Page 80 - EM 1 Oct Nov 2019_june_july_2009_Neat

80 Leprechauns: The Irish Trickster Fairy

The legend of the headless While leprechauns are mythical beings, a rare character of the modern leprechaun: "Since that
type of insulin resistance, sometimes called time leprechauns seem to be entirely male and
horseman originates with leprechaunism, is very real. solitary," they note.
It seems that all leprechauns are not only
Celtic beliefs about a
Leprechaun lore shoemakers but also old male loners, which
harbinger of death who makes sense from a cultural standpoint, since
Leprechauns are often described as wizened, that type of fairy is so closely associated with
came to speak one’s name bearded old men dressed in green (early versions shoemaking, a traditionally male vocation.
were clad in red) and wearing buckled shoes, Though there is something curious about all
often with a leather apron. Sometimes they wear leprechauns being cobblers (what if they want to
Continued from Page 79
a pointed cap or hat and may be smoking a pipe. be writers, farmers, or doctors?), this
In their book "The Element designation also fits in well with the traditional
Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures," John and folkloric division of labor among fairies.
If not willingly and by sacrifice, then against it,
Caitlin Matthews trace leprechaun legends back
and with wrath and fury. Thus, the legend of the to eighth-century legends of water spirits called Leprechauns in popular culture
Dullahan, or far dorocha (the dark man) was
"luchorpán," meaning small body. These sprites
born.
eventually merged with a mischievous As with many old legends and traditions, the
In Irish folklore, this creature is a type of
household fairy said to haunt cellars and drink image and nature of the leprechaun has changed
unseelie (dark) faerie and by description, goals,
heavily. over time and has been updated (and in some
work ethic and ambition, he seems to be the
Other researchers say that the word cases sanitized) for a modern audience. Lucky
Celtic equivalent of the Grim Reaper or death
leprechaun may be derived from the Irish leath the Leprechaun, mascot of the General Mills
personified. Only instead of a scythe, he carries bhrogan, meaning shoemaker. Indeed, though breakfast cereal Lucky Charms, is probably the
a whip made out of a human spine in one of his
leprechauns are often associated with riches and best-known fairy of his type. The 1959 Disney
hands and his rotting head with a huge jack-o’-
gold, in folklore their main vocation is anything movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" also
lantern grimace in the other. For some, he is the
but glamorous: they are humble cobblers, or influenced how many people think of the wee
headless rider on a headless black horse, and to
shoemakers. Shoemaking is apparently a folk.
others, he rides on a carriage made out of bones,
lucrative business in the fairy world, since each On the other end of the spectrum there's
coffins, and tombstones pulled by six fire-
leprechaun is said to have his own pot of gold, the homicidal leprechaun Lubdan in the
breathing headless horses who serve to take
which can often be found at the end of a "Leprechaun" horror/comedy film series (played
death to the poor souls whose time on earth has
rainbow. by "Willow" actor Warwick Davis). For
come to an end. The legend says that if you hear According to Irish legends, people lucky generations, some Irish have been annoyed by
him speak, then he is speaking your name, and
enough to find a leprechaun and capture him (or, leprechauns and the ethnic stereotypes they
unfortunately your time has come to meet him.
in some stories, steal his magical ring, coin or perpetuate, and for most Americans leprechauns
Once a name is spoken by the Dullahan,
amulet) can barter his freedom for his treasure. only appear around St. Patrick's Day.
that person could do nothing to stop it and avoid
Leprechauns are usually said to be able to grant Leprechauns offer a morality tale figure
the inevitable. The creature is said was able to
the person three wishes. But dealing with whose fables warn against the folly of trying to
overcome any obstacle. Locks and doors open
leprechauns can be a tricky proposition. get rich quick, take what's not rightfully yours or
on their own in front of him. Nothing could
interfere with "The Good Folk" and other
stand between him and the soul he was after.
A trickster magical creatures. Belief in leprechauns and
Well, according to the legend, the death
bringer couldn’t do a thing if the soul he was other fairies was once widespread on the
The leprechaun plays several roles in Irish Emerald Isle, and real or not they will continue
after simply tossed gold at his feet. Even a small
folklore; he is principally a roguish trickster to amuse and delight us for centuries more.
amount, a few coins. For some inexplicable
figure who cannot be trusted and will deceive
reason, a gold coin was enough to turn death
away from his path. whenever possible. In her encyclopedia "Spirits, Genetic birth disorder
Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins," folklorist
The legends of headless horsemen have
Carol Rose offers a typical tale of leprechaun Leprechaunism, also known as Donohue
existed for more than 15 centuries and are
perhaps the best example that good stories, trickery "concerning a man who managed to get syndrome, is an extremely rare disorder
especially cautionary ones, never die but adapt a leprechaun to show him the bush in the field characterized by abnormal resistance to insulin.
and serve a specific purpose in specific times where his treasure was located. Having no spade (Some researchers prefer Donohue syndrome
[shovel], the man marked the tree with one of his because “leprechaunism” may be viewed as
and cultures.
red garters, then kindly released the sprite and pejorative by families, according to the Online
So while most of us perhaps instantly
went for a spade. Returning almost instantly he Mendelian Inheritance in Man, “an online
associate the image of a headless horseman with
found that every one of the numerous trees in the catalog of human genes and genetic disorders.”)
Christopher Walken’s ghostly face in Tim
field sported a red garter!" It is a recessive genetic disorder, which
Burton’s 1999 film adaptation of Irving’s
In the magical world, most spirits, fairies occurs when an individual inherits two copies of
legend, it is nice to know that the haunting
specter hunting Jonny Deep as Ichabod Crane in and other creatures have a distinctive sound that an abnormal gene for the same trait, according to
Sleepy Hollow was definitely Celtic in origin. is associated with them. Some entities — such the National Organization for Rare Disorders
He was not a beheaded Hessian trooper looking as the Irish fairy banshee and the Hispanic spirit (NORD).
La Llorona — are said to emit a mournful wail Babies with the disorder are unusually
for vengeance and his head, but an ancient god
signifying their presence. In the case of the small before and after birth, according to the
to whom gold was his only deterrent, and
leprechaun, it's the tap-tap-tapping of his tiny National Institutes of Health. They experience
leprechauns probably his worst enemies
cobbler hammer, driving nails into shoes, that failure to thrive, which means they have low
.
announces they are near. birth weight and do not gain weight at the
In his collection of Irish fairy and folk expected rate. They often lack muscle mass and
Leprechauns: Facts About
tales, W.B. Yeats offered an 18th-century poem may also have very low body fat under the skin.
the Irish Trickster Fairy by William Allingham titled "The Lepracaun; Characteristics of the syndrome also
Or, Fairy Shoemaker" which describes the include abnormally large, low-set and poorly
sound: developed ears; a wide, flat nose with upturned
Leprechauns are a type of fairy, though it's
"Lay your ear close to the hill. Do you nostrils; large, thick lips and a large mouth; and
important to note that the fairies of Irish folklore not catch the tiny clamour, Busy click of an elfin widely spaced, bulging eyes. Affected babies
were not cute Disneyfied pixies; they could be hammer, Voice of the Lepracaun singing shrill may also have an abnormally small head, or
lustful, nasty, capricious creatures whose magic
As he merrily plies his trade?" microcephaly. There may be excessive hair
might delight you one day and kill you the next
The 1825 publication of a book called growth. []
if you displeased them.
"Fairy Legends" seemingly cemented the