Leprechauns...

• lilogirl

  6 Jul 03, 20:30

  
  
  Leprechauns
  The leprechaun is an ugly little creature with pointed ears and is about two to three feet tall who avoids having any contact with humans or any other leprechauns or fairies. He lives alone and puts all of his energy into his passion of shoemaking as he is well known as a fairy shoemaker. Most of the time a leprechaun can be found with a shoe in one hand and a hammer in the other, he also is quite fond of a smoke from his tobacco filled foul smelling clay pipe which is never too far away from his reach.
  
  They have a mischievous glint in their eyes and tend to hide behind bushes and hedgerows and their bodies despite their stubbiness can usually move very fast and is nearlyimpossible for a human to catch!
  
  They Usually dress in grey or green colored coats red trousers, studded leather apron and a red or green wide brimmed hat. They carry two leather pouches in which he carries in one, a silver shilling and the other, a gold coin to buy his way out of a tight situation.
  They have been know to be fond of a mug or two of the very strong Irish drink called poteen and can be found in an intoxicated state a lot of the time.
  Leprechauns guard the fairies' treasures as they must prevent it's theft by humans. They hide the treasures well, As the saying goes "A pot of gold can be found at the end of a rainbow" and when a rainbow appears this causes the leprechauns great anxiety---for no matter how quick he shifts his pot of gold, he never can get away from rainbows.
  The Leprechaun has a powerful memory and can remember exactly where each crock of gold is hidden.
  They think humans are stupid and foolish creatures.
  Treasure hunters can often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer and if a human ever catches a leprechaun (which is very difficult) and demands his treasure, he will give it to the human in a bid to be set free again. Rarely does this happen as he can move quicker than the eye can see and can vanish at the blink of an eye, so don't for an instant take your eye off him as he often tricks you into looking away, he then vanishes and all hopes of finding the treasure are lost!
  If you can ever catch a Leprechaun he'll tell you where his pot of gold is hidden, but he'd rather give you three magical wishes if you'll leave his gold alone. Choose your wishes carefully as he will try to trick you!
  Occasionally, especially after a wee bit too much poteen, he will offer a human not only a drink but some of his treasure. The other fairies endure them because they provide the much needed service of cobblery. The leprechaun must tell the truth, for in this it is bound by courtesy and fairy law. But only so long as you look it in the eye, as courtesy demands.
  
  Female leprechauns do not exist.
  
  
  
  
  Cluricauns
  
  As to whether cluricauns are actually leprechauns or their close cousins little is known. With the exception for a pink tinge about the nose and their different colors of dress they perfectly resemble leprechauns in all their other characteristics. They tend to be lazy and don't like to work like their cousins and they never wear an apron or carry a hammer. They have large silver buckles on their shoes, beautiful gold laces, caps and pale blue stockings, they tend to wear garish colors.
  They like to raid the cellars of the rich as they also like a good strong drink or two.
  To amuse themselves they will smash the delph, overturn furniture and hide items in the houses they break into, harness sheep and goats, jump from bogs and race them over the fields through the night, then from the safety of a dense hedge they will watch in amusement as the humans try to repair the damage they have done.
  Leprechauns try to disown them and claim that they are none of their own but some suspect they are really drink filled leprechauns on a spree, who when sober in the morning try to deny this double nature.
  
  
  
  
  Grogoch
  
  Found mostly around the Glens of Antrim this two feet tall very strong very hardy kind of fairy is covered in coarse reddish hair and could do with a good wash! He lives mainly outdoors and can survive the harshest of weathers. Can do without food or sleep for long periods of time and also has the same power as the other fairies to become invisible if so desired.
  
  Unlike the leprechaun he is quite poor but is very good natured and the most sociable of fairies towards humans, he loves work and likes to help the farmers with the harvesting and threshing but can be offended if offered any payment (but loves a jug of milk) which may drive him away forever. In Antrim last thing at night the custom was to bury a large smoldering turf in the ashes of the fire so that in the morning it can be quickly fanned into a blaze. This was carried out to advert the wrath of fairies if there were no fire for them to sit at during the night .
  
  His home is mainly in the form of a cave or hollow in the landscape and in a number of places around the Glens are large leaning stones against one another which are known as their houses.
  
  
• lilogirl

  6 Jul 03, 20:35

  Catch a wee Leprechaun
  
  
  
  It can be very difficult to catch a Leprechaun. A Leprechaun is an Irish "elf". Leprechauns are small in size, and some say they look like a tiny, old man in a top hat and red beard. They are tricky fellows and like to play pranks on unsuspecting people so beware!
  
  You can make a trap with a net, boxes, a clean can, empty containers, tin foil, Cardboard box, or even an old shoe since they are said to be cobblers and this can act as a good trap.
  
  When you build the trap, don't forget to add some bait to help lure the Leprechaun. Since Leprechauns are known to be very greedy, one of the best things you can use for bait are shiny pennies! If you don't want to use real coins, you can easily substitute chocolate gold wrapped coins or make your own coins by cutting circles out of cardboard and painting them with some gold paint.
  
  They always leave a trail of "magic dust" and a coin or two so keep an eye for the trail.
  
  Here are a few wee tips to help you get started:
  
  Rainbows are good to use on or around your trap.
  Paint your trap green and decorate it with green items
  
  Try and place the trap near some trees or hedge rows
  Leprechauns are also attracted to four leaf clovers.
  Make sure your trap is disguised well - make it blend into its surroundings.
  No two traps should look alike as the Leprechaun will get suspicious and not venture near it.
  
  Each Leprechaun also has a pot of gold! Some say they bury it in secret places , if you catch a Leprechaun he will lead you to his pot of gold and give it to you as a bribe to let him go.
  
  Remember, Leprechauns are tricky fellows, so you must be creative and tricky when deciding on a way to try to catch him. You can try to lure him with some poteen get him drunk and then grab him!
  
  If you use a box cover the opening with thin, green tissue paper. Put a few pennies on top of the tissue paper. When the Leprechaun sees the coins he will try to collect them. When he steps onto the tissue paper, it will break and he will fall into the box.
  
  If you are lucky enough to capture a Leprechaun, Legend says you cannot take your eyes of the Leprechaun for even a second or he will vanish. A leprechaun fairly caught must be honest, but nothing rules out its being tricky.
  
  Good Luck!!
  
  
• lilogirl

  6 Jul 03, 20:42

  Did you Know?
  
  Long ago, leprechauns were part of a fairy group known as Luacharma’n, meaning the “little people.” Over the years this name somehow became confused with the Irish word leath-bhrogan, “maker-of-a-shoe,” and the leprechaun has come to be known as a tiny shoemaker, cobbler for the other fairies.
  
  In a famous tale, a leprechaun captured in a garden said truthfully that his gold was buried under a certain bush. The man who had captured him tied a red handkerchief to the bush, and set the leprechaun free after it promised not to remove the gold or the handkerchief. The man then went off to get his shovel. When he came back, he found the leprechaun had tied identical red handkerchiefs to hundreds of bushes! You can never trust a leprechaun not to trick you.