What’s With the Leprechaun Gold-Hoarding: Celtic Folklore Questions, Part 2
- Christine Dorman
- 1 minute ago
- 8 min read
You’ve gotta love leprechauns. They’re so cute! All right, maybe just on St. Patrick’s Day cards and in ads for overly sweet cereal. After all, they’re solitary faeries (as opposed to trooping faeries, who are more social). W. B. Yeats, in his book, Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry, cautions readers not to mess with solitary faeries. Actually, it’s unwise to tangle with any Celtic faerie, period! But Yeats claims the solitary ones are more dangerous by nature. However, leprechauns aren’t out to do harm.
I know the Leprechaun horror movie franchise has given leprechauns a bad name. In authentic Irish folklore, this faerie is neither sinister nor (usually) homicidal. They may enjoy playing the occasional trick on humans (what faerie doesn’t?), but mostly, they just want to be left alone. They spend their time making shoes. Also, they hoard gold. My question: what’s up with that?
In the last post (which you can read here), I shared questions and answers about things I’ve found intriguing or odd in Celtic folklore. Today, I’m back with more questions. This time, in addition to exploring the leprechauns’ obsession with gold, I want to ponder the identity of a mysterious race of waterfall-loving hairy forest-dwellers, and the strange way Celtic domestic faeries react when someone gives them clothes. The lore itself doesn’t provide the answers so, using logic and creativity, I’ve come up with my own. Please share in the comments how you’d answer my questions.
Why are Leprechauns so Acquisitive?
Before going for the gold, it’s necessary to separate the folklore from urban legends. According to popular belief, a) leprechauns have a pot of gold and b) if you catch a leprechaun, he has to give you all his treasure. No such thing!
What does Irish folklore say? If you catch a leprechaun (and good luck with that), they are supposed to grant you three wishes. Rainbows and pots of gold do show up in later lore. However, I think that’s because a cornered leprechaun accidentally started that rumor. The little shoemaker is a trickster, a true Irishman who can talk his way in or out of anything. So, he told the human who caught him, “I’ve got a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If you release me, I’ll lead you to it.” So, the greedy human let him go, then the faerie vanished.
Afterwards, the human went to the pub and related his adventure. Soon, other humans started hunting leprechauns in order to get the leprechaun’s treasure. Some intended to get the three wishes, too!
But who says there ever was a pot of gold? The little fellow just wanted to get away. So, maybe leprechauns don’t hoard coins after all. Maybe it’s a rumor based on a lie. Think I’m taking the easy way out with this answer?
Reflect on this. What use does a leprechaun have for coins? To buy things from other faeries? No, gold and silver are human currency. So, maybe he uses it to buy whiskey. These little guys enjoy a bit of the drink now and then. And why not? After making shoes all day, they deserve a little relaxation come evening.
However, I doubt they’re getting their uisce beatha (waters of life) from the local liquor store or even at the pub. After all, if they did, the humans there would be after them to fork over the wishes and the treasure. No, this faerie is too clever to give himself that kind of headache.
What leads me to believe that the treasure may be nothing but an illusion is this. In Irish folktales, when a human demands the whole hoard of coins, the leprechaun says, “You’ve got me, sir. There’s no denying that. And, if you’ll just let me go, I’ll bring the pot to you.”
The human says, “No way! I’ve heard this one before. You’re not going anywhere until I get my gold.”
“Right you are. sir. But I don’t want to give away my secret hiding place. So, as a gesture of good faith, here’s a bit of gold and some silver you can hold onto as a promise of my return.” The leprechaun hands over a fistful of coins. The human releases the leprechaun. Once the faerie gets away, the silver vanishes, and the gold turns to dust.
You’ll forgive me, then, for suspecting that this wily member of the Good Folk is not as avaricious as he might seem. If he’s hoarding a treasure at all, it’s fool’s gold to be called to his hand when he needs to bribe a greedy human.
What do you think? Tell me in the comments if you think the gold is real or a ruse.
Bugganes: The Mysterious Manx Race
Another elusive race of magical beings, the bugganes, lives in the forests on the Isle of Man. I wouldn’t recommend trying to capture them. Unlike leprechauns, they’re the size of ogres and are equipped with tusks and claws. Oh, and did I mention they’re magical? I’d steer clear of them. They are known for keeping to themselves. If you don’t bother them, they won’t bother you. So, for goodness’ sake, leave them alone!
While I wouldn’t mess with them, I do wonder about them. Manx folklore says, in addition to being tall, tusked, sharp-clawed, and magical, they are covered entirely in black hair. They live in the forest and love to hang out near waterfalls. That’s it. I want more. Just who are they and what are they about? Also, are they related to Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot), a forest-dwelling hairy humanoid of North American folklore?
