When you
say "Leprechaun" (Irish Gaelic: leipreachán),
you immediatly think about this little old man, wearing a big hat and a green
(or red) coat, with a beard and a pipe, smoking God only knows what kind of
weed. But, you should remember that those moody little green men are a part of
the Irish people’s legacy and are more than anything, a legend to know.
The
leprechaun is an icon of Irish folklore and comes from the Irish Gaelic leigh bhrogan which means "maker of
one shoe", or it also is said that it could come from another Gaelic word,
luacharman, which means "little
man" or even "pigmy". It is totally possible that "leprechaun"
comes directly form both of them.
There are many legends and stories about the leprechauns. A leprechaun is a mischievous little guy who hides his pot of gold jealously at the end
of a rainbow. He is a small (max: 90 cm), stocky[1],
wearing a green (or red) apron[2]
cobbler. He has a grumpy character and loves the dudeen (which is a liquor manufacture)
and his pipe. He is solitary, unsociable, not always friendly, and moody. There
are only males Leprechauns. Legend says that they were born from the union of a
human and a spirit.
The Leprechauns also know how to be grateful and they like
to offer their homemade whiskey. Unfortunately, they avoid humans. A leprechaun has in two
leather purses[3], a
piece of one shilling and a gold coin.
In addition of cobbler[4],
he is the guardian of a pot full of gold coins so that he has the role of the
banker of the mound-dwellers[5]
He knows that humans are greedy[6]
and stupid and he wants to protect his treasure from them. He lives in bushes.
He is fast but if you catch him, you are allowed to ask for three wishes he
would make them come true, in exchange of his freedom, but you shouldn't ask
for his treasure, because he won't exauce any wish you've made. The legend has it that you better not to close the eyes: one blink of
eye is enough for the Leprechaun to disappear by magic!
They are so famous and
important in Ireland that, for St Patrick’s Day, the Irish are used to looking
like them.
So, you’re
a professional now, aren’t you? Prove it by answering these three questions after
reading the text:
1) Who are the parents of a Leprechaun?
2) What are the 2 Gaelic words which gave the
Leprechauns their name, and what do they mean?
3) What do they carry in their leather
purses?
We forgot to sign : this article has been written by Helene BADOUI and Amandine LEFEVRE 2nde 2
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