Irish Leprechaun Legends

Irish Leprechaun legends come from Irish mythology, which describes a type of male faerie said to inhabit the island of Ireland. There are many leprechaun stories in Irish folklore. History has it, and some Irish legends say, that people inhabited Ireland before the arrival of the Celts. These people were said to be small in stature.

Irish Leprechauns are a type of fairy of Irish folklore were not always cute Disney Fied pixies; they could be lustful, nasty. Their magic might delight you one day and if you displease one, hurt you the next.

Leprechauns are often described as wizened, bearded old men dressed in green (early versions were clad in red) and wearing buckled shoes, often with a leather apron. Sometimes they wear a pointed cap or hat and may be smoking a pipe.

In Irish mythology Leprechauns were associated with "Faerie Forts" or "Faerie Rings" which were often the sites of Celtic or Pre-Celtic earthworks, sometimes called "drumlins". In Irish folklore these "faerie folks" appeared as wizened old men participating in some sort of mischief. i

Irish folklore tells us that because they work so hard and are very thrifty, maybe even misers, Leprechauns are said to be very rich and have accumulated a lot of gold.

Irish Leprechaun Legends

How Irish Leprechauns earned their Pot Of gold

In all Leprechaun legends, and almost every single Leprechaun story, their main trade is that of a cobbler or shoemaker. These cobblers were leather workers and tanners. In addition to producing shoes, they made such things as shields, as well as clothing, bowls and buckets. They were known as craft specialists, the professionals in the community, and were paid lots of money for their work. Irish folklore tells us that because they work so hard and are very thrifty, maybe even misers, Leprechauns are said to be very rich and have accumulated a lot of gold.

Catch a Leprechaun - According to legend, if someone was smart enough to capture one of these sly little fairies, and keep an eye fixed upon him, he cannot escape, but the moment the gaze is withdrawn, he vanishes. If you ask him where his treasure is buried while he is captured, he must be truthful and honest and tell you the location of his treasure.

There are some great ideas for making a trap, many that were designed by human "little people", to catch these sly little fantasy creatures...Check out Leprechaun Trap for more information!

The Fighting Irish Leprechaun

Notre Dame University teams are known as the Fighting Irish. The Leprechaun was taken from Irish folklore and chosen as the mascot for the Notre Dame teams.

This Notre Dame logo is a picture of the side view of a Leprechaun with his dukes up, ready to fight any foe into submission. There is a live version of this mascot that is a student. He is dressed in an Irish green suit and Irish country hat. He has a magical shillelagh that brings "The Good Luck Of The Irish" to the team as he leads the fans in cheers for their team.