Most topics we find ourselves wanting to write about can be easily slotted into a website category. The rest however, is just Stuff in JOE’s Head.
By Robert Carry
Leprechauns have long been filed away in the bullshit children’s tales category alongside unicorns, fairies and attractive Cavan women. But is there any element of truth to the myth? JOE.ie looked into it – and apparently there is.
The magic aspect is obviously rubbish but the origins of the myth of small, mischievous individuals running around in the woods of Ireland has basis in fact.
The ancient Celts, much like their fellow warrior race the Spartans, were preoccupied with building perfect fighting men and those born with imperfections faced death or abandonment. Children found to have defects, particularly young males, were routinely brought to the woods and left there to die. Those born with symptoms of dwarfism were not spared.
The exact age at which these children were abandoned has not been established but it appears to have been at an age old enough to survive in some cases. While most perished, a community of impoverished children with dwarfism had established itself in the area around Kerry by the time of the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.
Mischievousness
The communities of little people had no land of their own and were often forced to resort to crime as a means of survival. They would raid farms and steal valuables from peoples’ houses, earning themselves a reputation for mischievousness in the process.
The idea that a Leprechaun was something to be caught developed from this aspect of their lifestyle as they essentially operated as outlaws. The famed pot of gold concept also came from their criminal activities – when you caught a Leprechaun you would demand to be taken to his trove of stolen valuables.
The tough way of life Leprechauns were forced to deal with meant they were a hardy bunch – obtuse, resentful and vicious when caught. When questioned about where they kept their stolen wealth they would refuse to give a location – saying instead that it was buried at the end of the rainbow.
Kerry’s Leprechaun communities are believed to have survived through the medieval period and right up to the early 15th Century, long after the practice of abandoning children in the woods had died out.
America’s take on the legend – “I want me shillings!”
Some of the groups left robbery behind and developed their own cottage industries as a means of earning enough to survive. Shoe-making, which has long been associated with Leprechauns, was one of the trades they were believed to have excelled at.
However, their reputation as troublemakers continued and many people with dwarfism were forced to deal with the consequences. Little people were the subject of ridicule and abuse, with games such as dwarf tossing becoming popular. It involved competitors throwing people with dwarfism as far or high as they could and winning prizes for the best toss.
The practice continued right into the modern era and a version of dwarf tossing appeared on SmackDown! Hornswoggle, AKA ‘Little Bastard’, was regularly dragged out from under the ring ‘where he lives’ and tossed at opponents by Irish wrestler Finlay.
So there you have it – the myth of the little people on the front of St Patrick’s Day cards and the Lucky Charms box actually has a basis in reality.
