Leprechauns

fits · 15-03-2015 6:17pm #1

So. Why are these a thing? A German friend of mine asked me about them last week but I didn't know much. I cant say they featured in my childhood much at all but people majorly associate them with Ireland. Why is that? The faeries were far more important in Irish storytelling and legend I would have thought.

kneemos · 15-03-2015 6:24pm

They trick you or take you away if your young is the traditional thing I've always heard.

Not to be trusted.

gormdubhgorm · 15-03-2015 6:36pm

fits wrote: »

So. Why are these a thing? A German friend of mine asked me about them last week but I didn't know much. I cant say they featured in my childhood much at all but people majorly associate them with Ireland. Why is that? The faeries were far more important in Irish storytelling and legend I would have thought.

All the stereotypes you need for your foreign friends are answered in the film "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darby_O%27Gill_and_the_Little_PeopleI am sure it will be shown yet again on Paddy's Day.

Here is a taster of it's brilliance:

Begorrah....!

fits · 15-03-2015 6:45pm

I mentioned Darby o gill alright but there has to be more to it than that !

qt3.14 · 15-03-2015 6:46pm

Always thought leprechauns were one of the fairy folk. Ours don't have wings after all.

conorh91 · 15-03-2015 6:49pm

Don't most European civilizations have imps/ trolls/ goblins in their mythological heritage?

Same in Ireland, we just call them leprechauns and tweak their dress, mode of speech, and traits to reflect our own circumstances and our own interests.

fits · 15-03-2015 6:52pm

conorh91 wrote: »

Same in Ireland, we just call them leprechauns and tweak their dress, mode of speech, and traits to reflect our own circumstances and our own interests.

Do we though? Do they actually feature in Irish culture at all pre Darby o gill?

I would have thought they are more like gnomes than anything else.

punisher5112 · 15-03-2015 6:52pm

Kiss me I'm Irish.

Stroke me clover ;-)

conorh91 · 15-03-2015 6:58pm

fits wrote: »

Do we though? Do they actually feature in Irish culture at all pre Darby o gill?

Ah yeah. They are part of our mythology. Although perceptions of the centrality of leprechauns to Irish mythology probably have have been jacked up by Hollywood and the advent of television.

Paramite Pie · 15-03-2015 8:15pm

fits wrote: »

So. Why are these a thing? A German friend of mine asked me about them last week but I didn't know much. I cant say they featured in my childhood much at all but people majorly associate them with Ireland. Why is that? The faeries were far more important in Irish storytelling and legend I would have thought.

Perhaps because leprechauns are exclusively part of Irish folklore and do not appear in other countries stories? There is no other leprechaun countries!!!

When I was a kid in the 90s we had books about leprechauns, can't remember the name of the books but they were funny! In general, they were associated with repairing shoes more than anything else, but also causing mischief/pranks. Not to mention the pot of gold.

Traditionally they wore red waistcoasts (in the 1800s & older), not green which is a modern (& political addition). The modern appearance of leprechauns has little to do with the folklore itself, and seems to borrow stereo-types-of-the-day from Punch magazine.

fits · 15-03-2015 8:20pm

Paramite Pie wrote: »

Perhaps because leprechauns are exclusively part of Irish folklore and do not appear in other countries stories? There is no other leprechaun countries!!!

what about the typical garden gnome then? they look exactly the same.

When I was a kid in the 90s we had books about leprechauns, can't remember the name of the books but they were funny! In general, they were associated with repairing shoes more than anything else, but also causing mischief/pranks. Not to mention the pot of gold.

Traditionally they wore red waistcoasts (in the 1800s & older), not green which is a modern (& political addition). The modern appearance of leprechauns has little to do with the folklore itself, and seems to borrow stereo-types-of-the-day from Punch magazine.

Yeah the shoe making and the red waistcoats ring a bell for me too! We probably had the same childrens book.

the_syco · 15-03-2015 8:40pm

kneemos wrote: »

They trick you or take you away if your young is the traditional thing I've always heard.

Not to be trusted.

So... they're catholic priests? :pac:

=-=

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

quite a beau in his dress, notwithstanding, for he wears a red square-cut coat, richly laced with gold, and inexpressible of the same, cocked hat, shoes and buckles

fits · 15-03-2015 8:49pm

From that wiki link.

