The Sidhe in the Cairns

Photograph of a cairn by Tinelot Wittermans

One of my professors in college lead a bi-annual 3-week bicycling trip through Ireland. I would have loved to have gone, but the timing was never right when I plotted out my schedule for the required spring term classes. I enjoyed hearing his stories about the travels, though. He told me that once, he talked with a farmer who carefully mowed around the cairns on his land. The farmer said he mowed around the cairns so as not to disturb the Sidhe who lived within. "Do you believe in the Sidhe?" my professor asked.

"No!" the farmer scoffed. Then, he leaned toward my professor and said quietly, "But that doesn't mean they don't exist."