The Leprechaun in Irish Folklore
70
Many stories from Ireland surround tales of fairies, pixies and the 'little people' as they are known. These stories and myths have been told for thousands of years and derive their origins from celtic times and beyond. The leprechaun is an iconic symbol of Irish mythology and evokes a sense of mischief which is actually part of the present day Irish psyche as all Irish people love a joke or good natured prank. The leprechaun stems from tales of the Tuatha De Danaan who were a mythical race of beings that inhabited celtic Ireland. Fairies and sprites were lesser beings that could inhabit the spiritual and the human world at will and usually kept their distance from the affairs of mortals. Leprechauns ventured into the human world on occasion to play tricks on people so as to amass their personal fortunes in gold. It is known in Ireland that if you can travel to the source of a rainbow where it touches the ground then you will find a pot of leprechaun gold for it is the rainbow that tells the leprechaun where his gold is hidden. If you find the pot and are discovered by a leprechaun then you run the risk of instant death. To escape the sentence of death a person may enter into a bargain with the leprechaun but the bargain usually involves great personal loss such as giving up their first born child or having their daughter married to the leprechaun instead. If you can devise a way to trick the leprechaun out of the bargain just before you hand over your child or daughter then you can keep the vast horde of gold and thereby break the spell. The best way to banish a leprechaun spell is to lead him into a fairy ring on a night with a full moon. You must keep the leprechaun in the circle until sunrise and that will break the spell. Leprechauns love compliments, good food and whiskey so bring the best you can find.
Although the leprechaun is a solitary being it can sometimes be witnessed with a female of its species which means that a great feast is imminent. Usually around this impending event country folk discover that freshly baked cakes and utensils go missing in the household. Whiskey stocks in many a farm house need to be hidden securely for fear of a saturday night drought which would mean disaster for any barn dance or ceili. It is a good idea to leave a small bottle on the window sill on such nights thereby reducing any animosity between you and the leprechaun. Great fortune can be bestowed on those who keep out of the affairs of the little people by giving them a little something now and then. If a leprechaun ever needs the help of a human it is wise to accept but if you succeed, which is rare, your family will enjoy good fortune in all deeds for the rest of their lives.
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