What is a dullahan?
The dullahan is a fairy of Irish folklore in the form of a headless horseman. Carrying his own head under his arm, he is said to ride along night roads on a black horse or in the “Coiste Bodhar,” a coach drawn by headless horses. The head he carries grins and can see far into the darkness, it is said.
Folklore and features
The dullahan is a fairy that foretells death: someone in the house where he stops his horse will soon die, or anyone whose name he calls will die. He is said to carry a whip made from a human spine and to throw a basin full of blood at anyone who opens a door to peek. On the other hand, he is said to hate gold, and there is a saying that wearing something gold will protect you.
Stories of headless horsemen
Stories of headless horsemen exist across Europe, and the headless horseman in the American writer Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is also well known. In modern games and anime, he is familiar as an armored headless knight monster. Another fairy that announces death is the banshee.