Leprechaun-like creatures rarely appear in Irish mythology and only became prominent in later folklore.

Modern depictions of leprechauns are largely based on derogatory 19th century caricatures and stereotypes of the Irish.[2]

oppenheimer1 · 15-03-2015 8:49pm

To be honest I have always been fonder on the Clurichaun.

The_Valeyard · 15-03-2015 9:02pm

I remember some childhood story of a leprechaun and you could not move him if you tried to. He becomes heavier than a rock or something.

fits · 15-03-2015 9:08pm

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

To be honest I have always been fonder on the Clurichaun.

Clurichaun?

The Th!ng · 15-03-2015 9:09pm

There's one living in the Phoenix park at the moment, recently a trainee naturalist wrongly identified it as a midget parasite.

fits · 15-03-2015 9:11pm

The Th!ng wrote: »

There's one living in the Phoenix park at the moment, recently a trainee naturalist wrongly identified it as a midget parasite.

Ha hilarious you are.

Rosy Posy · 15-03-2015 9:16pm

There's a book called 'Summer with the Leprechauns' which is apparently a 'true' story of an American woman who met a leprechaun and told her how to save the world. It's some serious hippie crap but a scary number of people believe it! http://www.tanishelliwell.com/the-leprechauns-page/

oppenheimer1 · 16-03-2015 10:41am

fits wrote: »

Clurichaun?

The Leprechaun's alcoholic cousin who enjoys riding sheep and dogs at night. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clurichaun.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clurichaun

conorhal · 16-03-2015 10:51am

conorh91 wrote: »

Don't most European civilizations have imps/ trolls/ goblins in their mythological heritage?

Same in Ireland, we just call them leprechauns and tweak their dress, mode of speech, and traits to reflect our own circumstances and our own interests.

Doesn't it put a nostalgic tear in your eye to remember the days when trolls, imps and goblins lived under bridges rather then all over the bloody internet.....

topper75 · 16-03-2015 11:18am

Paramite Pie wrote: »

Traditionally they wore red waistcoasts (in the 1800s & older), not green which is a modern (& political addition).

Given that it is a mythical creature, could I decide that they have blue coats with pink spots, and be perfectly within my rights to do so?

They were killed off, along with all other piseogary, by the Electricity Supply Board.

kopfan77 · 16-03-2015 11:23am

Was on a business trip to Boston a few years back and a pick up had been arranged from the airport by the company with a local provider. Anyhow, a lovely lady picked me up from the airport, asking loads of questions about Ireland etc. She then went quiet for a while and after a while asked me if she could ask an unusual question. I said fire away and then nearly choked when she asked me "what the story is with leprechauns?"!!
I said what do you mean to which she asked, well whats with them....are they like, people who are mentally ill, or just really short people or how do they become leprechauns!
To say I was gobsmacked would be such an understatement....she genuinely thought leprechauns were real and I had to explain that they are just a folk tale!! She looked gutted!

Pumpkinseeds · 16-03-2015 12:36pm

Leprechauns are just an Irish gimmick. Every country has their own cultural variation of faeries but Ireland is the only one with leprechauns. Begosh and begorrah crap that appeals to tourists who will buy any old tat.:D

endacl · 16-03-2015 12:38pm

I'm a leprechaun. Fire away there with any questions. I'm not busy till tomorrow.

Menas · 16-03-2015 12:46pm

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Leprechauns are just an Irish gimmick. Every country has their own cultural variation of faeries but Ireland is the only one with leprechauns. Begosh and begorrah crap that appeals to tourists who will buy any old tat.:D

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are not planning to spend tomorrow settling down to watch Darby O Gill and the little people whilst drinking warm porter from a bottle and eating bacon and cabbage?

delw · 16-03-2015 2:08pm

There was an item on Ireland AM this morning with this fella

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thelastleprechaunsofireland.com%2Fpage_3106212.html&ei=HdUGVZenMcrW7Aazn4DwCg&usg=AFQjCNEAHBRk6cAtrPvLftVOpUK0RRaa-A&sig2=VNxmZV6-zoR-sU5Mm5TV1w

Gavster1982 · 16-03-2015 2:09pm

Anyone ever seen any of the Leprechaun horror films...classics

Vex Willems · 16-03-2015 2:14pm

Gavster1982 wrote: »

Anyone ever seen any of the Leprechaun horror films...classics

I'm really struggling to find a reason why I have not watched these yet.

