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Current GP: 327

available as a creator | all art & writing welcome | may be freely used in others’ stories

Tunes for Cóilí
Frailach / Gan Ainm - Colm Mac Con Iomáire
Mairseál na Sióg - Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin
The Malecón Reel - Clare Sands
Bridget Cruise / Tabhair Dom Do Lámh - Steeve Cooney
Sí Bheag Sí Mhór - Toirdhealbhach Ó Cearbhalláin

undomestic | persistent | sensitive | clever

They warn you to never enter the bog without iron in your pockets, or your coat turned inside-out, or without carrying holy water. Don't speak to anyone you meet, and certainly don't take any food or drink they might offer you. And never, ever go in after the sun sets; your father might tell you it's because of the dangerous quagmires hiding in the shadows - he lost a good dog that way one night - but your great-aunt who's been around longer knows much better than that...

Cóilí, however, is quite happy to live in such a mucky, wild place, and without having to wear a jacket inside-out. While it isn't he who's responsible for (most) of these superstitions, he could tell you all about what is (and knows exactly what happened to your father's good dog too).

He is a guardian of this old, haunted bog, which as been harvested for hundreds of years to provide warmth to the people living around it. Over-harvesting (primarily by machine) has led to a decline in native insects, plants, and birds, so Cóilí takes it upon himself to keep an eye on these matters. His bog-cotton seeds spread wherever he goes, and he does his best to influence the people around him to harvest mindfully by deterring them away from threatened areas and making sure that their cut turf dries and cures properly so it isn't wasted or having to be replaced by taking more. Farmers nearby complain that it is impossible to burn the gorse down from his fields (and are puzzled as to why), but see their good luck in harvests as fair compensation. He is also careful to make sure vulnerable species of plant, insect, and animal are out of harms way and have their needs met.

But, not unlike his creator, Púca, he also has a bit of a puckish streak, and finds great fun in relatively harmless divilry such as tearing down stone walls to free flocks of sheep, leaving garden gates open to the wild goats, letting the air out of tractor tires, and spooking hillwalkers every now and then. With other esk he is playful but may come off as uncivilized and unkempt; he is not careful about his appearance and is frequently covered in muck and mud, letting the fluffy seeds which tumble off his bog cotton freely attach themselves to anyone within radius of him, and, particularly when visiting other places, can be quite nosy (or like a bull in a fine-china shop.) He is also prone to pushing boundaries and does not do well when he feels restrained or boxed in - physically or otherwise.

Cóilí’s previous life was as a collie who belonged to a farmer. His days were spent alongside his owner, mainly working hard at herding sheep, but also doing more exciting things riding in the tractor and visiting the village. His character then was not unlike how it is as an esk. Eventually, his old body couldn’t keep up with the demands of being a working dog anymore, and he was retired into pet-dog life, where he was mostly content to laze next to the turf fire and eat all the table scraps his family would give him. Every now and then he missed his work and would roam the fields and bogs, wishing he could run fast and free like he once did - that’s when Púca stepped in.

In general, Cóilí is a carefree fellow who loves his renewed existence and lives it freely while doing his bit to help.

Haunted Bog

Cóilí’s bog lies next to Púca’s ringfort somewhere around Teelin Bay. Despite its slightly bleak and unkempt appearance, it is thriving with small life forms who depend on its wellbeing to survive, such as the curlew, cuckoo, frogs, insects, and a plethora of plants.
Its sodden earth has been harvested by humans for hundreds of years as a fuel. In recent times, mass-harvesting by machinery has damaged these ecosystems in ways that traditional methods did not, as well as the draining of bogs to create more arable, tillable land (primarily now for commercial sitka spruce plantations). These things are causing a negative ripple-effect throughout the ecosystems both within peatland and the areas surrounding it.

Ceannbhán gaelach (bog cotton) is a flowering plant that grows in boglands. It is hardy and tenacious, able to thrive in a variety of environments and temperatures. It can sometimes grow dense enough to appear like patches of snow which often hide the wet, boggy ground beneath it (and thus it is often taken as a sign of ground which may be hazardous to walk through). Cóilí's bog is called "An Portach Bán" (the white bog, or Anglicized as “Portabawn”) by locals due to the prevalence of bog cotton.

"When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees. Maimed, stark, and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious.”

— Edna O’Brien

Impressions

• The air around Cóilí carries a musky, earthy scent. His vibration is reminiscent of the fluttering of moths’ wings - sometimes this is low and subdued, while at other times it is loud, rapid, and unsettling.

• He does not talk and his behavior is most like that of a dog in terms of body language and expressive communication.

• He is the size of a large dog, perhaps 3 feet tall at the shoulder.

• Cóilí is a very unfastidious esk; he is constantly traipsing through bog and mire without a worry in the world as to how he appears or what kind of a mess he makes. Bog cotton tufts follow him and often stick to the mud spattered on him (and those around him).

• He greets other esk with cautious curiosity, often sniffing the air around them, eyeing their nature features and patterns carefully, and giving everything a quick poke of his nose (which may or may not be muddy) to test it.

• He does not react positively to restrictions, whether they be spatial limitations or ‘rules’ imposed by others. He will be quite contrary in these situations and go out of his way to break whatever physical or theoretical barriers are being erected around him. In part because he may feel trapped, and in part because, like Púca, he enjoys testing the boundaries of others.

• Despite the lack of social refinement, he can be sensitive to the feelings and responses of others and is quick to pick up on them. If another esk expresses disapproval or annoyance he may cower or act dramatically submissive to compensate for it. If another is shy, he will adapt himself to put them at ease. Thus he is a tricky mix of stubborn, persistent, and sensitive.

• He is afraid of loud noises - thunder, fireworks, and city-sounds will spook him, and if another esk has a storm elemental or enchantment that makes big noises, they will have a hard time getting near to him. He can be difficult to calm in these situations.

• Cóilí’s transformations are most likely to be done on creatures in need as well as struggling plants, rather than objects or re-transformations.

Relationships & Stories

1231 | Púca - co-conspirator in chief
1551 | Gealach - someone to admire
4236 | Keera - wires crossed in the mist

None yet!

4236 | Keera - red kite feather

Gallery

Click images to view fully. Much of this artwork is not mine but has been gifted or commissioned. Credits and links to these wonderful artists’ profiles are listed - on desktop, hover over the image; on mobile, you will have to hit the white circle in the bottom right corner (I am working on trying to find a different solution to the latter.)