Burial Mounds, Ancestors and Fairies
A tumulus, commonly known as a barrow or burial mound, represents a raised structure crafted from earth and stones, serving as a commemorative structure over one or more graves. This term is widely employed, with similar structures known as kurgans in Siberia and Central Asia. These spread throughout Europe for instance, but also throughout the world at large. As you can see here on this map, there are many such sites that have been already found. The burial place of those who died, but also for beloved warriors, and kings. Also being places with connections to the ancestors. The latter being the part which we will focus on.
In Irish folklore, the hills or tumuli are known as Sídhe. The modern Irish term is sí, while in Scottish Gaelic, it's sìth. In Old Irish, it's síde, and the singular form is síd. It's noteworthy that the term Sídhe is sometimes misapplied to both the mounds and the enchanting beings associated with them. David Fitzgerald speculated that the word sídh was synonymous with "immortal," and is compared with words meaning "they wait/remain," "lasting," "perpetual," and "long life."
Aos Sí: Folk Beliefs and Practices
The aos sí, which are linked with the Sídhe, are revered and appeased through offerings in folk belief and practice. These mystical entities are often referred to as "The Good Neighbours," "The Fair Folk," or simply "The Folk." The terms aos sí, aes sídhe, daoine sídhe, and daoine sìth all signify "people of the mounds," directly connecting to the Sídhe. These beings, described as both stunningly beautiful and capable of fierceness, assume the role of guardians over their abodes, which include fairy hills, rings, trees, lochs, or woods.
It is believed that infringing on these spaces will cause the aos sí to retaliate in an effort to remove the people or objects that invaded their homes. Many of these tales contribute to the changeling myth in west European folklore, with the aos sí kidnapping trespassers or replacing their children with changelings as a punishment for transgressing. The aos sí are believed to have a close connection to specific times and events. They are thought to be more accessible during dusk and dawn, aligning with the belief that the Gaelic Otherworld draws nearer to the mortal world at these times. Festivals like Samhain, Bealtaine, and Midsummer are particularly associated with encounters with the aos sí.
Tuatha Dé Danann and King Arthur
In many Gaelic tales, the aos sí are later, literary versions of the Tuatha Dé Danann ("People of the Goddess Danu")—the deities and deified ancestors of Irish mythology. Some sources describe them as the survivors of the Tuatha Dé Danann who retreated into the Otherworld. They are said to have come to Ireland as conquerors, defeating the previous inhabitants of the island and establishing their rule. The Tuatha Dé Danann were associated with the elements of nature, particularly with the sky, earth, and underworld, and they were believed to have control over the elements and the forces of nature.
They dwell in the Otherworld but were said to enter into the human world. They were also associated with the ancient burial mounds, which for then ancient Celts were entrances to Otherworld. The Tuatha Dé Danann have been also linked to the Indo-European Koryos, as both are considered to be groups of supernatural beings who possess powerful magic and wisdom. However, the exact relationship between the two is still a matter of debate among scholars. Some suggest that the Tuatha Dé Danann are a remnant of an ancient Indo-European culture that migrated to Ireland, while others believe that they are a unique creation of Irish mythology, with no direct connection to other Indo-European cultures. In either case, the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Koryos share many similarities in terms of their cultural and religious practices, suggesting a common origin or influence. The Tuath Dé, meaning “tribe of the gods”, eventually however became the fairies. Such fairies, as much as the Tuatha De Danann are connected to burial mounds, and are found throughout much of the world.
Fairies and Hidden Folk
This also is common in for instance Scandinavian mythology regarding elves, and also within Iceland with their own version of elves called álagablettir. These are for the Icelandic people also associated with the hidden people, often referred to as the Huldufólk. Both of these are often connected to fertility but also with burial mounds. Also connected to the term huldra, which similarly means secret or covered. Which is connected to the figure Holda.
In Sweden, the phenomenon is also linked to Odin's Hunt, during which Odin is said to transform into an ancient king or chief. According to belief, Odin would take on the form of a horseman accompanied by his dogs, leading a spectral entourage of otherworldly beings and the souls of the departed. Where there is also an ancient rite where the men of the Proto-Indo-European Koryos warrior troop would embody their ancestors before becoming part of the tribe, which predates these myths about Odin and the Wild Hunt. Going back to the Neolithic.
In various Scandinavian tales, Odin as this horseman would be observed chasing the huldra (or hulder), also called skogsrået (Ruler of the Forest) or skogsfrun (Lady of the Forest) in Sweden, traversing forests and spanning the skies. Similarly, in northern Germany, the pursuit and capture of female demons were recurrent themes. The linked hulder is one of several rå, which means warden of particular places. In the ancient animistic sense it was important for people to cultivate good relationships with these type of spirits, since they had power over the natural forces and animals under their care, and could cause both good and bad luck for humans who interfered with the places and creatures under their watch.
What we can see then also is that the Tuatha Dé Danann are seen as the distant ancestors, as much as they became the fairies, both linked to burial mounds. As much as there is a general connection between fairies, ancestors and the burial mounds. Other figures of importance in Norse mythology that can be mentioned here are the Disir, who are both connected to deities like Freyja. The term “Disir” originates from Old Norse language, where “Dís” (plural “Dísir”) translates roughly as “lady” or “goddess. In some texts, they are depicted as individual goddesses or supernatural entities, while in others, they are presented as ancestral spirits, often tied to the lineage of a particular family or clan.
