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On Samhain night, the Tuatha Dé Danann—the ancient gods dwelling in the hollow hills—rode out in procession. The Sluagh Sidhe (fairy host) mounted on white horses with silver bells, hunting through the sky.
The Danger:
Mortals who encountered the fairy host faced terrible choice. If you acknowledged them, bowed respectfully, offered tribute—they might pass peacefully. But they might also conscript you, forcing you to join their hunt, riding with them until dawn when you would be released (hopefully) unchanged.
If you ignored them, pretended not to see, they might take offense. The fairy host did not tolerate disrespect. They could curse you, steal your luck, or simply take you—vanishing into the Otherworld, never to return.
The safest option was to avoid them entirely. On Samhain night, wise people stayed inside, away from high places and open roads where the fairy host was known to ride.
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