History of Leprechauns
The
original leprechaun has very little resemblance to our modern
image of the small folk. The word leprechaun means "small-bodied
fellow", however it could also be connected to "leath
bhrógan" which means "shoe maker". Either
is possible, as leprechauns were often seen as shoe makers in
their tales. Leprechauns appear in many folk tales, by different
names, usually changing regionally.
The
belief in leprechauns is traced back to Celtic pagan belief
in fairies. They were depicted as loners, who liked to cause
mischief. In some stories, they were the shoe makers of the
other fairies.
Leprechauns
are usually shown as having a hidden treasure of gold. Many
of the stories deal with how to catch one and have him give
you the gold. Some said that they can be found by tracking the
sound of their shoe makers' hammers while others said the pot
of gold can be found at the end of the rainbow. In one legend,
a young man caught the leprechaun, and the leprechaun told him
that the gold was buried under a plant in the field. The young
man tied a red ribbon around the plant and made the leprechaun
promise not to remove the ribbon when he left to get a shovel.
The leprechaun kept his promise, however, he had tied a red
ribbon on all the plants in the field.
The
visual image of the leprechaun has changed over the years as
well. Earlier descriptions have them wearing red clothes and
a shoemakers apron. Most of the time, they are older and wearing
glasses. It wasn't until more recently that their clothing became
green because they were associated with Ireland. The Disney
movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" changed
the image of the leprechaun a great deal. "This cheerful,
friendly leprechaun is a purely American invention, but has
quickly evolved into an easily recognizable symbol of both St.
Patrick's Day and Ireland in general." (The History Channel,
"The History of St. Patrick's Day." History.com. 2007.
History Channel. 17 Dec 2007)
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