobhan Sith. A group of young
male hunters went out and spent their night outside with a make shift tent.
After some time the group of hunters felt so bored that they started playing
music and dancing. One of them thought that it would be more fun if they have
their distinctive partners in dancing. Immediately after he said that, four female
dancers appeared. Three out of four hunters started to dance with the beautiful
muses. While the other one decided to stand by the music maker.
Not long after they started to dance, the hunter beside the music maker
noticed a drop of blood coming from his friends that are dancing. He was so
scared that he ran immediately for his life. The blood sucking fairies chased
him. He hid himself on the group of horses wearing iron hooves. The baobhan sith kept on circling him but
they were unable to penetrate the horses due to their iron hooves. Once the
dawn came in sight, the vampire fairies was no longer around. He came back for
his friends but he was so horrified to see the bloodless body of his comrades.
Using their Long Nails
Baobhan Sith has showed a
strong difference than the standard vampire of Bram Stroker. According to the
tales, they do not have the fangs that can penetrate the skin of their victims.
They use their long and sharp nails to draw the blood out of their poor
victims. Before they launch their attack, their nails will look normal. It will
then transform into talons that can easily scratch human skin. Based on the
tales, they will first charm their victims while dancing before feasting on
their blood.
Other Tales about the Vampiric Fairies
There is a lesser vampire tale about the Baobhan Sith where they were described as Half-Elven or sometimes
Human. Other tales describe them as witches and enchanters who return as
vampiric fairies after their death. Like Vampires, they are only active during
the night. They will remain hidden in their coffin during the day.
The baobhan sith is also a
popular subject on some literature like the Tempest Rising of Nicole Peeler,
The Magician of Michael Scott, Raymond Feist, Faerie tale, and a novel by
Cornelia Amiri about the dancing vampire.