Leprechauns: Real History of Irish Folklore, Fairy Law, and Hidden Treasure

Watch/Listen to this Episode Leprechauns: Real History of Irish Folklore, Fairy Law, and Hidden Treasure License Info Leprechauns: Real History of Irish Folklore, Fairy Law, and Hidden Treasure Transcription Leprechauns: Real History of Irish Folklore, Fairy Law, and Hidden Treasure

Leprechauns are among the most recognizable figures in Irish folklore, yet the popular image of a cheerful green-clad fairy guarding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow is largely a modern invention. In this episode of the Wondering Monsters Podcast, the hosts explore the deeper mythology behind leprechauns, tracing their origins through ancient Irish legends, fairy traditions, and mysterious encounters. The discussion reveals that the traditional leprechaun is far stranger—and far more complex—than the cartoonish mascot many people imagine.

Modern Leprechaun Myths vs. Traditional Folklore

Modern culture often portrays leprechauns as playful, friendly figures dressed in bright green clothing. This imagery has been reinforced by advertising, holiday traditions, and pop culture. However, according to historical folklore, leprechauns were typically described very differently.

In traditional Irish stories, leprechauns were small, elderly-looking men who often wore red clothing rather than green. Their outfits sometimes resembled old-fashioned coats with gold buttons or even military-style jackets. They were frequently depicted as wrinkled and slightly grizzled rather than cheerful and cartoon-like.

The name "leprechaun" itself may originate from the Irish term luchorpán, meaning "small body." This description aligns with their portrayal as tiny solitary fairy folk rather than the whimsical creatures associated with modern imagery.

Leprechauns and the Fairy World

In Irish mythology, leprechauns are closely connected to the broader world of the fae, a complex group of supernatural beings often associated with the Otherworld. These beings are sometimes linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann, legendary figures believed to have ruled Ireland before humans arrived.

According to folklore, after being displaced by human settlers, these ancient supernatural beings retreated into hidden realms such as underground mounds, hills, and liminal spaces between worlds. Leprechauns are often considered a type of fairy connected to this tradition, though they differ from many other fae creatures.

Unlike the powerful nobles of the fairy courts, leprechauns are typically solitary beings. They wander alone rather than belonging to large fairy communities. This independence contributes to their mysterious nature and may explain why encounters with them often occur in isolated or transitional locations.

The Shoemaker of the Fairy World

One of the most distinctive characteristics of leprechauns in folklore is their association with shoemaking. In many stories, people who hear the sound of tapping or hammering in quiet places are said to be hearing a leprechaun working on shoes.

Some legends explain this by suggesting that leprechauns craft footwear for other members of the fairy world. Other stories claim they constantly repair their own shoes because they spend so much time wandering between realms.

A particularly symbolic detail sometimes appears in folklore: the leprechaun wearing one shoe while repairing the other. This imagery has been interpreted as representing the creature’s dual existence—one foot in the human world and one foot in the fairy realm.

The Truth Behind Leprechaun Gold

The famous "pot of gold" is another element that has been widely misunderstood. In traditional stories, leprechauns do not necessarily own great hoards of treasure themselves.

Instead, they are often portrayed as knowing the locations of hidden fairy treasure buried throughout Ireland. Humans who capture a leprechaun might demand that it reveal the treasure’s location, but the leprechaun almost always finds a clever way to escape or deceive its captor.

One well-known story involves a man forcing a leprechaun to identify the exact spot where treasure is buried. The man marks the location with a ribbon or stick so he can return later. However, when he comes back, he finds that identical ribbons or sticks have been placed everywhere, making it impossible to identify the correct spot.

These tales reinforce the idea that greed often leads to disappointment when dealing with the fae.

Magical Coins and Trickster Deals

While leprechauns may not possess vast treasure hoards, many legends describe them as owning magical purses or coins. In some stories, the coin inside their pouch always returns after being spent, allowing the leprechaun to maintain a steady supply of spending money without becoming wealthy.

Other stories describe enchanted purses that multiply coins endlessly. However, the endless wealth becomes a curse, driving the human owner mad as they obsessively count the growing pile of money.

