draí

Draí is a term encountered in Irish-language folklore and literary contexts to denote female practitioners of magic or sorcery. It is typically translated in English as “witches” or “sorceresses,” though the precise portrayal of such figures varies by tale. The form draí is not a standard, widely attested noun in modern Irish; instead, traditional roles related to magic are often described with words such as draoi (wizard) or with descriptive phrases, and with draíocht meaning magic.

In legends, draí are depicted as knowledgeable women who wield herbal lore, charms, and rites. Their power is frequently linked to natural sites—hills, springs, forests—and to ancestral or secret-knowing lineages. They may act as healers, guardians of ancient wisdom, or as dangerous agents depending on local narrative tradition. Moral judgments of draí vary, with some stories presenting them as beneficent figures and others casting them as dangerous or personal threats.

In contemporary usage, the motif of the draí appears in Irish-language fiction and in scholarship on folklore and gender. Authors employ the figure to explore themes such as female knowledge, autonomy, and the interface between human communities and the natural world. The draí motif also informs discussions of how magic is gendered within Gaelic storytelling traditions.

See also: Draíocht; Draoi; Cailleach; Irish folklore; Magic in Irish tradition.

References: Irish dictionaries and folklore collections.