Guleesh is a young man from County Mayo whose dissatisfaction with his ordinary life leads him into an extraordinary adventure. One night, while watching the moon beside his father’s house, he encounters a mysterious procession of supernatural beings known as the sheehogues. Curious about their excitement and strange activities, he follows them into a nearby fairy fort and discovers a world beyond anything he has known.
His journey takes him across the sea to France, where the fairies intend to abduct the daughter of the king. Although Guleesh initially agrees to help them, he soon realises that the young woman is unhappy and does not wish to marry the prince chosen for her. His sympathy leads him to defy the fairies, but their revenge leaves the princess unable to speak. Guleesh must then rely on patience, kindness and a remarkable discovery to help her recover.
The Story of Guleesh
There was once a young man named Guleesh who lived in County Mayo, Ireland. Not far from his father’s house stood an old rath, a grassy mound surrounded by a raised bank. The place was familiar to him, and he often sat on its green slope when he wanted to spend time alone.
Guleesh was not particularly satisfied with his life. He longed to travel beyond the place where he had grown up and experience something different. Although he had not travelled far from home, he often imagined what life might be like in another country.
One night, he stood beside the gable of his father’s house, looking up at the bright white moon. He watched it moving across the sky and thought about how freely it travelled from one place to another.
He wished that he could do the same. He complained that the moon could move wherever it pleased, while he remained tied to the same familiar surroundings. He longed to leave the place altogether and find somewhere else to live.
Hardly had he finished speaking when he heard a strange noise approaching. It sounded like a great crowd of people running, laughing, talking and shouting together. The noise moved through the darkness like a whirlwind and passed directly towards the old rath.
Guleesh was curious. He could not understand why such a lively company would be gathering at that hour, but he decided to follow them.
He entered the rath and discovered that the gathering was no ordinary meeting. It was a company of supernatural beings, the sheehogues, who were celebrating and preparing for a journey.
The little people were making merry, calling to one another and shouting for their horses. Again and again, they cried:
“My horse, and bridle, and saddle!”
Guleesh listened carefully. He liked what he heard and decided to imitate them. He called out the same words, and immediately a beautiful horse appeared before him. It had a golden bridle and a silver saddle.
He climbed onto its back. Only then did he realise that the rath was full of horses and little people preparing to ride away.
One of the supernatural beings noticed him and asked whether he intended to accompany them that night.
Guleesh answered that he did.
The little man invited him to follow, and the entire company set off at extraordinary speed. They travelled faster than ordinary horses could ever run, rushing through the darkness as though the wind itself were carrying them.
They continued until they reached the edge of the sea. Guleesh wondered how they could possibly travel farther, but the fairies had no intention of stopping. They shouted a mysterious command, and their horses rose into the air. In an instant, they crossed the sea and landed on the opposite shore.
The journey continued until the company finally stopped.
One of the little men asked Guleesh whether he knew where they were.
He admitted that he had no idea.
The fairy explained that they had arrived in France. The daughter of the king of France was to be married that night, and the supernatural company intended to carry her away.
They wanted Guleesh to assist them. The fairies explained that they could not carry the princess behind one of themselves on a horse, but Guleesh was human and could safely take her behind him. They therefore needed him to help with the abduction.
Guleesh agreed to accompany them, although he did not yet understand the consequences of their plan.
The little people used their magic to enter the royal palace without being noticed. Inside, an extraordinary celebration was taking place.
The palace was filled with noblemen and distinguished guests dressed in silk, satin, gold and silver. Hundreds of tables carried food and drink, while musicians played beautiful music at opposite ends of the great hall.
Young men and women danced in the middle of the room. Their movements were so graceful and lively that Guleesh could hardly take his eyes away from them.
The celebration was especially important because the old king had only one surviving child, his daughter. She was to marry the son of another king, and the wedding had been arranged after several years of delay.
The king’s daughter was eighteen years old. Her father had first intended her to marry the prince when she was fifteen, but she had asked him to wait because she believed herself too young. He had granted her another year, and then another. Now, however, he refused to postpone the wedding any longer.
