[3] English lexicographer Edward Dwelly lists gille as a "lad", "youth", or "boy"[4]; with dubh meaning "dark" or "dark-haired".
[5] According to folklorist Katharine Briggs, the Ghillie Dhu was a gentle and kind-hearted mountain spirit,[2] or a "rather unusual nature fairy.
[9] Despite searching extensively throughout the night, the hunters could not find their prey;[15] according to mythology scholar Patricia Monaghan, the Ghillie Dhu was never seen again.
[8] After researching folklore traditions gathered primarily from Gaelic areas of Scotland,[16] an authority on congenital disorders, Susan Schoon Eberly, has speculated the tale of the Ghillie Dhu may have a basis in a human being with a medical condition;[17] other academics, such as Carole G. Silver, Professor of English at Stern College for Women,[18] agree and suggest he was a dwarf.
[10] Eberly maintained several other solitary or individual fairies, including the Brownie and the Manx Fenodyree, could also have a medical, rather than supernatural, explanation.