Pumpkinseeds · 16-03-2015 4:02pm

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I am going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are not planning to spend tomorrow settling down to watch Darby O Gill and the little people whilst drinking warm porter from a bottle and eating bacon and cabbage?

You're right on all counts, although I might have a couple of Jameson nightcaps.:D

WoollyRedHat · 16-03-2015 4:22pm

Rosy Posy wrote: »

There's a book called 'Summer with the Leprechauns' which is apparently a 'true' story of an American woman who met a leprechaun and told her how to save the world. It's some serious hippie crap but a scary number of people believe it! http://www.tanishelliwell.com/the-leprechauns-page/

Eh yeah, that's like a true story. It's people like you that have the world like it is, trying to keep the little man down, kept in the dark!

whisky_galore · 16-03-2015 4:22pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

All the stereotypes you need for your foreign friends are answered in the film "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darby_O%27Gill_and_the_Little_PeopleI am sure it will be shown yet again on Paddy's Day.

Here is a taster of it's brilliance:

Begorrah....!

Walt and Co did some research on Irish legends and Darby O'Gill was the result, for something more authentic you might check out the folktale collections of Thomas Crofton Croker, who travelled the country interviewing storytellers at that time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Crofton_Croker

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 16-03-2015 4:32pm

Traditionally all leprechauns are male. Go figure that one out!

And The Sliabh Foy Loop near Carlingford is home to 236 of them, and they are protected under European law.

fits · 16-03-2015 8:30pm

Yara Careful Values wrote: »

And The Sliabh Foy Loop near Carlingford is home to 236 of them, and they are protected under European law.

Huh?

This thread is not as enlightening as id hoped. Basically there's nothing to 'em!

WoollyRedHat · 16-03-2015 8:56pm

There's a Leprechaun museum in Dublin, I'm sure they'd know.

endacl · 16-03-2015 10:00pm

Gavster1982 wrote: »

Anyone ever seen any of the Leprechaun horror films...classics

Horror films?!? Those are documentaries!

thebostoncrab · 16-03-2015 11:57pm

WoollyRedHat wrote: »

There's a Leprechaun museum in Dublin, I'm sure they'd know.

And this is where I jump in!

Correction on the male thing, the very first stories did feature female leprechauns, in fact they were ruled by a queen called Bebo.

The first mention of the character comes from an 8 century text where they play a vital role in the downfall of The King of Ulster, Fergus. They really are a bit character, and they had been for a long long time, but a bit character that appeared in quite a lot of stories.

The character was very different before Disney made Darby O Gill, but it's a double edges sword because you can thank that film for the massive interest in the character, and as a result interest in Irish folklore in general.

philstar · 17-03-2015 12:12am

you'd have to admire the special effects of darby o'gill considering it was made in the 50s

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 17-03-2015 8:03pm

thebostoncrab wrote: »

And this is where I jump in!

Correction on the male thing, the very first stories did feature female leprechauns, in fact they were ruled by a queen called Bebo.

The first mention of the character comes from an 8 century text where they play a vital role in the downfall of The King of Ulster, Fergus. They really are a bit character, and they had been for a long long time, but a bit character that appeared in quite a lot of stories.

The character was very different before Disney made Darby O Gill, but it's a double edges sword because you can thank that film for the massive interest in the character, and as a result interest in Irish folklore in general.

Just to be pedantic. Bebo was a fairy queen and of the land of Lepra but was not a leprechaun. Leprechauns are halfling offspring of a degenerate fairy.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 17-03-2015 8:53pm

Dirty creatures. I'd strangle one with a car towrope and then throw his carcass into the foundations of an 'in build' residential housing complex.

BeerWolf · 18-03-2015 3:15pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYgFV_dfQWc

gormdubhgorm · 23-03-2015 11:41pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprechaun

Leprechauns

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