| Leprechaun | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Other Names |
Leprechaun, Lubrican, Leprehaun, Lepreehawn |
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First Appearance |
Irish Myth |
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Created by |
Irish Myth |
Origin[]
A leprechaun counts his gold in this engraving c. 1900
A leprechaun is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. In later times, they have been depicted as shoe-makers who have a hidden pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
The leprechaun is said to be a solitary creature, whose principal occupation is making and cobbling shoes, and who enjoys practical jokes. In McAnally's 1888 account, the Leprechaun was not a professional cobbler, but was frequently seen mending his own shoes, as "he runs about so much he wears them out" with great frequency. This is, he claims, the perfect opportunity for a human being to capture the Leprechaun, refusing to release him until the Leprechaun gives his captor supernatural wealth.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of leprechauns from before January 1, 1929 are public domain in the US.
Some notable appearances are listed below:
- Legends and Stories of Ireland (1831)
- Fairy Legends and Traditions of the South of Ireland (1862)
- An Irish-English Dictionary (1864)
- Irish Folk Lore: Traditions and Superstitions of the Country (1870)
- Revue Celtique (1870)
- Irish Wonders (1888)
- Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry (1888)
- Beside The Fire (1910)
- The Crock of Gold (1912)
- Notes on Irish Folklore (1917)
Public Domain Comic Appearances[]
- Fairy Tale Parade #1, 4: Issue #1 feature the story The Flute O'McTootle. Then issue #4 featured The Wee Men O'The Glen.
- Adventures into the Unknown #132:
- In issue #112, A Fairy Godmother as well as gnomes, fairies, and leprechauns from a nearby forest, help a man raise enough money to save his property from a land owner.
- In issue #132, Leprechauns can't get the recognition they deserve, even after repelling the invasion of a race of underground giants, so they leave Earth.
- Whiz Comics #46: Ibac and Banshee O'Brien deal with The Mystery of the Missing Leprechaun as their first case as Magic Inc.
- GI Joe (Ziff Davis) #25: Sgt. Mulvaney appears as an Irish leprechaun in The Two-Leaf Clover.
- Goofy Comics #43: Goofy Gander and Wally Wolf travel to Ireland. Goofy finds the King of Leprechauns and is crowned the king for a night according to leprechaun law. When Wally catches him though he owes him a pot of gold, but tried to give him three wishes instead.
- Unusual Tales #9: In the Day I Lived Over Again, even though a leprechaun lets him live the day over, Blackie Nelson still goes to jail.
- Ha Ha Comics #49:The Impulsive Imps, Hank and Elmer, get a visit from Uncle Mulligan the Leprechaun.
- All Humor Comics #14: Uncle Gamlin Poole makes a bet with Clancy to bring a leprechaun to his bar in order to settle his gambling debts.
- Feature Comics #98: Vince reads a book about leprechauns and is spooked by a mechanical toy.
- Supermouse #20: Terrible Tom becomes the master of Castle O'Leary and gets command of the leprechauns to commit crimes for him. Supermouse discovered his plot and freed them and was rewarded with a pot of gold.
- Black Terror #21: In The Thieving Leprechauns, Superstitious mobster "Two-sight" Gallagher believes in the "little people"....elves and the like, and when one of them plants an amulet on his person, Gallagher believes it to be a good luck charm. Gallagher is stopped by Black Terror and Tim.
Notes[]
- The Crichton Leprechaun (known alternatively as the Mobile Leprechaun or Alabama Leprechaun) is a leprechaun purported to have been sighted in March, 2006, by the residents of the Crichton neighborhood in Mobile, Alabama.