by Ethel Smith

Created on: August 29, 2010

Leprechaun is a funny word and yet somehow it is perfectly suited to the small, magical men it is associated with. It is cheeky, funny, unusual and typically Irish. As a child in England, in the fifties, I was brought up believing that leprechauns were similar to our English fairies. By this I mean that a Leprechaun was magical, pretend, not real and very small. In fact tiny.

One of the main differences, however, was that leprechauns were always male. This was not the only difference though. Another was that they were not tiny in stature in the same way that fairies were, but would actually come up to the knee, of an average sized person in height. This means that in general lleprechauns were said to be a couple of feet tall.

Legend has it that leprechauns can grant wishes and that they guard the pot, or crock, of gold at the end of the rainbow. Is there any wonder that is fantasy has been perpetuated down the years, especially to children?. Leprechauns are also reputed to be mischievous and they flit about and disappear at will. A leprechaun may then reappear somewhere else entirely. If you are lucky enough to spot a leprechaun it is supposed to mean that you are in for some good luck. All of this is what children in the UK tended to hear when asking an adult just what a leprechaun is..

There is, however, more to the history of thehumble leprechaun.

Leprechauns are not really part of childhood fantasy. The word Leprechaun is derived from either the Irish word for shoe-maker or pygmy. It would appear these aged, often drunk, mischievous, very short men have become the guardians of hidden crocks of gold. This is supposed to be the gold or treasure left by previous invaders of Ireland. Leprechauns are reputed to have become the self-appointed guardians of these treasures. It is claimed that they have hidden the riches and guard them faithfully.

As with most mythology or legends the story has a lovely romantic appeal but this time with a comic twist. These little men have a lovely, traditional Irish, lilting accent and are usually dressed in an emerald green jacket, breeches and hat, with cute socks and brogues which have a shiny buckle. Due to their naughty behaviour leprechauns are quite humorous.

Like most people I have such a picture in my mind of these creatures that I could almost believe they exist. In fact I think I just saw one over there! Lucky me.

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