Leprechauns: The Irish Fairy

We all know what a Leprechaun looks like. A little man, usually having a beard, dressed in bright green. Often he is seen with a pipe and is never too far away from his pot of gold. We can find the Leprechaun's gold if only we could follow the rainbow to its end.

This is the Leprechaun of the popular imagination, a view developed mostly during the 20th century. In the United States the Leprechaun is little more than a cartoonish character, a caricature that instantly brings up thoughts of the Irish.

Leprechaun Mythology

In Irish mythology, the Leprechaun is a class of faerie folk, creatures that have existed in Ireland since before the coming of the Celts. They are all wizened old men (there is no such thing as a female Leprechaun) standing about three feet tall. They are the shoemakers of the faerie realm, and are quite often seen with a shoe in one hand and wearing a leather apron.

Some theories even suggest that the word Leprechaun is derived from the ancient Gaelic term for shoemaker: leath bhrogan. Luchorpán is another possible origin of the term, ancient Gaelic for “pygmy” or “sprite.” Neither etymology has been conclusively proven.

When encountered by humans Leprechauns are often drunk. They drink their own special brew based upon an ancient recipe given to them by the Danes of old. Although they are very often in an intoxicated state, this state never brings them to such a point that they cannot perform their shoemaking.

Leprechaun Treasure

The most famous aspect of Leprechaun mythology is their hidden treasure. This treasure, heldover from the days when the Danes once walked Ireland as if it were their own is kept hidden in the crocks of pots.

Most stories involving leprechauns in Irish lore have to do with humans wanting a Leprechaun to show them where their treasure is. Leprechauns, however, are very clever and mischievous and always trick the humans. When dealing with Leprechauns humans must always be careful and watch out for Leprechaun tricks. Oftentimes the human will ever grab hold of the Leprechaun, because Leprechauns are very fast and can disappear in an instant.