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  The Irish view of spirits of the land is complicated. There is a very blurry line between a spirit that embodies a place and a spirit that inhabits it in which can make it difficult to distinguish between the two. Adding to the complication are spirits of sovereignty, which are often described as spirits of the land; I think though that sovereignty spirits are not properly land spirits but are are a higher level of being that do not embody the spirit of a place so much as represent the power to rightly rule that place and the spirits - corporeal and non - within it. Land spirits are best understood as the spirit of a specific place, the embodiment of that location's energy or soul, if you will. Unlike some other kinds of spirits, land spirits are strongly tied to a single location or natural object, such as a tree or well, and in folklore are rarely able to leave that place or object. Whereas the other types of daoine sidhe are well known to move their homes and travel, even far abroad. As with the Norse, Irish land spirits may appear in human form or as birds or animals (O Suilleabhain, 1967).
   The role of land spirits in Irish is difficult to study because, unlike the Norse, they are not often viewed as a separate category of being, although there is a tradition of malefic spirits-of-place. These dangerous spirits are viewed as being bound to a location and have names like Sprid na Bearnan (spirit of the gap), Sprid na Charraig an Eidhin (spirit of Carriganine), and Sprid an Tobac (spirit of the tobacco), each with their own story (O Suilleabhain, 1967). Because these spirits are largely malevolent it was believed they must be protected against using things like iron (a chain or black handled knife specifically), holy water, or a rooster crowing (O Suilleabhain, 1967). It is possible though that these represent a later Christian attitude towards these spirits, rather than an older pagan one, as priests were often called to banish the spirits of these places.
   In the Irish view land spirits are associated with a specific feature of the land. This is often a large boulder, although it can also be a tree or stream. Land spirits are able to take different forms, including human and animal and may appear as gaurdians of certain areas or places. A Welsh example of guardian land spirits might be the red dragon of Wales described in the Historia Brittonum. 
  In my own experience there is a distinctly different feel between spirits of place and other spirits. Spirits of place have a more immediate, primal feel to them and often a simpler approach to relating to things outside themselves. They may communicate directly with people who are able to hear or see them, often taking the form of a person or animal for this purpose, something that is supported in folklore. They may also appear in dreams or visions to people in order to communicate with them (Gundarsson, 2007).
     Although daoine sidhe can travel - and do - and may be found in unexpected places, land spirits are sedentary. The spirit of a tree, or boulder, or well, has physical limitations within this world, in my experience, because it is anchored or rooted by the physical item it belongs to. Similarly while the Other Crowd can influence people directly - stealing things, harming, blessing, or gifting - land spirits are more subtle. They influence us through our emotional states and through the wider flourishing or failure of a place. In my experience, while land spirits will accept, and even want, tangible offerings many of them seem to feed on energy from living things: happiness, creativity, love, and in some cases fear or other dark emotions. In response they nurture the energy they need.
  I believe that not all land spirits want to be acknowledged or honored. Some just want to be left alone, and some have some very old anger towards people that will not easily be overcome. Land spirits, in my experience, view humans much the way many of us view squirrels or birds, that is as a generic group of animals; there isn't an immediate understanding by a land wight that you are a unique individual separate from the other general humans who may have previously done it harm. To establish a relationship with an angry land spirit is a tricky business, and involves some risk and a great deal of effort.
  It is worthwhile to consider connecting to and honoring the spirits of the land you live on. Not only is this an important aspect of animism, in my opinion, but it is also essential to living what I would call a good life. Being in proper relationship to the spirits of the land you live on, the foundational spirits that influence the atmosphere of the space we occupy, may take time but results in a strong bond with that place and a powerful reciprocal relationship with those spirits.

 References and further reading:
 Gundarsson, K., (2007) Elves, Wights, and Trolls

O Suilleabhain, S., (1967). Nosanna agus Piseoga na nGael

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