Leprechauns

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.