 Hey everyone, Adam Shaw here from Bavaro Media Company. Today we're going to be talking about the history of the leprechaun. We're doing this video in connection with our new video series on our YouTube channel, Irish History and Irish Culture, in tribute to upcoming St. Patrick's Day. So we like talking about history and we like tying it to current events and holidays. So if you like that sort of thing, definitely subscribe to our YouTube channel. We upload videos all the time. We love talking about history, looking at old maps. So far we've done videos on the history of beer, vintage maps of Ireland, and whatnot. So definitely check out our channel. That being said, let's get to it. Let's talk about the history of the leprechaun. A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore. They are typically displayed in Irish storytelling as a little bearded man wearing a green coat and hat who partakes in mischief. In the stories, they are portrayed as solitary creatures who spend their time making and mending shoes and have pots of gold at the ends of rainbows. If captured, if you capture a leprechaun, they tend to offer you three wishes in exchange for their freedom. The first time the leprechaun appears in Irish folklore is in the medieval tale, Etra, Furgus, Makladi. Essentially, it's adventure of Furgus, son of Letti. The story contains a section in which Furgus, Makladi, king of Ulzer is woken up on a beach being dragged into the sea by three leprechauns. I thought this was interesting. I thought about this before I made this video. Three is a very, very powerful number in Celtic history and culture for many different reasons, and I find it's appropriate in terms of addressing the leprechaun. If you look at Irish tradition, you look at St. Patrick, St. Patrick came to Ireland and changed pagan belief into Christianity using the shamrock, the three-leafed clover. He did this by comparing the three-leafed clover to the holy cross, the trinity, the holy trinity, the father, the son, and the holy spirit. He was able to convince them on this power of three because they believed so much in nature and revitalization, and the shamrock was really powerful in that sense. I thought that was interesting looking at the threes because there's even another example of how three is used. In this story, we're talking about the three leprechauns of mischief pulling him into the sea. He then captures the three leprechauns who grant him three wishes. Again, this number three comes up, a very popular number in Irish and Celtic history and culture. I just wanted to bring that point home. These acertations about leprechauns giving the three wishes and having a pot of gold are a modernized and evolved perspective of the trickster creature. Earlier in Irish history, though, if we look at ancient Ireland, we see certainly the predominant myth of leprechauns addressed as a spiritual fairy entity who domiciles in fairy forts and fairy rings. Ever heard of the term luck of the Irish or the inherent belief in finding gold at the end of the rainbow? Well, the spiritual entities that were told in these earlier stories are perceived as essentially the Euro Celtic god, L-U-G-H, which was pronounced as luck. Lu, or luck, is a deity depicted in the famous Irish story, Tutra de Danan. This word luck, or luck of the Irish, really emanated from these mythological fairy creatures who eventually evolved into what we know as the modernized leprechaun. Another perspective of leprechauns is dated back to around the 12th to 15th centuries, where they're displayed in old Irish manuscripts as spiritual entities that were of both sexes and lived underwater. The manuscript describes these entities as ferocious warriors and even goes so far to illustrate the female beings being tricksters themselves and luring human men for adventure. There are certainly elements of maybe influence with mermaids and seaworthiness that I think emanates from this mythological fairy creature that lives in the sea. Don't quote me on that, but I get that feeling that this is a depiction of mermaids in the ocean. Certainly, being tricksters and luring human men, that sounds like a mermaid to me. This example seems to collaborate the background and modern folklore that also leprechauns are tricksters. That was a beginning element to this trickster aspect in leprechaun history. I hope you've learned something about leprechauns today. Definitely leave a comment below if you have a question about leprechauns or Celtic history. I'd like to get your feedback. Definitely give us a like. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. We do videos like this all the time where we talk about cultural history. We tie it together with a current event or a holiday. Definitely subscribe to our YouTube channel and I will see you guys soon. Take care. Bye.