As Guleesh looked around the hall, one of the fairies pointed out the princess.
She was exceptionally beautiful. Her hair fell in golden curls, and her clothes were decorated with gold and silver. Her face was graceful, and she wore a shining ring.
Yet Guleesh noticed something that the other guests seemed to overlook.
The princess was crying.
Although the palace was filled with music, dancing and celebration, sadness could be seen in her eyes. Guleesh asked why she was unhappy when everyone around her appeared so joyful.
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The fairy explained that the princess did not want to marry the prince. She had no love for him, and the wedding was taking place against her wishes.
Guleesh felt sorry for her. He understood that the celebration meant something very different to the young woman who was being forced into a marriage she did not desire.
The fairy company, however, had its own intentions. One of the little men made it clear that the princess would not become the wife of the prince if he could prevent it.
Guleesh watched as the prince approached the young woman and asked her for a kiss. She turned away from him. He then took her hand and led her into a dance, but the sadness in her face remained.
Guleesh felt increasingly troubled. He had come with the fairies intending to help them carry the princess away, but now he understood that she was not willing to go with them either. She was simply being moved from one situation she did not want into another.
He wished he could help her, although he could not yet see how.
When the dancing ended, the king and queen approached their daughter. They told her that the time had come for the wedding. The bishops were ready at the altar, and the guests gathered to witness the marriage.
The king took the prince by the hand, while the queen led her daughter towards the altar.
As the princess approached, one of the fairies stretched out his foot. She stumbled and fell. Before she could get up, the little man threw something over her and spoke a few mysterious words.
Immediately, the princess became invisible.
The fairy seized her and lifted her onto the back of Guleesh’s horse. Neither the king nor the queen could see what had happened. The guests were astonished when they realised that the princess had disappeared.
Guleesh was told to place the young woman behind him. He did so, and the company hurried out of the palace before anyone could discover what had happened.
They rode towards the sea at great speed. When they reached the shore, the fairies called out their mysterious command again, and the horses rose into the air.
Guleesh and the princess crossed the sea and landed in Ireland. They continued travelling until they reached the old rath near Guleesh’s father’s house.
There, Guleesh decided that he would no longer help the fairies.
He lifted the princess from the horse and held her safely in his arms. Then he called upon the protection of God and claimed her for himself.
At once, the supernatural horses disappeared. The fine animals that had carried the company across the sea were revealed to be ordinary objects, including plough beams, old brooms, broken sticks and hemlock stalks.
The fairies were furious.
They accused Guleesh of betraying them after they had allowed him to join their company and given him the opportunity to travel with them. They warned him that he would regret what he had done.
One of the little men approached the princess and struck her on the side of the head. He declared that she would never speak again, believing that her silence would make her useless to Guleesh.
The fairies then disappeared into the rath, leaving Guleesh alone with the young woman.
Guleesh was deeply distressed. He had rescued the princess from the fairies, but their punishment had taken away her ability to speak.
He tried to comfort her and asked whether she would rather remain with him than return to the supernatural company. She could not answer. Tears filled her eyes, and her face showed how frightened and unhappy she was.
Guleesh explained that he was not one of the beings who had carried her away. He was an ordinary young man from an honest family, and he had followed the fairies without understanding their intentions.
He promised to help her if he could. If she wished to return to her father, he would try to find a way to take her home.
The princess attempted to speak, but no words came out. She placed a finger on her tongue to show him that she had lost her voice.
Guleesh felt sorry for her. Although he was not an educated or wealthy man, he had a kind heart and could not bear to see her suffering.
He considered taking her to his father’s house but worried that his family would not believe his extraordinary story. He also feared that they might laugh at the young woman or treat her disrespectfully.
Then he remembered the local priest, who had always been friendly towards him.
Guleesh decided to take the princess to the priest’s home, believing that he would provide a safe place for her.
The journey to the priest’s house took place before sunrise. When they arrived, the priest opened the door and was surprised to see Guleesh accompanied by a beautiful young woman.