These narratives emphasize an important theme common in fairy folklore: magical gifts often come with unintended consequences.

Fairy Law and Dangerous Agreements

Another recurring theme in stories about leprechauns and other fae beings is the concept of "fairy law." These supernatural rules govern agreements made between humans and fairy creatures.

According to folklore, if a fairy agrees to a bargain, it must fulfill that agreement—but usually in the most literal interpretation possible. This means wishes or deals can produce unexpected outcomes.

For this reason, many traditional stories warn against making bargains with the fae or even accepting gifts from them. Accepting something as simple as a drink could bind a person to a magical contract.

One story tells of a man who receives a drink from a leprechaun and later discovers he must work for the creature for seven years as payment. While the tasks may not always be terrible, the experience serves as a warning about the dangers of supernatural deals.

Encounters, Sightings, and Modern Reports

Despite their ancient origins, stories of leprechaun sightings occasionally appear in modern times. One reported case from 2006 described multiple witnesses claiming to have seen a small figure in a tree believed to be a leprechaun.

Whether such sightings are interpreted as folklore, misidentifications, or something more mysterious remains open to debate.

The hosts of Wondering Monsters Podcast also discuss how similar trickster spirits appear in other cultures. Japanese folklore includes the tanuki, a mischievous shapeshifting creature known for playing tricks and leaving behind objects that transform into leaves or sticks. These similarities suggest that many cultures share archetypal stories about trickster beings living just beyond the edge of human perception.

Liminal Spaces and Otherworldly Encounters

Many leprechaun stories take place in liminal environments—areas that exist between two states or worlds. Forest paths, crossroads, ruins, and remote countryside locations often serve as settings for encounters with the fae.

Some folklore suggests that individuals who wander into these places may briefly slip into the fairy realm. In such cases, strange encounters may occur before the person returns to the normal world.

These experiences often share common themes: strange lights, unexplained sounds like hammering, or brief sightings of mysterious figures that disappear when attention shifts.

What Leprechauns Reveal About Folklore

Ultimately, the story of the leprechaun illustrates how folklore evolves over time. Ancient myths rooted in Celtic belief systems gradually blended with medieval storytelling, later transforming again through literature, tourism, and popular culture.

While the modern version of the leprechaun may be cheerful and commercialized, the older legends portray something much more mysterious: a solitary fairy craftsman who inhabits the boundaries between worlds.

Whether viewed as myth, metaphor, or a lingering mystery from ancient traditions, the leprechaun remains one of the most fascinating figures in Irish folklore—and a reminder that not every treasure is meant to be found.

Links from the Show

• University of Utah Mushroom Research via Redirect
• Univeristy of Utah Mushroom Research at Archive.org via Redirect
• Time Slips Explained: Liminal Spaces, Bold Street, and the Block Universe
• Nessie Cryptid History: The Truth Behind the Loch Ness Monster
• What are Liminal Spaces and Why Do They Feel So Weird?
• Bigfoot, Sasquatch, and the Wild Man Tradition

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Licensing Information

• Title: Entry of the Gladiators
• Composer: Julius Fučík
• Library of Congress (Public Domain)
• Podcast theme song version edited/arranged/mixed by Dan Swift

Unless indicated, images appear in their original form.

Images were generated using AI from MyNinja.ai, NightCafe, lenso.ai, Gemini, or ChatGPT

Transcription

*Transcription was automatically generated and may contain errors.

(Music)

Baba: So you guys both tried to wear a green thing for today and were botched. And do you know what that sounds like to me? That sounds like the work of the leprechaun, actually. Of the trickster-esque energy of our diminutive folk.

