What is a leprechaun?
The leprechaun is a small fairy of Irish folklore. He takes the form of a small bearded old man and is said to always be making shoes. In the past he was sometimes described wearing a red coat, but today the image of green clothes and a hat is firmly established.
The pot of gold and treasure hunting
The leprechaun is said to keep a pot full of gold coins hidden somewhere. If you find a leprechaun by following the tapping sound of his shoemaking and manage to catch him, he will tell you where the treasure is. But if you take your eyes off him for even a moment, he disappears at that instant. The saying that a leprechaun’s pot of gold is buried at the end of the rainbow is also well known.
A symbol of Ireland
The leprechaun is loved as a character symbolizing Ireland, and leprechauns are often seen on March 17, Saint Patrick’s Day, celebrating Ireland’s patron saint. He was widely introduced to the world through collections of folktales such as those compiled by the poet W. B. Yeats. As a mysterious being in the form of a little person, he is sometimes compared with Japan’s chiisai ojisan (little old men).
