Púca

The púca (Irish for spirit/ghost), pooka, phouka, phooka, phooca, puca or púka is primarily a creature of Celtic folklore.[1] Considered to be bringers both of good and bad fortune, they could either help or hinder rural and marine communities. The Púca can have dark or staunch white fur or hair. The creatures were said to be shape changers which could take the appearance of horses, goats, cats, dogs, and hares. They may also take a human form, which includes various animal features, such as ears or a tail.

The púca has counterparts throughout the Celtic cultures of Northwest Europe. For instance, in Welsh mythology it is named the pwca and in Cornish the Bucca.[2] In the Channel Islands, the pouque were said to be fairies who lived near ancient stones; in Channel Island French a cromlech is referred to as a pouquelée or pouquelay(e); poulpiquet and polpegan are corresponding terms in Brittany.[3][4]

Etymology

The origin of the name may have come from the Old Norse term pook or puki, which refers to a "nature spirit". Usage of the term in Ireland, however, may predate the arrival of Norse settlers.[5] In Germanic languages, such as Frisian or English, this became pucel, pook or puck.

Malevolent or benevolent nature

The púca may be regarded as being either menacing or beneficent. Fairy mythologist Thomas Keightley said "notions respecting it are very vague", and in a brief description gives an account collected by Croker from a boy living near Killarney that "old people used to say that the Pookas were very numerous...long ago..., were wicked-minded, black-looking, bad things...that would come in the form of wild colts, with chains hanging about them", and that did much to harm unwary travellers.[6] Also, children were warned not to eat overripe blackberries, because this was a sign that the pooka has befouled them.

In contrast, the púca is represented as being helpful to farmers by Lady Wilde, who relates the following tale. A farmer's son named Padraig one day noticed the invisible presence of the phouka brushing by, and called out to him, offering a coat. The phouka appeared in the guise of a young bull, and told him to come to the old mill at night. From that time onward, the phoukas came secretly at night and performed all the work of milling the sacks of corn into flour. Padraig fell asleep the first time, but later concealed himself in a chest to catch sight of them, and later made a present of a fine silk suit. This unexpectedly caused the phoukas to go off to "see a little of the world" and cease their work. But by then the farmer's wealth allowed him to retire and give his son an education. Later, at Padraig's wedding, the phouka left a gift of a golden cup filled with drink that evidently ensured their happiness.[7][8]

There are stories of some phouka being blood-thirsty and vampire-like creatures. Other stories even say some are man-eating beings, hunting down, killing, and eating their victims.

Morphology and physiology

According to legend, the púca is a deft shapeshifter, capable of assuming a variety of terrifying or pleasing forms. It can take a human form, but will often have animal features, such as ears or a tail.[9] As an animal, the púca will most commonly appear as a horse, cat, rabbit, raven, fox, wolf, goat, goblin, or dog. No matter what shape the púca takes, its fur is almost always dark. It most commonly takes the form of a sleek black horse with a flowing mane and luminescent golden eyes.[10] (The Manx glashtyn also takes on human form, but he usually betrays his horse's ears and is analogous to the each uisce.[11])

If a human is enticed onto a púca's back, it has been known to give them a wild ride; however, unlike a kelpie, which will take its rider and dive into the nearest stream or lake to drown and devour him/her, the púca will do its rider no real harm. However, according to some folklorists the only man ever to ride the púca was Brian Boru, High King of Ireland, by using a special bridle incorporating three hairs of the púca's tail.[5] The púca has the power of human speech, and has been known to give advice and lead people away from harm. Though the púca enjoys confusing and often terrifying humans, it is considered to be benevolent.

Agricultural traditions

Certain agricultural traditions surround the púca. It is a creature associated with Samhain, a Goidelic harvest festival, when the last of the crops are brought in. Anything remaining in the fields is considered "puka", or fairy-blasted, and hence inedible. In some locales, reapers leave a small share of the crop, the "púca's share", to placate the hungry creature. Nonetheless, 1 November is the púca's day, and the one day of the year when it can be expected to behave civilly.

At the beginning of November, the púca was known—in some locales—to either defecate or spit on the wild fruits rendering them inedible and unsafe thenceforth.[12]

Regional variations

In some regions, the púca is spoken of with considerably more respect than fear; if treated with deference, it may actually be beneficial to those who encounter it. The púca is a creature of the mountains and hills, and in those regions there are stories of it appearing on November Day and providing prophecies and warnings to those who consult it.

In some parts of County Down, the púca is manifested as a short, disfigured goblin who demands a share of the harvest; in County Laois, it appears as a monstrous bogeyman, while in Waterford and Wexford the púca appears as an eagle with a huge wingspan and in Roscommon as a black goat.[5]

In the 1950 film Harvey with Jimmy Stewart, Stewart's character has a 6-foot ​1 1⁄2 inch tall rabbit as a companion named Harvey, whom he refers to as a "pooka".[13] The film is based on a Pulitzer prize winning play of the same name by Mary Chase.

Pookas appear in popular children's television programme Knightmare. They are presented as a threat, either malevolent or mindless, and appear as floating green entities with swivelling eyes and prominent cheeks. These pookas have plants growing from their head and generally appear in wild areas such as woodland or overgrown ruins.