WDG: Leprechauns. Most of what we associate with them is pretty much wrong and modern. So that's like, let's just start there. We'll just get that stuff out of the way. Pots of gold, rainbows, green, sprightly looking fairies, or even the horror movie version of it is also pretty wrong. But he's in green, isn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't get me wrong, there's something fun about the leprechaun movies that I still, it was kind of, especially the first one, I do kind of think it has a kind of funny energy to it. But it's like, but yeah, all of that stuff, leprechauns actually wear red. They do appear a little more wrinkly, like traditionally a small old kind of man. It's time for the Wondering Monster podcast. Missed pronounces a lot of things, stuff like this segment. The luch gropan, and it basically means small body. Unlike say like gnomes and stuff, they don't have the kind of like cherubic kind of features, they're a little more like grisly looking. Like a little old man. They're usually wearing red, often with like some kind of gold buttons. You know, sometimes it looks more like a military jacket, sometimes it's more of like an older style dress, you know, it just so it's like, and that's, they still sometimes will have pieces of like, you know, gold on their shoes and things like that. So that part is kind of correct. There's tricksters, you know, like that's often their thing, but they're not heavily malicious tricksters. They're part of the, again, mispronouncing the OSI, like they're like the underworld fairies.

Baba: I believe it's the Ishi. Yeah, it's not what you would think it was. Yeah, like, yeah, that's actually pronounced Ishi.

WDG: But those are like the like the basically fairy courts, like right there like these, who they were originally another thing which were almost like the old gods of the Ireland, which are like the the Tath'Dudan, like, and then they were during when the, when men came over, they kind of had a war with them and forced them to the like take up realm in like the underworld or the other world. So the mounds and they became the these fairy courts and that's so the the leprechauns were related to that, but they're not directly involved in the fairy court system because they're like solitary fairies and they're in, again, liminal spaces, they're the in between world kind of occupiers. They have similarities to like, say like brownies and other like house spirit type things, but instead they're usually out on their own, often occupying like ruined, you know, places that were supposedly occupied by the fairy folk or out in the, you know, like living on their own, running around doing stuff. And that's like where the the shoe thing comes in. There's like multiple like there's like, there's like a craftness to them. So sometimes they're craftsmen for like, or one of the craft peoples of the fairy kingdom. Sometimes they make shoes for money, like they're working on depending on the tale. Sometimes they're basically working on their own shoe because they're always running around. And so their shoes are always wearing out. There's often a depiction of leprechaun with one shoe on and one shoe off that they're fixing. The one shoe on the one shoe off is like they're they have one foot in this world and one foot in the other world. The like, so that's the kind of like, so that gives them that kind of spanning and they, you know, have like illusion magic and can trick people and do that stuff. But a lot of times it's they seems like often they might be like left alone. Like, like rather than they're not purposely like other spirits going out and trying to like go out and trick people. The only time it's like is in their their older form when they were like, this is like pre medieval when they were kind of like a water spirit. And there's like a tale that they like this king gets dragged down into like the water and try, they try to drown him, but he captures them and they make him grant wishes and then he gets magical powers. You know, so it's like there's this like that. But then after that, it's kind of shifting to the more like, I guess familiar version of it. That's like this wandering, like fairy sprite spirit. And yeah, they some like the cobbling hammer thing is like, often that's how you know, one might nearby to hear the sound of hammering like working, you know, it's like the the association with the treasure, like that we think of like the gold is actually not their treasure. It's the treasure of the heat. They know where the treasure is hidden from the like for the that the fairies have hidden in the mountains. So they know that like location. So often when people are trying to get the treasure from them, it's more like they're trying to get the like give the location. So there's like one story that comes into play where the leprechaun is like, you know, like a man captures them because they're often captured. He makes them to release them. He wants them to say where the treasure is or the treasure is located, which is like. And so depending on the version, it's either in a bush that he ties a red ribbon to or it's in a vlog field and they put a stick where the treasure is. And when he comes back to retrieve it, the leprechaun like has put ribbons all over the bushes or put sticks all over the field. So the guy like to say it's like that's where the trickster part comes in. Like it's kind of like the the wish fulfilled, but like in a way that's not very fulfilling. But it's usually like like leprechauns aren't usually like malicious or vengeful or like going to hurt people. It's like more just like they're trying to get away. And it often is like we're like someone tries to rob them and take their magical purse, you know, that has like a coin that comes back to them and then they take the leprechaun gives them a person. The person wants more treasure. And so he goes, well, here, hold my purse and I'll go get the keys to my other treasure. And then when the leprechaun leaves, the purse turns to a big like boulder or something like that, you know, it's like there's like the you know, there's kind of like that, like, or they choose treasure over the like, you know, like a favor or something like that. And the treasure turns to like dust or leaves or something, you know, there's all this kind of like, yeah, the treasure is like unattainable by humans anyway, probably because it's fairy treasure. And then like the leprechauns personal treasure isn't that it's like, it's like his little magical stuff, usually like a little like, like the pouch with a returning, like ever present gold coin or shilling or whatever, you know, the myth is that he can spend and then immediately it comes back to him like in his thing. So he's not like rich, he just has this magical returning coin that you know, so it's like, it's small amounts of money or he has his like nice gold buckles on his shoes or his tools that are very fancy or something, you know, so this kind of like this interesting kind of definitely not as like malicious as I feel like some of the kind of stuff is turned into and certain but also not as like friendly and like, you know, lucky charms as the kind of more it's funny 19th, 20th century version of that. leprechauns are just usually running around, not necessarily causing mischief, but when they're seeing they'll make mischief, but they do have like rules like that they the thing that really pisses them off is when people trick them to break the rules because this is also like seems to be a common theme in like certain fairy type stuff is like the very like they assume that like when these rules are laid out, even though like you might be able to like bend it by saying like, well, I'll show you where the treasure is, but I'll also trick you, you know, like you won't really be able to find it when you come back. It's like, but if someone like but if a human like tricks them using their kind of own kind of logic stuff or, or tries to get one over on them, they can get mad and vengeful and a little kind of angry, you know, so it's like, it's really like, that's the thing that makes them most mad is like breaking, you know, breaking these like kind of like agreed upon, you know, like, like, even like they might be tricksters, they have like an honest set of rules, you know, that they abide by.

