The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-15
IRISH FOLKLORE.

Some of the Fables of the Puca, the
Banshee, and the Fairies
Irish folklore and it's myths, Irish folk
songs, and incidentally some Irish wit
constituted the menu of the mental
feast enjoyed by the members of the
Baltimore Folklore Society at its
monthly meeting.
1t was prepared and served up by
the Irish Historical Society, the Pres-
dent Mr.. Charles p Monaghan, making
an address on Some Myths of Irish
Folklore" and the Celtic Quartette of
the same society singing popular Irish
melodies and old-time folk songs. A
unique feature Of President Monaghan's
address was the assistance rendered him
by Mr.. P. j. Finnessy on his violin,
giving the dirges supposed song of the
banshee, and other weird sounds of
folklore
| Mr.. Monaghan began by saying that
Irish folklore was first current in Mary
land after that the Indians, as many of
Lord Baltimore's followers were of the
Irish peasantry Every act of the day
to an Irish peasant has it's folklore,
said the speaker, and the vivid imagin-
ccioll VI Tic Iiloll CHdIdClGE Dldue Ills
folklore not only unlike all other, but
peculiarly interesting and occasionally
grand and solemn. Careless and genial
and witty the Irish We're always con
eidered, it was noticeable that the ma
tons folklore should be so lacking in
conscious humor.
"All races said Mr.. Monaghan, have
their periods Of intense superstition,
and much of the Irish folklore has sur
Vived because of the sentiment and re-
verence in the Irish character that hest
tates to diebelieve those things in which
their ancestors had set so much store
Among the myths spoken of by Mr..
Monaghan, were the puca, the banshee,
the fairies, the cadne. and the Lepra-
chaun. The puca was a very malevo-
lent, mischievous spirit, usually appear
ing as horse, but frequently as a dog,
gander, whale, or eagle 1t was the
first thing an Irish boy was told to be-
ware of. He had many of the attri-
butes of a BOWMAN Mr.. Monaghan read
the story Of boy who was persuaded
to mount the puca, who was posing as
an eagle, and was taken to the moon
and left sitting on the horn The man
in the moon objected, and the puca as
a gander, rescued the boy, but dropped
him into the sea, finally appearing as
a whale and taking him to land, much
frightened, wet, and miserable. 1t was
such tricks that the puca delighted in
playing.
He was finally tanned somewhat by
King of Ireland who by a trick secured
~ boir l.; +,;1
as a horse, tried to persuade the King
to mount him, their conversation re-
sembling that of Uncle Remus's fox and
rabbit, but the King outwitted him. and
in trying to tell his age by looking in
his mouth slipped the hairs about his.
jaw, the hairs becoming at once strong
steel bands. Then the King mounted
and rode in a circle all night, plying
whip and spur.
The banshee, from ban" a woman,
and "shee," a fairy was a spirit of sor-
row and gloom. Every old Irish family,
whether rich or poor, had its own par
ticular banshee, that is heard to sing
whenever member of the family is
schortly to die The banshee may feel
kindly toward it's family, in which case
lis SOuS 10 lpW, SWEET, elild plolillNt
Or it may fiercely hate it's family in
which it screams and shrieks its warn
ing of death. Mr.. Monaghan told a
number of weird stories of the banshee.
The Irish fairies are much like those
of other countries living in the woods
and springs, brooks, or trees. The males
wear green coats and red knee trousers,
and fox-glove hast. The maiden fai-
ries dress in white 1t is believed in
Ireland that when Lucifer or Satan re-
belled in heaven there were some con-
angels who would not take
sides until they saw which would con-
quer These neutral angels were not |
cast into the pit with the rebels, but |
were punished by being sent to earth as
fairies. The Irish peasant is very care |
full of the fairies and their feelings. No |
for example, will throw water |
out of her door at night without first |
saying, Take care, the water comes"
for fear the fairies garments might be |
spoiled.
Leprachaun is the fairies shoemaker, |
and as they dance a great deal and
wear out shoes he has made an immense
fortune. He is little fellow, very MINI
BILE, hard to catch and hard to hold He
oan find buried treasure and has purse
IN which, as fast as one shilling disap-
pears another appears. A peasant once
caught Leprachaun and made him tell !
where his treasure was. He drove his
cane into the ground to mark the spot
and put his hat on it, The next morn
ng he found hundreds of similar canes