Editing Sluagh

{{short description|Spirits of the unforgiven dead in Scottish and Irish Gaelic folklore}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
The '''Sluagh''' ({{IPA|ga|ˈsˠl̪ˠuə|lang}}, {{IPA|gd|ˈs̪l̪ˠuəɣ|lang}}; {{langx|sga|slúag}}; English: 'host, army, crowd'), or '''Sluagh na marbh''' ('host of the dead'), were the hosts of the unforgiven dead in [[Celtic mythology|Irish and Scottish folklore]].<ref name="MacKillop">{{harvnb|MacKillop|2004}}, s.v. ''Sluagh''.</ref> In the words of British folklorist [[Lewis Spence]], "In the Western Isles of Scotland the Sluagh, or [[fairy]] host, was regarded as composed of the [[soul]]s of the dead flying through the air, and the feast of the dead at [[Halloween|Hallowe'en]] was likewise the festival of the fairies."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Spence|first=Lewis|title=The Magic Arts in Celtic Britain|publisher=Courier Corporation|year=1999|isbn=978-0-486-40447-9|pages=88|author-link=Lewis Spence|orig-year=1949}}</ref> Usually taking a crescent form, similar to a flight of grey birds, they were said to be able to approach and pick up a person from any direction and then transport them far away through the air, from one island to another. Although they would sometimes rescue humans from dangerous rock clefts, they were generally portrayed as dangerous to mortals.<ref name="MacKillop"/>

==Etymology==
The [[Scottish Gaelic]] name {{lang|gd|Slúagh}} stems from the [[Old Irish]] {{lang|sga|slúag}} (≈ {{lang|sga|slóg}}), meaning 'host, army; crowd, assembly'. Variant forms include {{lang|sga|slógh}} and {{lang|sga|sluag}}.<ref>[[Dictionary of the Irish Language|eDIL]] (2019), s.v. ''slóg'', ''slúag''. [http://www.dil.ie/37981 dil.ie/37981].</ref> It derives from the [[Proto-Celtic]] root *{{lang|mis|slougo-}} (cf. [[Gaulish language|Gaul.]] {{lang|xtg|[[Catuslugi|catu-slougi]]}} 'troops of combat', [[Middle Welsh]] {{lang|wlm|llu}} 'troop', [[Old Breton|Old Bret.]] -{{lang|obt|lu}} 'army'), whose original meaning may have been 'those serving the chief', by comparing with [[Balto-Slavic languages|Balto-Slavic]] words that probably emerged from early linguistic contacts with Celtic speakers in Central-Eastern Europe: e.g. [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] {{lang|lt|slaugà}} ('service, servitude'), or [[Old Church Slavonic]] {{lang|cu|sluga}} ('servant').{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=276}}{{Sfn|Matasović|2009|p=346}}

==In popular culture==
In the ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' [[video game]] series, Sluagh are among the enemies that Raziel encounters in the Spectral Realm. They are scavenging, animalistic creatures that prey on souls and usually prefer to flee from Raziel unless cornered or in a group. Raziel can easily weaken them into a transparent state in which he can devour them to replenish his own health.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-05-31|title=The PlayStation Classics: Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver PSOne Classic|url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2019/05/31/the-playstation-classics-legacy-of-kain-soul-reaver-psone-classic/|access-date=2021-01-06|website=PlayStation LifeStyle}}</ref>

Within the VR motion ride '''Battle for Eire''' at [[Busch Gardens Williamsburg]], the Sluagh are the minions of the evil villain Balor in the ride's story.<ref>{{cite web |title=Concept Art and Development: The Characters of Battle for Eire |url=https://buschgardens.com/williamsburg/blog/about-the-characters-of-battle-for-eire-vr-ride/ |website=Busch Gardens Williamsburg |access-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210811031656/https://buschgardens.com/williamsburg/blog/about-the-characters-of-battle-for-eire-vr-ride/ |archive-date=11 August 2021 |date=27 October 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the roleplay game ''Household'' by Two Little Mice the Slaughs are little peoples that lives in the Basement.<ref>{{cite web |title=Household |url=https://twolittlemice.net/household/ |website=Two Little Mice |date=11 April 2019 |access-date=11 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204222616/https://twolittlemice.net/household/ |archive-date=4 February 2021 |language=Italian |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Fairy]]
* [[Classifications of fairies]]
* [[Restless ghost]]
* [[Wild Hunt]]
* [[Santa Compaña]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|date=2003|publisher=Errance|isbn=978-2877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
* {{Cite book|last=Matasović|first=Ranko|title=Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Celtic|date=2009|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004173361|author-link=Ranko Matasović}}
* {{Cite book|last=MacKillop|first=James|title=A dictionary of Celtic mythology|date=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0198609671|author-link=James MacKillop (author)}}
{{refend}}

{{Fairies}}
{{Halloween}}
[[Category:Aos Sí]]
[[Category:Fairies]]
[[Category:Irish folklore]]
[[Category:Irish legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Irish words and phrases]]
[[Category:Mythological creatures]]
[[Category:Scottish mythology]]
[[Category:Scottish folklore]]
[[Category:Scottish legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Tuatha Dé Danann]]
[[Category:Undead]]
[[Category:Halloween]]
[[Category:Souls]]