Baba: Well, that's the thing. So there are these, there are these rules like this, like, what's sometimes but seemingly called fairy law, which is kind of interesting. And like, it's got like these ideas of like, they, they get they when they agree to something, they are bound to fulfill their agreement, literally, like that. And they often will do it in a literal kind of way like that, like they'll, oh, yeah, they'll give you your wish. But in a way that's like, really annoying and like, literally, like interpreting what you say literally, so you really have to be careful about your words around them. And actually, probably the best advice is don't form any kind of agreement or contract at all, because you actually can wind up in this fae contract that like even even saying thanks to the fae is ill advised because it's

WDG: like, don't like when you thank them for the,

Baba: yeah, they actually don't even really like being talked about. But we're already in it. So we're gonna do a little bit of it. But yeah, it's but yeah, there are these these weird kind of fairy rules, we you could probably like, you they disappear when you look away from them a lot of the time. So you gotta kind of gotta hold your attention. You know, yeah, they're, they're, they're a tricky, a tricky bunch. But um, and apparently, there are still like, like claims of, of sightings of leprechauns. There's a 2006 2006 one where a bunch of people claimed to have seen a leprechaun in a tree was a witness by multiple people. I was say, I mean, they tend to be like a place bound. The fae in general, I think are kind of like a place bound species. So so I think they tend to just be like right around the UK. But which is probably good for those of us on the other side of that year.

WDG: Not likely to run into them. Like Ireland in that sense, you know, it's like, yeah. And I think from a mistake, like the different, the different like higher fairies have different courts in different areas, you know, like, I kind of like think of like, like realms like similar to like, Greek gods, you know, and stuff like that, you know, like, they might have like, Oh, I rule over this section or this, you know, like, so there's different, you know, like orders of that. So that does make you kind of place bound, I guess, you know, yeah, yeah.

Danny C: Well, when we talked about the Loch Ness Monster, you know, we talked about Lake Champlain, we talked about a number of other lakes ahead, you know, other monsters, allegedly, are there things that are like leprechauns that are associated with other regions of the world? Like, does Russia have something? Does China have something? Does South America? Does anyone, does anyone know anything about that? I mean, like, it's

Baba: funny, because like, you wind up with these similarities, like these weird things that overlap, like, like actually the, when the leprechaun is described, they're often described as having clothes that might be a little ill fitting, they might have a lot of buttons, but they're not buttoned up. I mean, they're often they often have impressive shoes, but like, they almost seem like, like they're trying to appear like people.

