By Emi Gruender
How did the leprechaun, with his emerald-green stovepipe hat, vibrant red beard, and belt-buckled shoes, come to be the icon of annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations? Perhaps the popularly chosen symbol for Irish culture in general? How did this mischievous little trickster man become synonymous with pots of gold, rainbows, and luck? If you’re wondering just where leprechauns came from, look no further than ancient Irish folklore.
Described as stout little men with playful dispositions similar to elves and fairies, leprechauns were first coined as “luchorpán” in Old Irish. This word literally translates to “little man,” or “small-bodied fellow,” according to Lesley Kennedy from History.com. Though exceedingly rare in Irish mythology, the leprechaun became more popular in later folktales, one being The Adventures of Fergus, Son of Leti, where three leprechauns attempt to drown a king in a river. The king, however, catches these mischievous water sprites and convinces them to grant him three wishes in exchange for his freedom. These tales are recorded as some of the first instances of the concept that leprechauns grant wishes upon capture—a popular belief about leprechauns that persists still. In their initial iterations, leprechauns were described as malicious, mischievous (derogatory) tricksters bent on creating chaos. In general Irish folklore (not credited to any single author), a leprechaun is generally a prankster and cobbler, often seen repairing its own shoes, since “he runs about so much he wears them out,” according to Irish Wonders, 1888.
As a result of this constant need to mend his shoes, humans usually take the opportunity to sneak up on the leprechaun, capture it, and demand a supernatural wish for its freedom. Though some sources describe leprechauns as “sprightly,” others, like William Butler Yeats, describe this solitary creature as “withered” and “old.”
As the centuries passed, however, and the Irish population in America grew, the symbol of the leprechaun became more and more integral to the Irish-American identity. Since the Irish suffered quite some prejudice in mid 19th century America, the pressure to find a uniting Irish symbol increased. What better candidate than the lucky trickster that riddles Irish folklore?
Soon, their practice of St. Patrick’s Day, a day of luck, reached mainstream American culture, along with its symbol, the leprechaun. So when St. Patrick’s Day comes around every year—along with the customary pinching—inspect leprechauns under a different lens, for he’s not just a gimmick meant to sell cereal. Instead, he’s a medieval symbol of Irish folktales and culture as a whole.