At first, he thought the young man had come to arrange a marriage. But when he looked more closely at the stranger, he realised that something unusual had happened.
Guleesh explained everything. He told the priest about the fairies, the journey across the sea, the royal celebration and the disappearance of the French king’s daughter.
The priest listened with astonishment. Although the story was difficult to believe, he recognised that Guleesh was serious.
He agreed to shelter the princess.
Since they had no reliable way of contacting the French king or returning his daughter safely, they decided to keep her identity secret. The priest would tell people that she was his brother’s daughter, visiting from another part of the country. He would also explain that she could not speak and would discourage unnecessary visitors.
The princess understood their arrangement and accepted the kindness they offered.
Guleesh returned to his father’s house and told his family that he had spent the night sleeping beside a ditch. He did not reveal what had happened in France.
From that time onwards, he visited the priest’s house regularly. He hoped that the princess would recover her voice, but the days passed without improvement.
Since she could not speak, she communicated through gestures. She moved her fingers, opened and closed her mouth, smiled, laughed and used her eyes to express what she wanted to say.
Gradually, Guleesh learned to understand her signs. The two became close, and the priest was pleased to see their friendship develop.
Guleesh continued to think about how he might return the princess to her father. The problem was that he had never travelled outside his own country before meeting the fairies. He did not know the road to France, and the priest had no better knowledge of the journey.
The priest tried to help by writing letters to the French king. He gave them to merchants and travellers who regularly crossed the sea, hoping that one of the messages would reach the royal palace.
Unfortunately, every letter went astray.
Months passed, and no reply arrived. During this time, Guleesh’s affection for the princess grew stronger. She also became fond of him, and the priest could see that they were happy in each other’s company.
Nevertheless, Guleesh remained troubled by her silence.
He feared that the French king might eventually discover where his daughter was and send someone to take her away. He also worried that the princess would never regain her voice.
After a year had passed, Guleesh remembered the night when he had first encountered the fairies. It had been a November night, and he wondered whether they might return to the rath on the anniversary of their journey.
Perhaps, he thought, he might discover something that could help the princess.
He told the priest about his plan, and the priest gave him his blessing.
On the evening of the anniversary, Guleesh went to the old rath and waited beside the stone where he had stood a year earlier.
The night was calm. The moon rose slowly, and a pale mist covered the damp fields. The stars shone brightly overhead, while the grass became white with frost.
Guleesh waited for hours. At first, there was no sign of the fairies. He began to think that they would not return.
Then he heard a distant sound.
It grew louder as it approached, first resembling waves breaking against a rocky shore, then the roar of a waterfall and finally the noise of a great storm passing through the trees.
A whirlwind rushed into the rath, carrying the sheehogues with it.
Guleesh remained hidden and listened carefully.
The fairies began shouting and preparing their horses, repeating the familiar words that had brought the magical animals into existence.
Guleesh was tempted to call out with them, hoping to obtain another horse, but before he could do so, one of the fairies recognised him.
They began mocking him for keeping the young woman who had not spoken a word to him since the previous year. They laughed at his situation and called him foolish for remaining with someone who could not talk.
Guleesh ignored their insults and continued listening.
Then he heard something important.
One of the fairies mentioned that a particular herb growing beside Guleesh’s own house could restore the princess’s speech. The fairy explained that if Guleesh gathered the plant, boiled it and gave the prepared drink to the young woman, she would recover.
The others agreed that the herb would help her.
The fairies soon departed, leaving Guleesh alone in the rath. He returned home with renewed hope.
At first, he wondered whether the fairy had deliberately misled him. The supernatural beings had already punished him for interfering with their plans, and he could not be certain that their advice was trustworthy.
Nevertheless, he decided to search around his father’s house as soon as daylight came.
He did not sleep that night. When morning arrived, he went outside and examined the grass around the gable of the house.
After searching carefully, he discovered a strange plant growing nearby. It had seven branches, with seven leaves growing from each branch. The leaves contained a thick white substance.
Guleesh had never noticed the plant before. He wondered whether it could really possess the power the fairy had described.