WDG: That's the like in between world thing, you know, it's like they're like, they might have a hat, you know, and like, they have a little bit of a like, sometimes it's like a tie corner hat, sometimes it's like a pointed hat, sometimes it's like, yeah, they're kind of like, yeah, they're not because they don't operate in the, they're like the, they're like, imagine like, if the fairies are like the like super ruling magical, like, elf people, leprechauns are kind of like the like, working clowns, like, working class, normal folk, like, of the fairy kingdom, like they're like, they're not, and they're not really in the courts and in that stuff, they're out doing their own thing, like, you know, just kind of. Yeah, yeah.

Baba: And that's, that's kind of one of the interesting qualities to leprechaun, we'll probably have to return to too. But and the so the, the thing about the money that turns into, do we talk about like the, you have leprechaun gold, but then it like turns into leaves, or something, or rocks or something, when the leprechauns gone. And so it's like, but that is much like the, what we would probably call the tanuki, or the, I think it's actually tanuki. But it, you know, tanuki, like tanuki mario, it's, it's actually the actual, it's actually an animal, it's a Japanese animal that looks very much like a raccoon, they call it, called the raccoon dog often. And it's, so that's the actual animal. But the in, in folklore, the tanuki is a trickster that, unlike, unlike the, the fox, the kitsune, unlike the kitsune, the tanuki's tricks often don't really have a point, except for like, it's just kind of messing around. Like, it's just kind of having a good time. And it's, it's a shapeshifter, but sometimes part of it doesn't shape shift or something. So that might give it away. It and one of the things it'll do is it'll pay for things with money, that then winds up being like leaves or sticks or some nonsense. But and that, that seems, it's very, that's very common in that, in that kind of a story, you know, where it's like, it's kind of like something was standing in for something else. And then like, once the phenomena was gone, there's just nothing left of there's no trace of it. There's no proof, you know, of what that's of what you saw. Oftentimes, it happens when you're alone, you're in the, or you're, you're between places, and you run into your some music, you know, and you follow it. Don't you see some lights and you follow them. Don't you survive these things.

WDG: I was just saying that the thing that's interesting that the leprechaun like versus even what you're saying with like, like other kinds of like, it keeps saying trickster. It's like, but it doesn't seem like he's out. Like, like, to Nuki's might be out doing mischief because they like cause a mischief, you know, it's like fun for them. leprechaun is like, it almost seems like people stumble upon them. And then like, are like, Hey, I'm gonna like Rob. It doesn't seem like leprechauns are like wandering around into places be like, hey, I'm gonna use some magic to get one over on these people or something like that. It's more just like, there might be like one or two stories that are like kind of like, he, like if they're helping out, but it's like, with somebody, but again, it's like a thing, like they might be helping in a house or like something, and then the person changes the agreement, and then they get pissed, you know, and then they cause a ruckus or something.

Baba: Did you hear this one? It's a story of a guy named Billy. And he, he's walking home. And from like the tavern or something like that. And he's like, I wish I had just a good drop of high quality top shelf stuff right now. Yeah. And a leprechaun appears and he's like, essentially like, say no more, Billy, like, and he gives him this tankard, this giant, you know, big as the leprechaun is, it's the story I heard. He gives him this tankard of this stuff and he drinks it and, well, then the leprechaun wants to be paid, but Billy doesn't have any way of paying. And so the leprechaun says, well, now you got to work for me for seven years. And well, what choices he has. So he's, he's bound into one of these contracts. He accepted a gift. Even if you ask for it, it's dangerous accepting a gift from these folks sometimes. Just saying, not because I don't do that.

