Leprechauns: The Irish Fairy

We all know what a Leprechaun looks like. A little man, usually having a beard, dressed in bright green. Often he is seen with a pipe and is never too far away from his pot of gold. We can find the Leprechaun's gold if only we could follow the rainbow to its end.

This is the Leprechaun of the popular imagination, a view developed mostly during the 20th century. In the United States the Leprechaun is little more than a cartoonish character, a caricature that instantly brings up thoughts of the Irish.

Leprechaun Mythology

In Irish mythology, the Leprechaun is a class of faerie folk, creatures that have existed in Ireland since before the coming of the Celts. They are all wizened old men (there is no such thing as a female Leprechaun) standing about three feet tall. They are the shoemakers of the faerie realm, and are quite often seen with a shoe in one hand and wearing a leather apron.

Some theories even suggest that the word Leprechaun is derived from the ancient Gaelic term for shoemaker: leath bhrogan. Luchorpán is another possible origin of the term, ancient Gaelic for "pygmy" or "sprite." Neither etymology has been conclusively proven.

When encountered by humans Leprechauns are often drunk. They drink their own special brew based upon an ancient recipe given to them by the Danes of old. Although they are very often in an intoxicated state, this state never brings them to such a point that they cannot perform their shoemaking.

Leprechaun Treasure

The most famous aspect of Leprechaun mythology is their hidden treasure. This treasure, heldover from the days when the Danes once walked Ireland as if it were their own is kept hidden in the crocks of pots.

Most stories involving leprechauns in Irish lore have to do with humans wanting a Leprechaun to show them where their treasure is. Leprechauns, however, are very clever and mischievous and always trick the humans. When dealing with Leprechauns humans must always be careful and watch out for Leprechaun tricks. Oftentimes the human will ever grab hold of the Leprechaun, because Leprechauns are very fast and can disappear in an instant.

Legend also has it that the location of a Leprechaun's treasure is revealed by the end of the rainbow. Leprechauns often run to try to move their gold so that it is no longer at the end of the rainbow and no one will be able to find. This is why rainbows do not always occur in the same places, but rather all over.

Leprechaun Appearance

Although today when we think of the Leprechaun we think of a little man in an emerald green suit, this is not the case in traditional Leprechaun literature. Until the 20th century the Leprechaun was almost universally described as wearing red rather than green.

In stature the Leprechaun stands about three feet tall. Although short the Leprechaun is properly proportioned; it is not a dwarf. Their faces are often wrinkled and they almost always wear a beard.

Today the Leprechaun's appearance is almost universally standard: a short little man wearing a green suit. Despite these changes in the Leprechaun's appearance, this little faerie from Ireland has become a part of American culture, and is one of the most popular representations of the Irish. Perhaps the most famous Leprechaun in American culture is Lucky, the star of Lucky Charms TV commercials. Both the University of Notre Dame and the Boston Celtics use a Leprechaun as their mascots. Leprechauns and Leprechaun imagery often also play a role in St. Patrick's Day Festivities.