Phookas: Evil Faeries at Their Worst

What is a Phooka? Would you know one if you saw one? A Phooka is a very dangerous and often violent shape-shifting trickster from Celtic myth, known for their ability to change into great fearsome black animals so that they can scare humans.

Some Phookas take a liking to humans and just play harmless pranks (like Harvey the rabbit of Jimmy Stewart movie fame) other Phookas are bloodthirsty vampire-like creatures that lure humans to their doom.

Normally harmless and peaceful, these violent tempered creatures are highly vengeful and greatly feared by the other races of Faerie and great care is taken, by other Faeries, to avoid getting a Phooka angry.

They refer to themselves Phookas or Phookas. Humans, however have a great many different names for the Phookas depending upon the region in which they live. Phookas can be found in most countries of the world and are also known as:

Black Dog, Black Shuck, Bogart, Bogeyman, Boggard, Boggart, Boggle, Boggle Boo, Bogie, Bogle, Boo, Bogyman, Bucca, Bucca Dhu, Bucca-Boo, Buckie, Bug-a-Boo, Bugabo, BugBear, Demon, Kelpie, Kelpy, Loki, Nursery Bogie, Pooka, Puc, Puck, Puk, Puka, Pukis, Pukje, Puuk, Pwck, Raven, Shuck, Thunderbird

The most common characteristics of a Phooka include:

1.) In human form they have black shaggy hair and wild black or yellow eyes.

2.) Often they manifest themselves are a shaggy black horse or pony and willingly let humans ride them only to dump them into a river or swamp.

3.) As tricksters, they delight in playing pranks and practical jokes. Their jokes can range from mildly annoying to down right deadly.

4.) In their natural state they are humanoid; however these shape shifters rarely show humans their true form. Common forms they take include: horses, ponies, eagles, vultures, rocs, rooks, wolves, panthers, jaguars, goats, bulls, and most any black bird or animal.

5.) Beware of black animals that appear unusually wild looking, shaggy, are not native to the area, or are abnormally larger than they should be. Chances are they are really a Phooka in disguise.

6.) Due to their shape shifting ability that can change their coloring to blend in with their surrounding, thus seeming to render themselves invisible.

7.) Animals and birds tend to be extremely frightened of Phookas. When hens stop laying eggs and cows, stop giving milk it is usually due to a Phooka having entered the barn and frightened them.

8.) Some Phookas, though not all, are able to breath fire or set fire to things at will. Any animals that suddenly breathes fire, is likely to be a Phooka in disguise.

9.) If your town suffers from a series of unexplained fires, it is likely that a Phooka is living in your town and was offended by the people living in the houses which burned.

10.) A Phooka can take the form of any living creature, including humans. If you best friend suddenly begins acting very strangely, it may actually be a Phooka posing as your friend. Phookas often take on a human's form when angered by that particular human. While in a human's form, they often do things in attempt to ruin that human's reputation. This can very from simple joke playing to actual crimes such as robbery and murder.

11.) Phookas are very vengeful creatures. Though often harmless when left alone, they can become extremely dangerous when offended, hurt, or angered. It is best to never get a Phooka mad at you as they can physically turn themselves into your worst nightmare than take up residence under our bed or in your closet and torment you each night.

12.) Phookas should never be allowed to taste flesh or blood. Once they have they can become deadly, hunting down, killing, and eating their victims. Some Phookas may hunt down humans in a very vampire-like manner.

13.) Like most races from the Realm of Fae, Phookas do not express human emotions. They may cry at weddings and laugh at funerals. Their words may be hurtful but they do not realize this. Often what they find to be funny, humans find to be appalling or horrific. Rarely do they form emotional attachments.

14.) One meaning of the word Phooka is: imaginary or invisible friend. This being because it is not uncommon for them to develop a strange loyalty to a single human being, becoming that human's friend and guardian, but only revealing himself to that one human and remain "invisible" to all other humans. They often live in an object owned by said being, such as a trunk or under the bed.

15.) You may find them living in odd places, such as in hollow trees or closets, under beds, or in old trucks in the attic. They tend to dislike sleeping on a bed and well often sleep on the floor beneath the bed instead.