WDG: You know, where he's a like the leprechaun is basically ends up helping out with a person like who's making wine and maintaining their like wine cellar in exchange that leprechaun gets to let's the drink the wine, you know, and then the other, the guy decides like he doesn't want to make wine anymore. And like, he doesn't feel like it as a leprechaun gets pissed and like make some drink more wine and keep some like the guys trying to like, you know, say, like, you know, so it's like, but that's like, yeah, it's like the, it's like there was an agreement and the person, yeah, the agreement versus like, but like, yeah, they don't seem like they're like, usually like, it doesn't seem like they're often seeking out

Baba: people to the seven years of labor with Billy, it winds up not actually being that big. Not being that big because it winds up being these like cases of like, he wants Billy to help him with some breaking and entering. And then they're drinking wine in wealthy people's cellars. So Billy's like, probably making some shoes or something like that. So I mean, he kind of, he again, you kind of get your wish in the in the literal kind of way, you know, in that kind of so it's, it's kind of like another thing of like, the be careful what you ask for kind of thing. There are other overlaps with the money thing, the money that goes back into the leprechaun's purse. There's a story I've heard of a, of a witch that that was one of her things is she would go into town and she would pay with money and buy things. And then when she went back home, it would reappear in her wallet and it'd be missing from whoever she paid.

WDG: Now see that I can't quite find, I couldn't quite find if the leprechaun myth, if it went back into his wallet, or it was just basically he like, he can, he had like infinite, small change, like it was like, like, you know, because in one story, the the the purse is like, he like a person gets the purse, right? And he's like, away from the leprechaun. And the money keeps multiplying in the purse. And the person becomes obsessed with taking the money out and counting it until he goes insane, you know, because the money is like infinite and will never stop. And he just like, you know, so it's like he wanted to be super wealthy, and he got it. But like the, but the counting of the coins, like he couldn't basically stop counting them. And he like went mad, or like, so it's like, so it's hard to say like, whether it's like, the leprechaun is getting what over or it's just like, he has like the one showing that reappears, he spends it and the person has it, but then he goes to somewhere else and he has one to get it's just like, he always has like, a small amount of money off. For things like so. And so it's like, again, like the leprechaun himself doesn't have this vast treasure that he can over indulge and become wealthy with, but he has enough, like spending money at any given time to get a healthy allowance to get a drink and to cash flow.

Baba: Not a bad wish, not a bad wish if you have to make a wish sometime.

WDG: But around that cash between the humans, the humans want this, want the hoard, so they can be like wealthy and powerful. And the leprechaun doesn't care about that stuff. You know, it's like, he's like, because he doesn't need it for his like, you know, kind of like, lucky, go lucky lifestyle, you know, versus the wealthy, powerful lifestyle, you know, I think it's like kind of the, the juxtaposition.

Baba: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think not. As long as your, your stuff is paid, you should be good. What else do you need? Have your stuff, just pay for your stuff when you can, you know? Yeah. Yeah. And then that's, and then you can, I don't know, I guess sit around with that stuff and pretend you're all cool, you know? But the leprechaun knows the truth. He knows you're a hollow, you're a hollow shell. No, you don't need that much money, people. And certainly don't steal it from the fae because it's, you'll get more than you, than you've been bargained for. But there are those similarities. And that's kind of the funny thing about the, it's not so much like, there are credible like claims of leprechaun sightings per se, right? But there are other things around the world, like when it comes to whether it's cryptids, like I talked about, like the fire associated with like lights. And that's like willow the wisps and things like that are also these like these lights, these floating lights out in the, you know, but they're associated with Bigfoot. There's and other things like these ghostly lights. But so it's kind of interesting when you see these things that are like, they're detailed in these old stories. And it's kind of like, well, have people just been always seeing this stuff? Or is the fact that these stories are like woven into our stuff? Why we see these things? You know what I mean? Like, is it? You know, is it is it documented perception? Or is it projection of a long held story? Or is there both? Or is there a difference? There you go. There the worms go get them.

Danny C: Well, how far back to leprechaun stories go? Does anyone know?

