| St. Patty's Day is a special day of Irish Heritage in the US and Ireland. Though it is most often associated with the famous St. Patrick that brought Christianity to Ireland, it is also famous for wearing green, leprechauns and four-leaf clovers. The pot of gold signs with rainbows may decorate the office, but where did all the leprechauns come from? Why are they connected to the Irish? |  |
Leprechauns are one of the most famous fairies or fey in Irish myths. The legends tell of Leprechauns being solitary shoemakers. According to Sir Walter Scott's book "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry", they are also confused or combined with two other fairies, The Cluricaun and the Red Man. The Cluricaun tends to drink the ale away in the cellar while the Red Man enjoys doing practical jokes. Sometimes they are considered the happy brothers of the Leprechaun.
The Leprechaun legend continues with tales of becoming rich if one can find the Leprechauns gold from selling his shoe wares. Later in legends, the rainbow became a marker for the hiding spot of the Leprechauns acquired treasure.
Whether you find gold, Leprechauns, or at least a chance to spy a rainbow on St. Patty's Day, wear green in the tradition of showing support for Irish Heritage. It's a way to share your history or even join in the fun that the Irish Culture loves to do, sing, dance, and be merry. May there be luck for you this day!
Tiffany Turner is the author of a new fairy series called The Crystal Keeper Chronicles. Her first book entitled "The Lost Secret of Fairies" is available through Trafford Publishing and Amazon.com. The second book in the series "The Lost Secret of the Green Man" will be released this summer.
References:
- "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry" by Walter Scott. Original published date 1888.
- "Encyclopedia Mythologica: Fairies and Magical Creatures" by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda.
