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With Saint Patrick’s Day coming up, what better way to celebrate than to talk about Leprechauns? These festive mythical creatures date back to the eighth century and were regarded as agile male fairies. They are described by the World History Encyclopedia as “figures in Irish folklore who guard hidden treasure”.
Leprechauns are often imagined in front of a rainbow, guarding a pot of gold with a big grin on their faces. However, according to Irish legends, this idea we have of leprechauns is nowhere near correct. Irish myths say leprechauns are not necessarily the nicest creatures. They are known for living solitary lives and causing trouble. One of the oldest and most popular myths about leprechauns is that if you encounter one, they will either attack you on the spot or make your life miserable. People say they do this by stealing food, throwing furniture, and even kidnapping babies. Some people in Ireland believe that if their dog disappears and it shows back up covered in mud, they are most likely taken on an adventure by a leprechaun. This doesn’t just apply to dogs but also to goats and sheep.
Leprechauns seem to be creatures to stay away from, however, the risk of being attacked by one is as great as the reward. Irish legend has it that if you catch a leprechaun, you can luck out with a pot of gold or make three wishes. If you ever want to test your luck and try catching a leprechaun, legends say that to catch one, you must listen for the sound of them making shoes. This is because some people believe that leprechauns are shoemakers, however, no two people would say the same about how leprechauns came to be. There are a variety of myths about how these creatures came about.
One of the oldest myths is that leprechauns were water spirits known as ‘luchorpán’, meaning “small body”. They were regarded as so back in the eighth century. Others say the leprechaun is an old bachelor elf who fended off his mother’s attempts to marry him to a pretty young girl and was exiled after doing so. This legend would explain why the leprechaun is known as a solitary creature. It’s been said that the reason they carry a pot of gold dates back to wartime. According to legends, Danes would bury pots of gold throughout Ireland and trust leprechauns for safekeeping. Throughout time, these theories of leprechauns have become more generalized and the truth is less known.
Leprechauns have also become a sort of tourist attraction, featured in the beloved Lucky Charms cereal, the Notre Dame mascot, and multiple leprechaun horror films. Growing up around Venezuelan and Latin American culture, I got the more intimidating narrative of leprechauns. My family would go to the springs over the summer and sometimes I would be warned not to go in the water alone because a leprechaun would be waiting for me. Though the scared parents of a stubborn child might not be the most reliable source of information, this stuck with me for years.
My cousins would feed this fear of mine by putting on a home movie about the legend of leprechauns. The movie tells the tale of a couple that went to the lagoon one summer and got cursed by the town witch so whenever the couple would go in the lagoon, green and wrinkly hands appear from the surface of the water and would start attacking them. Years later, I go back on YouTube to find the same movie titled “Archives from Beyond: Leprechaun of the Lagoon.” After watching the forty minutes of over-dramatic acting and nonsense screaming, I realized how silly this fear was. While this is an exaggerated version of the tale, to this day, my 22-year-old cousin says she swears she saw a leprechaun one summer at the lagoon. No matter what myth you choose to believe, if any, next time you go to a lake or a lagoon, never let your guard down.