One of the primary roles of the Disir was to act as protectors and guardians of family lineages. As ancestral spirits, they were intimately tied to the welfare of their descendants. The Disir watched over their families, protecting them from harm, ensuring their prosperity, and guiding them through life’s difficulties. The Disir were also honored during the annual festival known as Disablót. Held at the beginning of winter, this festival involved elaborate sacrifices and feasting. The purpose of Disablót was to seek the Disir’s blessings for the coming year.
Ancestor Worship and Animistic Beliefs
What is then also important to talk about within this context is the idea of ancestor worship that is intimately tied to what we talked about as well. Animistic Ancestor worship is the foundation for many of these beliefs when it comes to the burial mounds, as much when it comes to ancestral spirits or other linked beings. In hunter-gatherer societies, ancestor worship is often based on the belief that the ancestors continue to exist in a spiritual realm and can influence the lives of the living. Ancestors (such as the Norse Disir) are seen as important sources of knowledge, wisdom, and protection, and they are believed to have a special connection with their living descendants. In some societies, ancestors (humans, plants and animals) are also believed to have the power to intervene in the affairs of the living, either for good or for ill. Hunter-gatherer ancestor worship can take many different forms, depending on the specific cultural context.
It may involve offerings of food, drink, holding a communal feast or other items to the ancestors, as well as the performance of rituals or ceremonies designed to honour and communicate with them. Ancestors may also be invoked in times of crisis or need, such as during illness or times of war. In shamanic ancestor worship, the focus is often on communicating with the spirits of ancestors for the purpose of gaining guidance, wisdom, or healing. Shamanic practitioners may use various methods to connect with ancestral spirits, including meditation, trance states, and the use of psychoactive plants. Shamanic practitioners may also create altars or other sacred spaces dedicated to the ancestors, and they may perform rituals or ceremonies to honour and communicate with them. In both hunter-gatherer ancestor worship and shamanic ancestor worship, the focus is on maintaining a connection with the spiritual realm and the wisdom and guidance of the ancestors.
These practices can help individuals to gain a greater understanding of their place in the world and their relationship with their ancestors and the natural environment. In Jungian psychology, ancestors can be seen as symbolic representations of the collective unconscious. The collective unconscious is the universal storehouse of images, symbols, and archetypes that are shared by all human beings. These archetypes can be seen in various forms, including mythological figures, symbols, and cultural practices such as ancestor worship.
Ancestor worship can then also be seen, from a Jungian lens, as a way of connecting with and tapping into the collective unconscious. By honouring and communicating with the spirits of deceased ancestors, individuals can access the wisdom and guidance that is embedded in the collective unconscious. The ancestors can be seen as archetypal figures that embody specific qualities or characteristics that are desirable or needed, such as wisdom, protection, or healing.
In addition, ancestor worship within both the animistic context and a Jungian context be seen as a way of maintaining a connection with the past and with one's cultural roots. Ancestral figures for animistic cultures then also serve as guides or role models, providing a sense of continuity and tradition that can be grounding and stabilizing. In that sense the enduring nature of such practices is then also precisely due to their nature of creating this connection between the past and the present, whilst bringing together the community. Burial mounds then also played an important part in this, as a place where people would connect to their ancestors.
Animistic and Polytheistic Beliefs of Proto-Indo-Europeans
To fully understand this type of practise for the Indo-European cultures we need to place it into it's ancient Proto-Indo-European context. Their spiritual beliefs were animistic and polytheistic. With their religious practices revolving around sacrificial rites involving cattle and horses, likely overseen by a class of priests or shamans. These rituals, involved the slaughter of animals dedicated to the gods. When it comes to such ritualistic practices these contained specific altar spaces, two specific ones, meant for different purposes. In the western direction, a circular altar symbolized the earth and family, while a square altar represented the sky and the gods.
A parallel duality of shapes existed in Greek and Roman traditions, where a round altar hosted the family hearth fire, and rectangular altars were dedicated to offerings for the gods. The discovery of both square and round configurations of burnt stones and bones, likely serving as fire altars, in Scandinavia's Bronze Age and Iron Age suggests a shared practice among cultures widely separated in the Indo-European world. This hints at the likelihood that Proto-Indo-Europeans conducted similar sacrificial rituals in comparable enclosures, possibly atop kurgans. So burial mounds.
These structures, functioning as altars, allowed families or clans to make offerings to both ancestors, the ancestral spirits (like Disir) and the household's minor deities, such as those presiding over the yard, livestock, trees, and groves. Next to a place where the gods could be invoked. The square and circle from a Jungian lens also represent the Self. Each act of sacrifice also served as a symbolic recreation of the world. In the Indo-European mythos, two primal beings emerged: "Man" (*Manu) and "Twin" (*Yema or *Hiemos).
The initial priest, Man, sacrificed the first king, Twin, who then assumed the role of lord of the dead. The pioneer to traverse the path of mortality. Participants in these sacrificial rites affirmed their shared ancestry, as it was believed that the first humans were formed from the dismembered parts of Twin. Each birth was a re-enactment of the primal elements uniting, akin to the recreation of Twin, while each death echoed the original dismemberment. As such for the ancient Proto-Indo-European people burial mounds not only represented a place for the dead, but a gateway to the Otherworld, and with it to the gods. So a connection to the archetypal energies both within us and without.