Series Nine: Scary Stories II, Episode Three: The Fear Gorta
Hello, my name is Oisín Ó Dubhshláine and welcome to the third episode of our series on Scary Stories Two. I hope you’re not hungry because this week, we’re looking at the Fear Gorta, or the Starving Man.
Who is the Fear Gorta? It’s said that he is an emaciated man. A man suffering hunger so big and cruel, that he is almost just a skeleton. He is also called the Phantom of Hunger. It’s said that he walks the country in times of famine.
If he meets you, there’s a chance he might ask you to give him something small. A bit of money, or food, maybe. If you offer him kindness, he’ll grant you good luck. If you are cruel and disrespectful to him, he’ll curse you. In these cases, he likes sharing his hunger with others, as such, there’s a chance he might curse you that you may never again be satisfied no matter how much you eat, his hunger will stay with you.
Hungry Grass
Supposedly, the Fear Gorta is related to the Féar Gortach, also known as the Hungry Grass. Hungry Grass is a patch of grass that someone crosses and sudden hunger falls upon them. This grass can be found all over the country. Usually, it is long grass with a brighter colour than the other healthy grass around it.
Hunger
The Fear Gorta comes to people if they disrespect an area that has been blessed by the Sí. This disrespect can be shown to the Gentle Folk through eating a meal outside without dropping a single bite of it. It seems that this annoys the Good People. If you meet him for any reason like this, be sure to correct whatever wrong you have committed. Always be sure too, when you’re out walking, that you have some bread crust or grains in your pocket, in the chance that you cross some Hungry Grass. Usually, if you do cross Hungry Grass, even a little bit of food brings relief. Usually.
Pat Owens
There is a story of a man named Pat Owens. Pat was walking home from Mullagh in Cavan, when the Fear Gorta came to him. He put his hand to him and Pat became very, very weak. So weak in fact, that he had to lie down on the ground. Pat had to drag himself home on the ground. He wasn’t right until he ate some food.
Navan
Similar to Pat Owens, another man was cycling home when he met the Fear Gorta. He had to drag himself home on his knees.
Dennis Kelly
Dennis Kelly and his brother went out hunting one day in Kinturk in County Clare. They were looking for hares. Dennis grew weak and hungry as the two of them were hunting. He started to complain of the hunger but his brother didn’t listen to him. Dennis was growing paler each second and with that, his brother told him to go home. Dennis left. He grew weaker and weaker when he reached a wall. The only thing left for him to do was to cross this wall and his home would be in front of him. But he couldn’t do it. He looked at his hand and saw that he had taken the fur from the hare’s thigh. With that, he took a bite of the hare’s exposed thigh. Without that, the hunger would have killed him. After eating the thigh, he was okay.
Conclusion.
This is our story on the Fear Gorta and the Hungry Grass. Join us next time for our next story.
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