The Truth About Leprechauns E-Book

Robert, Dr. Curran

• Herausgeber: The O'Brien Press
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

From the origins of this hero of Irish lore to his habits, occupations and characteristics. This book offers enlightenment on little-known aspects of the wider fairy world, as well as turning the spotlight on the real leprechaun. Every country has its own myths about fairies and 'wee folk', but the Irish leprechaun is the undisputed king. To some, he is an impish figure full of harmless mischief, forever guarding his elusive crock of gold. To others, he is an evil gnome bent on disrupting the lives of mortals with his black magic and malevolent acts. Historian and folklorist Bob Curran looks at the origins of this hero of Irish lore – fallen angel, diminished god or son of fairies – and at his habits, occupations and characteristics. He explores the superstitions surrounding the leprechaun and his enduring place in popular culture, and turns the spotlight on the 'real' leprechaun – mysterious, complex and contradictory.

Leseprobe

Dedication

For Mary, my extremely patient wife, and for Michael and Jennifer, my own two leprechauns

Contents

Title PageDedicationIntroduction: The Leprechaun in the Wider Fairy World1. Origins and General Appearance2. Habitat and Habits3. Questions of Gender, Birth and Age4. Leprechaun Professions5. Leprechaun Society6. Leprechauns and Religion7. The Leprechaun’s Cousins: Cluricauns and Sheela-na-GigsConclusionBibliographyOther BooksAbout the AuthorCopyright

Introduction

The Leprechaun in the Wider Fairy World

Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We daren’t go a-hunting,

For fear of little men.

— William Allingham, ‘The Fairies’

Almost every culture has its supernatural beings – from the German kobolds (a bad-tempered, diminutive race who live far underground and are extremely hostile to mankind) to the Cherokee nunnehi (tiny, mischievous creatures who live in ancient mounds; they play tricks, but they also look after lost children and guide them home) and the English fairies (tiny sprites who dwell in trees and rivers and who maintain an ambivalent attitude to the human race). Yet perhaps no other people have differentiated between the various forms of supernatural entities as clearly as the Irish. Our folklore and traditions portray a whole range of mysterious and sometimes exotic beings that have interacted with humankind across the centuries.

Strictly speaking, the fairy-creatures of Irish folklore belong to the Otherworld – an ill-defined realm that exists just beyond mortal sight. They coexist with humankind throughout the rural countryside, but generally remain invisible to human eyes. Collectively, they are referred to as the Sídhe (meaning ‘dwellers of the mounds’ – the word or originally meant ‘a mound’) or Tuatha de Danann (the followers of the goddess Danu – from an ancient legend in the twelfth-century ); but, across the years, they became known in country folk-tales simply as ‘the little people’. This implied a diminutive size and brought the Sídhe into line with other legends to be found in many other cultures across the world.