Can We Talk 2

Leprechauns and Wild Banshees

         Leprechauns wear many colors, not just green. And their hats depend on what county they lived in. They can wear short, round hats or tall pointy, hats or any style with a brim. They do not wear berets or baseball caps. They are mischievous or friendly, but seldom are they as evil as in the horror movies. That's pure fiction.

         It's getting harder to find leprechauns because school teachers have taught children not to believe in them. So they grow up not believing the leprechauns are causing their little problems around the house, and they don't go looking for them. That pot of gold thing was always a myth; it kept foolhardy men searching for them. They were content to steal food from your kitchen or garden.

         Wild banshees, on the other hand, can still be heard occasionally. They are female spirits still trapped on the earth. They are usually attached to their own family or the family of a suitor. The wicked ones wail with glee when someone in the family is about to die. The good ones mourn loudly because of their sadness over the impending death. Either way, it scares you to hear it.

         Tinn MacCumhail (pronounced Fin McCool--close enough) was the Irish version of Robin Hood or King Arthur and was around much earlier. He was never crowned king, but he was a hero of the people. Many wonderful oral stories were told of him. These stories rival Grimm's tales in gore and earthiness. But unfortunately, the Irish didn't have a Grimm or Anderson to collect their tales and record them for posterity.

         Erin Go Braugh!