He cut it carefully and carried it inside. He removed the leaves, chopped the stalk and prepared the plant in a small pot with water.
When the mixture began to boil, he poured some of the liquid into a cup.
However, he hesitated before drinking it. He remembered that the fairies might be trying to deceive him. The plant could be poisonous, and he did not want to harm himself or the princess.
He first tasted a few drops. The liquid was not bitter and seemed pleasant. Encouraged by its taste, he drank a little more.
Soon afterwards, he became unusually tired and fell into a deep sleep. He did not wake until nightfall, when he felt extremely hungry and thirsty.
The experience convinced him that the plant possessed some remarkable power, although he still did not know exactly how it would affect the princess.
He waited until morning and prepared another drink.
Then he went to the priest’s house, where the princess and the priest were waiting. They had wondered why he had not visited for two days.
Guleesh explained what had happened at the rath and showed them the prepared liquid. He believed that the herb might restore the princess’s voice.
He assured her that he had tasted it himself and had suffered no harm. Although he could not guarantee the result, he was convinced that it was worth trying.
The princess drank the liquid.
Almost immediately, she became very sleepy and fell back onto her bed. A heavy sleep overcame her, and she did not wake again until the following day.
Guleesh and the priest remained beside her throughout the night. They hoped that the remedy would succeed, but they were also afraid that it might make her condition worse.
At last, the princess opened her eyes.
She looked around the room in confusion, as though she had forgotten where she was. Then she saw Guleesh and the priest watching her anxiously.
The priest gently asked whether she had slept well.
To their amazement, she answered him.
She had regained her voice.
Guleesh was overwhelmed with happiness. He rushed towards her and thanked God for restoring her ability to speak. The princess understood that he had prepared the drink that helped her recover, and she thanked him sincerely for his kindness.
She also expressed her gratitude for the care he had shown her since the night he brought her to Ireland.
The priest was delighted, and they brought food for the young woman. She ate happily and began speaking freely with him.
Guleesh later returned home, but the effects of the herb continued to make him sleep for long periods. When he visited the priest’s house again, he discovered that the princess had also fallen asleep.
They watched beside her until she awoke. Once again, she could speak normally.
The remedy had worked.
From that day onwards, Guleesh visited the priest’s house regularly. His friendship with the princess grew stronger, and she became increasingly fond of him.
The two eventually married.
Their wedding was a happy occasion, and the story tells that they lived without sickness, sorrow or misfortune until the end of their lives.
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Moral Lesson
Guleesh teaches the value of compassion, courage and loyalty. Although he initially follows the fairies without understanding their intentions, he eventually chooses to help someone who is suffering. His kindness leads him to challenge the supernatural beings and search patiently for a way to restore the princess’s voice.
The tale also shows that valuable solutions can sometimes be found in unexpected places. Guleesh discovers the healing herb near his own home, a plant he had overlooked for years. His experience reminds readers to remain observant, thoughtful and hopeful when facing difficult circumstances.
Knowledge Check
1. Where did Guleesh live, and what made him dissatisfied with his life?
He lived in County Mayo, Ireland, and longed to leave his familiar surroundings to experience life elsewhere.
2. What happened when Guleesh followed the mysterious noise into the rath?
He discovered a gathering of supernatural beings known as the sheehogues, who were preparing for a journey.
3. Why did the fairies travel to France?
They intended to abduct the daughter of the French king during her wedding celebration.
4. Why did Guleesh decide to help the princess escape from the fairies?
He realised that she was unhappy and did not want to marry the prince chosen for her.
5. How did Guleesh discover the remedy that restored the princess’s voice?
He overheard the fairies mention a special herb growing beside his father’s house. He gathered it, boiled it and prepared a drink from it.
6. How did the story end?
The princess regained her voice, grew closer to Guleesh and eventually married him. They lived happily together until the end of their lives.
Source
Joseph Jacobs (selected and edited), “Guleesh,” in Celtic Fairy Tales (London: David Nutt, 1892), Chapter II, beginning on page 5.
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