Celtic mythology : the Leprechaune.

Celtic Mythology The LEPRECHAUNE ia a male, solitary fairy, a guardian of hidden treasure, of Irish literary and oral tradition whose original identity is now hopelessly obscured by two centuries of commercial and sometimes artistic transmogrification far from the roots of Gaelic culture. Contrary to popular perception, the leprechaun is by no means representative of the entire realm of the Irish fairy nor is he its most striking instance within Irish tradition. Obscured also are the now archaic regional variations, mostly pre-dating the mid-19th century. The leprechaun's dominance as perceived from outside Irish tradition derives from the great popular reception of the works of T. Crofton Croker, especially Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland (1825), and prestigious literary adaptations, notably William Allingham's poem ‘Lepracaun’ (c.1870), Lady Wilde's Ancient Legends… of Ireland (1887), James Stephens' Crock of Gold (1912), and the American m usical partially based on Stephens, Finian's Rainbow (1947). The earliest anticipation of the leprechaun comes in the depiction of the water sprites, luchoirp or luchorpán, depicted in the 8th century text Echtra Fergusa maic Léti [The Adventure of Fergus son of Léte]. In the narrative Fergus is sleeping in his chariot by the seaside when the sprites lift him up, separated from his sword, and carry him over the water. When he seizes hold of three of them, they promise to share their skills in swimming as a condition of their release. This portrayal, coupled with earlier glossaries stressing north Leinster spellings, suggests that initially the leprechaun was an aquatic or at least amphibious creature. But several comparable terms from different parts of Ireland suggest other associations. From elsewhere in Leinster: loimreachán, lúracán. From Connacht: lúracán. From Munster: luchragán, lurgadán. From Ulster: luchramán. Perhaps contributing to these conceptions are the monstrous lupracánaig of the pseudo-history Lebor Gabála [Book of Invasions], begotten by the biblical Ham as a result of the curse put upon him by his father Noah. The name also occurs as leprecaun, lepracaun, leipreachán, luchorpán, leipreachán, luprachán; parallel regional and archaic forms: lochramán, loimreachán, loragádán, lubrican, luchragán, luchramán, luprecan, lúracán, lurgadán, and lurikeen.