Leprechaun legends reveal little truths

The old religion of Ireland didn’t quite survive the intrusion of Christianity a millennium and a half ago, but much of it has been preserved in stories and legends, their gods and spirits following in the footsteps of their predecessors to the annals of mythology.

Most of these can be found in several cycles: the Mythological Cycle, the Ulster Cycle, the Ulaid cycle, the Fenian Cycle and the Historical Cycle.

Listed among these fantastical and magical beings are the All-Father Dagda, the Mother Goddess Danu, the Tuatha Dé Danann (later to become fairies or “The Fair Folk”), the brownies, the changelings, the trolls, the elves, etc.

The list goes on and on, but the most well-known, and perhaps most legendary, is the leprechaun.

This type of male fairy (it’s actually supposed to be spelled “faerie”) is associated, as are all the fairies, with the Tuatha De’ Danann, who according to legend are the fifth race to inhabit Ireland before the Celts came.

But it is difficult to define what this creature is and what he does; the myths and legends are quite convoluted.

Most people think that leprechauns are short, old-looking men bedecked in green (though it used to be red). Their hats also look suspiciously like a Puritan’s.

The second image is that of a huge pot of gold, usually at the end of a rainbow, making this magical being the next best thing to a genie.

However, these things only scratch the surface of what defines a leprechaun.

First and foremost, these creatures are cobblers (shoemakers), making them the craftsmen of the fairies.

This is a surprising career for a being who supposedly guards pots of gold, but apparently back in ancient Ireland, a man who worked in leather was only second in the village to the blacksmith.

They are not merely craftsmen, they are also the richest and thriftiest professionals among their kind, guarding many buried treasure crocks.

This is where the legend about catching a leprechaun and forcing him to show where his treasure comes from.

Despite their natural inclination to greed, legend holds that a leprechaun has to be truthful and honest, so supposedly if one were to be caught by a human, the leprechaun had to tell the truth about where he buried his treasure.

But they were also very crafty. There are many tales in which a farmer catches a leprechaun, only to be tricked later so that this crafty fairy can be both honest, obey the law and still keep his wealth.

This combination of honesty and cleverness made him a great role model for peasants.

The leprechaun wasn’t just a great businessman, he was the first lawyer!

Few, if any, believe in the leprechaun anymore, but that doesn’t stop entrepreneurs from exploiting his image for profit. A cute cartoon version is used to sell the breakfast cereal, Lucky Charms.

An evil leprechaun is used to scare teenagers in a slasher film called “Leprechaun.”

Anne Rice used them in her “Mayfair Witches” trilogy, only in this case they were mutants instead of being magical.

The best example of the usual stereotype-rich, merry and drunk -can be found in Disney’s “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.”

Leprechauns would probably be both offended by the theft of their image and proud of the businessmen who used the stereotype to make millions.

The best evidence of their non-existence, remembering that leprechauns are natural lawyers, is the fact they haven’t sued.

Still, it’s best to play it safe. Tip your hat if you see something green flit behind a bush, and keep an eye out.

There isn’t a student on campus that couldn’t use a nice pot of gold to help pay next semester’s tuition, and with the hundreds, maybe even thousands, of mythologies in our world’s history, one of them is bound to have it right.

MATTHEW BLACKBURN
Culture Writer

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