According to legend, Sasquatch is a cross between a man and an animal. At an estimated height of 9 to 15 feet, he walks on two legs but has claws. His entire body, like that of the Bugganes, is covered in dark hair. Some people have called him a man-bear but his face, most claim, is distinctly human. At night, his eyes glow.
Scientists, scholars, and other such experts dismiss the existence of Sasquatch. They say people simply have seen a bear standing upright. To be honest, I think there is a good chance they’re right. Many sightings have been of Sasquatch standing by a tree or fishing by a river. Typical bear things to do.
I realize that takes all the air out of the idea that Sasquatch and the bugganes are real. So, putting those rational thoughts and the scholarly skepticism aside for a moment, let’s play with the folklore. If the buggane race is real, Sasquatch might be one. Perhaps he was a stowaway on a ship to Canada or the U.S. He may have wanted an adventure. Maybe he was an outcast. Since Bigfoot tends to be reclusive, the latter might be the case. Or perhaps, he’s just not social.
Whatever the case, there are two big differences between him and the bugganes. He doesn’t have tusks nor is he reportedly magical. The buggane community may have shunned or even bullied him for being different. So, he set off for the forests of the New World to find peace.
But I think the bugganes themselves may have been ostracized. Is it possible they are related to the domestic faeries of Celtic folklore, specifically Scottish brownies, Irish grogochs, and Manx fenodyrees? These three magical beings are described as human-looking except that their bodies are covered entirely with hair. While bugganes are big, ogre-sized beings, though, the domestic faeries are diminutive, usually only about two-feet tall. Also, they are more social and live indoors. Domestic faeries adopt a human family, move in, then help with the household chores. Some help around the farm as well. In addition, fenodryees sometimes help fishermen mend their nets.
Could it be that the bugganes originally were tall fenodryees? Again, being different may have led to discrimination. So, the ogre-sized fenodryee relatives took refuge in the forest, building their own community over time. The bugganes are said to be a gentle race who doesn’t bother humans. That would fit with their once-helpful role in the human world. Also, fenodryees are known for their very sharp teeth which may have evolved into tusks. What do you think? Are the bugganes, fenodryees, and Sasquatch all related?
Domestic Faeries and a Peculiar Reaction to Clothes
On the topic of Celtic domestic faeries, they are really helpful to have around, but never insult them. Which is easier said than done. As with all Celtic faeries, they can become offended quickly, and the consequences are often severe.
If a faerie is helping you with the chores, don’t criticize their work. That one should be obvious even to a fool. But Manx folklore tells of a farmer who complained to his neighbor that the fenodryee didn’t work fast enough. The fenodryee left. After biting the farmer’s legs off.
An extreme reaction but an understandable one. After all, these powerfully magical beings are helping humans out of a sense of generosity. The most they ask is a bit of cream and a kind word now and then. So, can you really blame the fenodryee for being upset?
On the other hand, in Celtic folklore—Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and Manx—domestic faeries have a strange reaction to a human gesture of apparent kindness. Some humans think it’s a good idea to give them clothes. Remember, their bodies are only covered with hair. The poor things must get cold, wet, dirty. The latter is particularly true for the Irish grogoch, whose hair is described as matted and entangled with twigs and debris.
Celtic domestic faeries, however, consider this gift beyond insulting. They will leave in a huff, never to return. Actually, the misguided human needs to hope that’s all the faerie does. Sometimes, they react in far worse ways. Infuriated brownies have stayed. Then, at night, instead of cleaning house while the family sleeps, they wreck the house. Every night. When their adopted family moves, the brownies move with them. There’s no getting away from their wrath.
Before you give clothes to a fenodryee, remember the legless farmer!
I haven’t come across any stories of grogochs doing anything other than leaving. But faeries—all faeries—tend to curse people who insult them. Usually, the curse involves lifelong bad luck, even catastrophe. My recommendation? Let domestic faeries enjoy living a clothes-free life. You’ll live longer.
I hope you had fun with this mash-up of folklore, curiosity, and imagination. In an upcoming post, I’ll ponder why ancient Celts considered some trees both sinister and protective. That one may not be as light-hearted, but the paradox is intriguing. And, for those who read my first foray into this topic of Celtic folklore oddities (the Spitting Pucas post), I haven't forgotten about Rhiannon. She just needs her own post. So, that will be coming up soon as well.
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All artwork for this post (except for the Ukranian flag and the GIF) by Christine Dorman via Bing Image Creator.
Slán go fóill
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