Unsolved:Dullahan

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Short description: Type of mythogical creature in Irish mythology


The Dullahan, Durahan or Dullaghan (Irish: dúlachán, /ˈduːləˌhɑːn/), also called Gan Ceann (meaning "without a head" in Irish), is a type of mythological creature in Irish folklore.[1]

Mythology

The story of the Dullahan comes from Ireland. He is depicted as a headless rider, on a black horse, who carries his own head held high in his hand.[2] Usually, the Dullahan is male, but there are some female versions.[citation needed] It is said to be the embodiment of the Celtic God Crom Dubh.[3]

The mouth is usually in a hideous grin that touches both sides of the head. Its eyes are constantly moving about and can see across the countryside even during the darkest nights. The flesh of the head is said to have the colour and consistency of mouldy cheese. The Dullahan is believed to use the spine of a human corpse for a whip, and its wagon is adorned with funeral objects: it has candles in skulls to light the way, the spokes of the wheels are made from thigh bones, and the wagon's covering is made from a worm-chewed pall or dried human skin. The ancient Irish believed that where the Dullahan stops riding, a person is due to die. The Dullahan calls out the person's name, drawing away the soul of his victim, at which point the person immediately drops dead.[4]

There are rumours that golden objects can force the Dullahan to disappear.[5]

In popular culture

  • The animated fantasy film Darby O’Gill and the Little People features a Dullahan who drives the Death Coach. When it arrives, it calls out Darby's name in place of his daughter and he enters the coach, though he is saved by the king of the leprechauns.
  • Dullahan is a common name for headless warriors - predominantly knights - in Japanese video games. The influence from this has resulted in Japanese young adult media commonly portraying "Dullahans" with traits not associated with the original Irish folklore, such as wearing plate armour.[6]
  • The anime and manga series Monster Musume and Interviews with Monster Girls feature Dullahans, Lala and Kyōko Machi respectively, as main characters.[7]
  • A Dullahan appears as a minor antagonist in the drama series Lost Girl.
  • The Overlord light novel and anime series features a Dullahan named Yuri Alpha.
  • In the light novel Konosuba, one of the Demon King's Generals is a Dullahan named Verdia.
  • In the game Touhou Kishinjō ~ Double Dealing Character, the stage 2 boss, Sekibanki, theme is called "Dullahan Under the Willows" even though she is a nukekubi.
  • Maou Sadao, the demon overlord from Hataraku Maou-sama! calls his bicycle "Dullahan".
  • Irish author Derek Landy's work draws from Irish folklore. The novel Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil features a Dullahan who drives the Coach-a-Bowers, which is pulled by four headless horses, and is summoned to collect any human who has heard the call of a banshee.
  • In the anime Durarara!!, one of the main characters, Celty Sturluson is a Dullahan that came to Japan from Ireland in search of her stolen head.


See also

References

  1. ↑ Croker, Thomas Croften (1834). Fairy legends and traditions of the south of Ireland. pp. 209–286. https://archive.org/details/fairylegendstrad00crokrich/page/n6. 
  2. ↑ Haggerty, Briget. "The Dullahan - Ireland’s Headless Horseman", Irish Culture and Customs
  3. ↑ "The Dullahan of Celtic Mythology". https://www.theirishplace.com/heritage/the-dullahan/. 
  4. ↑ "5 Famous Monsters That Are Way Scarier in Other Countries". http://www.cracked.com/quick-fixes/5-famous-monsters-that-are-way-scarier-in-other-countries/. 
  5. ↑ "Hidden Ireland | The Dullahan". http://www.irelandseye.com/paddy3/monstatxti.htm. 
  6. ↑ The Supernatural Revamped: From Timeworn Legends to Twenty-First-Century Chic. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. 2016. ISBN 9781611478655. 
  7. ↑ Petos (2016). Interviews with Monster Girls 1. New York: Kodansha Comics. ISBN 9781632363589. 

External links




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