Aedh {ay). The son of Eochail Lethderg, Prince of Leinster, who was playing hurling with his young companions when he was carried into a BRUGH, or palace, of Fairyland by two sidh-women who were in love with him, and held captive there for three years.

At the end of this time Aedh escaped and made his way to St Patrick, and begged him to free him from the fairy dominion. Patrick took him in disguise to Leinster to his father’s court, and there restored him to humanity and freed him from the timeless life of the fairies (see time in fairyland).

This account from Silva Gadelica (pp. 204-20) is one of the earliest stories of captives IN FAIRYLAND.

SOURCE:

An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures written by Katharine Mary Briggs – Copyright © 1976 by Katharine Briggs