The Sonaide Bri believe that the goddess Rígan Lúan is attended by a retinue of fairies known as the Fairy Cavalcade. For those without the Second Sight, these fairies disguise themselves as flocks of butterflies or songbirds.
They believe that when the souls of people who were not wicked in life die, they spend some time roaming the earth to say goodbye to their loved ones before being collected by Rígan Lúan and the Fairy Cavalcade during the light of the full moon. Should the dark of the moon fall before their souls are collected, there’s a risk that the souls will be accidentally caught up in the the Wild Hunt, and so the Sonaide Bri pray to protect the souls of their loved ones until the next full moon.
A fairy from the Fairy Cavalcade features in the folkloric tale of Ansel Feirmeoir's Escape from the Wild Hunt.
Representations of Rígan Lúan and the Fairy Cavalcade
