Leprechaun: From Gold-Loving Cobbler to Cultural Icon | Monstrum

PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: ↓ More info below ↓ Don’t miss future episodes of Monstrum, subscribe! Leprechauns are associated with St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture, but do you know why? The jovial, red-haired little man dressed in green standing next to a pot of gold is a modern invention—the diminutive faerie folk was once more popularly known for their role as tricksters and expert cobblers. In this episode, you’ll learn how ancient Irish mythology, Irish immigration, and some crafty marketing resulted in one of our most recognizable folkloric figures. #leprechaun #stpatricksday #irishmythology #MonstrumPBS Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka Director: David Schulte Executive Producer: Amanda Fox Producer: Stephanie Noone Illustrator: Samuel Allen Editor: Ray Lux Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. The world is full of monsters, myths, and legends and Monstrum isn’t afraid to take a closer look. The show, hosted by Emily Zarka, Ph.D., takes us on a journey to discover a new monster in each new episode. Monstrum looks at humans’ unique drive to create and shape monster mythology through oral storytelling, literature, and film and digs deep into the history of those mythologies. Follow us on Instagram: ----------- BIBLIOGRAPHY: Cooke, Michelle. “Little People and Leprechauns.” The Journal of Chickasaw History and Culture, vol. 15, iss. 4, 2013, pp. 21-33. Croker, Thomas Crofton. Fairy legends and traditions of the south of Ireland, 1825. Croker, Thomas Crofton. Researchers in the south of Ireland .London: John Murray, 1824. eDIL 2019: An Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language, based on the Contributions to a Dictionary of the Irish Language (Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1913-1976) ( 2019). Fir Bolgs. Edited by Jenny Stringer, and Daniel Hahn. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2007. Keightley, Thomas. The Fairy Mythology. London: W. H. Ainsworth, 1828. MacCulloch, J. A.. Religion of the Ancient Celts, Taylor & Francis Group, 2005. Squire, Charles. Celtic Myth & Legend, Poetry & Romance. London: The Gresham Publishing Company limited, 1919. The Irish in Us: Irishness, Performativity, and Popular Culture. Ed. Diane Negra, Duke University Press, 2006. Tracy, Tony. “When Disney Met Delargy: ‘Darby O’Gill’ and the Irish Folklore Commission.” Béaloideas, 78, 2010, pp. 44-60. “Tuatha Dé Danann.“ Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, 1998. Yeats, William Butler. Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., LTD., 1888.