#1825ce

Leprechaun

Leprechauns (also leprecauns or lepracauns) are figures in Irish folklore who guard hidden treasure. Regarded as small and incredibly agile male fairies or goblins, they most often guard a pot of gold. Leprechauns live solitary lives and can be a source of mischief for the unwary. Leprechauns are infamous for being extremely difficult to catch or trap.

Even if a leprechaun is caught, the captor must keep them always within sight or they will not give away the location of their treasure, usually a crock of gold coins. Leprechauns share many characteristics with more ancient creatures from Irish-Celtic and wider European mythology, but since the 19th century CE, they have risen to the dominant position of being the most recognisable symbol of Irish folklore.

Different Names for Leprechauns

The name leprechaun is a modern anglicized word based on different spellings of an older term used in various regions of Ireland. For example, in Ulster the original term was luchramán, in Connacht lúracán, in Leinster luprachán (amongst others), and in Munster lurgadán (again, one of several possibilities). All of these words themselves derived from the medieval Middle Irish lurchopán, meaning 'small body'.

Leprechauns were part of the Irish oral tradition long before written folklore in the form of epic poems were written in the High Middle Ages. One of the many indicators of this is in place names. For example, Knocknalooricaun in County Waterford derives its name from 'hill of the leprechauns' and Poulaluppercadaun in County Kerry means 'pool of the leprechaun'. So, although leprechauns really hit the big time in the 19th century CE, they do go back much further than is often assumed, and certainly, their origins and essential characteristics can be traced back to many similar supernatural figures in ancient Celtic and medieval Irish folklore.