The Voice - Student Newspaper

Retelling traditional Irish folklore

By Michelle Tabatabai-Shahab
Copy Editor, The VOICE

The month of the Celtics is here and it's about time to spend a month celebrating that Irish green. Nobody say's you have to be Irish to celebrate their unique heritage. With an idolized happy go-lucky domineer, and a scruffy sing-song accented English.

The most commonly known Irish folklore is one that includes leprechauns hoarding pots of gold. But that's just the beginning of the infinite stories, through the years, ever-changing and always told differently from person to person. There are leprechauns, gods, heroes, Viking pirates, and screaming banshees. Ireland's myths and folklore present a culture of vivid and elaborate imagination.

One such folklore is a well known tale that has captivated the imagination of children through the ages, a leprechaun protecting a secret stash of gold coins. The tale of the tricky leprechaun is told a myriad of ways.

Some stories make the leprechaun the villain and others make him the hero.

Though documented Irish Mythology tells the story where Viking pirates explore the Emerald Isle of Ireland for the treasure of the Celtic Gods. The story takes them through a brilliantly green and vast forest of Antrim.

The Vikings made friends with a trusting leprechaun, who protects the treasure of the gods. Through lies, deceit, and human greed the complete 'Story of the Leprechauns' can be found at http://www.unicorngarden.com/leprechauns.htm.

The tale of the night is one told about the werewolves of Ossory, screaming banshee, and brides of the sea. These stories were told to Irish children in the dead of night.

The lifelike terrors of Ireland were told in such a manner that it's still believed told hold truth. Cursed werewolves lurk and haut the forests of Ireland while hair raising, glass shattering, screeches of a miserable banshee can still be heard throughout the lush green hills warning the folks of Ireland of bad things to come, usually marking death. The full story at its best can be entertained by http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/culture/talk/banshees/werewolf.shtm and by http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/explorer/banshee.html. One of the most frightening Irish legends is "changeling." This folklore threatens parents rather than children.

Changeling is a legend that terrifies new parents so much that they keep careful watch over their newborn babies, in fear of a wicked fairy woman that would snatch newborns, leaving in its place a fairy child, a senile fairy disguised as a child, or an inanimate object. For full story, visit http://www.irelandseye.com/paddy3/preview3.htm.

Many science fiction, fantasy, and children's fairytales have Irish mythology and folklore tones due to the outrageous characters the rule the imagination, such as peter pan, trolls, and pirates; all of which take the form both evil and good.

It isn't beyond tradition to expand and create, or recreate the Irish tales. This March take a stab at creating an imaginative Irish tale or entertain with old Irish tales told on full at http://www.irelandseye.com/animation/intro.html

Please send comments to mtabatabaishahab@gccvoice.com