In Peter S. Beagle's novel Tamsin, the pooka appears as an untamed, untrustworthy being who deigns to assist the protagonist Jenny. As in folklore, this pooka is a shapeshifter who most often appears as a wild pony. In all his forms he is black, with golden eyes.

In The Spiderwick Chronicles, a children's fantasy book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, a phooka is among the many faeries and fantastical creatures encountered by the Grace children. It is portrayed as a bizarre but harmless creature which talks in riddles and behaves in a similar manner to the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.

A Connemara Stallion, on a hill

In The Grey Horse by R. A. MacAvoy. an Irish fantasy set in the time of Parnell, the púca is a Connemara pony, in its animal form.[14]

In the novel From the Little the Much is Known, a fantasy book set in modern day Esquimalt, British Columbia, by Sean MacUisdin, a Puca living in the old gun battery at Macaulay Point is encountered by the main character, Jennifer MacGregor. It is portrayed as both a powerful black horse as well as a bizarre creature with a small deformed human body and a goat's head. Although appearing somewhat malevolent, it speaks vaguely of past associations with children, and is ultimately a helpful spirit.

In the anime series Sword Art Online, pooka is the name of one of the nine races ALfheim Online's players are divided.

On July 23 1973, Robert Anton Wilson, author and former editor at Playboy, began to have the experience of channeling information from an intelligence in the Sirius star system. However he later took a more agnostic stance on the source of these communications, often ascribing these experiences to a Pooka in the form of a large rabbit.[15]

Phooka appears in the digital card game Cabals: Magic & Battle Cards.

The hurling club in Pittsburgh, United States is known as the Pittsburgh Púcas.[16]

In the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton one of the main characters, Doyle, owes part of his heritage to the phouka.

In the video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Phoocas are described as stronger versions of the in-game monsters, called Nekkers.

In the video game Odin Sphere Pookas are rabbit-like humanoid creatures who often serve as servants to humans, but have their own society and goals as well.

In the card game Dominion Pooka is a card that allows the player to sacrifice a treasure to draw 4 cards.[17]


In The Adventures Of the Merkles, a children's fantasy animated television series by Char Whaley, a phooka is among the many faeries and fantastical creatures encountered by the Merkles. It is portrayed as a bizarre, michievious, but harmless human/hyena-like creature which talks in riddles sometimes and behaves in a similar manner to the Scarecrow from "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and was voiced by Robert Carlyle.


In the manga "Berserk" the fairy accompanying the main character is named "Puck". It is later revealed that he is a spirit of nature.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Koch, John T.: Encyclopedia of Celtic Culture, page 729. ABC-Clio, 2006
  2. ↑ Mackillop 1998, under pooka
  3. ↑ Thomas Price (Carnhuanawc) (1830), "A Tour through Brittany" (Google), Cambrian quarterly magazine and Celtic repertory, 2: 23–43 , p.23–24 "These cromlechs, or kistvaens,.. are called in Jersey poquelays, and in Brittany policans & poulpiquets, &c."
  4. ↑ Loth, J. (1894). "le Nain de Kerhuiton" (Google). Annales de Bretagne (in French). 10: 78–80.
  5. 1 2 3 Curran (1997), A Field Guide to Irish Fairies, Appletree Press, ISBN 0-86281-634-3
  6. ↑ Keightley 1880, Fairy Mythology, p.371
  7. ↑ Wilde 1887, Ancient Tales, p.48
  8. ↑ The contrast between Croker's and Wilde's notions are taken from Mackillop 1998 under "pooka", except mention could not be found in Croker's body of works as Mackillop states, but only via Keightley.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Yeats, W.B.: "Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry", in A Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend, and Folklore, p. 94, ISBN 0-517-48904-X.
  11. ↑ Mackillop 1998, under glashtin
  12. ↑ Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí: The Lore of Ireland, page 270. The Boydell Press, 2006.
  13. ↑ "Harvey". IMDB. 1950.
  14. ↑ MacAvoy, R. A.. The Grey Horse (p. 37). Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy. Kindle Edition. "Donncha wanted very much to tell Father Ó Murchú that Ruairí was a púca: a horse fairy."
  15. ↑ "Robert Anton Wilson on Channeling and ET Contact". 9 March 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Pittsburgh Hurling Club". Pittsburgh Hurling Club. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  17. ↑ http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Pooka. Retrieved 2018-02-28. Missing or empty |title= (help)

Bibliography

  • Katharine Briggs, An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Boogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures, "Pwca", p 337. ISBN 0-394-73467-X.
  • Mary Chase, Harvey (Harvey the Pooka)
  • Thomas Liehr: Pukas: About the next relatives of the ‘big white rabbit’ known from “Harvey”. Book is English and German - bilingual! ISBN-10: 374672385X
  • Mackillop, James (1998), Dictionary of Celtic Mythology, Oxford: Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280120-1
  • Keightley, Thomas (1880), The Fairy Mythology (google) , p. 371
  • "Chapter: Fairy Help (The Phouka)", Wilde, Jane Francesca Elgee (Lady) (1887), Ancient legends,mystic charms,and superstitions of Ireland (google) , p. 48 (Boston, Ticknor, 1888)
  • "Mystical Mythology from around the World." Mystical Mythology from around the World. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Dec. 2014.
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