Irish Faeries: The Púca, Púcai

The Púca is present in the folklore of not only Ireland, but also Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, and Brittany. So pretty much every Celtic region.

The appearance of Púcai is hard to define, simply because they are shapeshifters. They often take on a human form with animal features or will just take on the form of animals like a horse, cat, or rabbit. Some depictions of Púcai describe them taking the shape of a goblin wearing a long black coat.

In Wexford, it is said to take on the form of an eagle; in Roscommon, it appears as a black goat; while in Laois, it takes on the form of a boogeyman character.

Like the leprechaun, Púcai are not really considered either good or evil, and are often seen as a trickster. However, they do seem to enjoy human misery a lot more than the leprechaun does. Taking the shape of a large black horse and trampling crops during the night. If cows or chickens see the Púca they will be so traumatised that they will no longer be able to produce milk and eggs. Farmers would leave a portion of their crops for the Púca to take in order to appease the creature temporarily. This tradition is still upheld by some farmers today, who leave a ‘Púca’s share’ in order to placate it.

On a Púca’s more peaceful side, they have also been known to appear to people who are just about to be involved in a serious accident or happen upon a malevolent spirit.

Finally, Púcai have been known to play practical jokes on local people. Targeting drunks coming home late at night, enticing them onto their backs, and taking them on a wild ride before dumping them off in the early hours of the morning.

‘Púca’ is the Irish word for ghost or spirit. While the Púca is most likely a creature of celtic mythology, there are some who believe that it originally comes from Norse myth, with all Scandinavian languages having similar words for an evil spirit.

The Púca has been referenced in the texts of several famous writers, including W.B Yeats, Brian O’Nolan, and of course, William Shakespeare.

Apparently, the only human to ever successfully ride a Púca was High King of Ireland Brian Bóru. He controlled the magic of the creature by using a special bridle made using three hairs from the Púca’s tail. Thanks to his physical prowess, Brian stayed on the Púca’s back until it became exhausted and surrendered to him.

After his victory, Brain forced the Púca to make two promises: that it would no longer torment people and ruin their property, and that it would never again attack an Irishman unless he was drunk or had evil intent.

Source: Babylon Radio by Thomas Cleary

Via Celtic Bard Jeff (FB)