WDG: It's well, it seems to be like in like the earliest like sort of written accounts are like seventh to eighth century. Yeah, that's where then like then in the medieval stuff, it starts taking on thing and then like, I guess like the like pre Victorian, a lot of like fairy stuff becomes very popular, you know, but because it's like, but it is woven into like, like that, like I said, like this ancient, like old Irish mythology, like the stuff that's supposed to be like the about the people who were there before the the gales came, you know, like came to Ireland, you know, so before gala culture. So it was like, and it's like, so there's this kind of like, at least in the medieval Lord, it's like kind of like squaring the culture that existed there before with the culture and a way to incorporate like, you know, like the older religions and older folklore in with things like Christianity and stuff like that. So like, so there's probably stories that are like, even older, or it's based on even older, like myths, but it's like where it kind of shows up is trying to, you know, get this, all this mythology crammed with, you know, with modern religion at the time.

Danny C: I'm going off my memory here, so I might be a little off. But I think the gin, if I can remember correctly, they can shape shift. But in doing so they don't get something a feature quite right. So you might have like, they could shape shift into a human. But maybe they have like this unnaturally large smile or something like that. And it just kind of made me think of, you know, what you're saying before about the leprechauns and how it's like, their appearance isn't quite right, you know, that they're the clothing they're wearing or something. It isn't quite right. And it's like, I wonder if and the trickster nature, even though, you know, the gin, they despise us, you know, it sounds almost like a weird, almost like very slight similarity between the two. I thought it was interesting.

Baba: Yeah, I agree. And it's like, and when you get into so like, like UFO stuff, specifically ones that are like tales of like these airships that are like megonians, this idea that these people that live in the sky, they're basically these stories of boats in the sky, literal boats, wooden vessels, because the people of this time that you didn't have any flying things like that, like any flying craft. But I'm not saying they were like, Oh, well, that's a boat. No, it's like, they're describing it like it's like they knew what a boat looked like, you know, and like the people that I know what a boat looks like kind of like approximate things, but they're like a little bit off. You know, again, like it's kind of like, almost like, I don't know, pretend it's people from the year 5000. And they found a way to time travel, and they are coming back and they're just trying to basically remember based on some things they, I don't know, saw in the pre AI internet. You know, they're like, well, that might be reliable. No, it was never reliable. And they're like, Okay, we're gonna go back. This must be it. You know, like, it's like, no, like, you're wrong. Like, that's not, you know, that you're not blending in with that stuff, you know. And that's almost like what's going on with the face. Sometimes, like, it's kind of like, there's just like weird, weird kind of thing. But oftentimes with the UFO stuff, you get that kind of thing too, where it's like approximating something and doesn't quite get it, which makes you really wonder like, well, what the heck's all this UFO stuff, which is whole different?

WDG: Well, can I like, I mean, because like the something like the left hand is like, basically different than like the weird face of I feel like, you know, those are talking about it almost feels like it could fall into the realm of cryptid type of thing. There's things that happen when they show up certain noises that appear, you know, before you find one, right? The hammering, that's the whole thing, you know, that sounds like hammering, they're there, and then they're gone. Yes, there are tales of them being in houses. But when that happens, it's like they're hiding out in the basement. It's not usually like, I'm in town hanging out at the bar, drinking or I'm like, you know, stopping in the marketplace and buying stuff. It's usually like, they're raiding a wine cellar or they're held up in like a barn.

Danny C: So here's a fun story for you. I'm talking about hammers and hammering sounds. This goes back a couple of years. So typically, Lauren goes to bed before me. And I give her like 20 minutes to kind of like settle upstairs, and I'll go to bed. And this one particular night, I was lying on the sofa, and I had my iPad open, and I was watching a YouTube video. And I start to nod off. And I'm awoken by the sound of hammering. And this is like 1030 11 o'clock at night. And pause there for a second. When it comes to sound, when it comes to electronic music, there are two parameters for sound, you have velocity and you have volume, two very distinct things. So something that has a high velocity, think of that as shouting, low velocity is whispering. However, it's possible to turn up the volume of whispering to make it loud, even though it has a very low velocity. Okay, so that's the difference between velocity and volume. So I kind of nod off, and I hear this hammering of a very high velocity. And I wake up and I'm playing like, who's hammering this late at night? Like, what are they doing? It's and I just kind of like, I'm there never doing anything make I don't go to investigate or anything. And eventually it stops in some capacity. And I'm like, I've always seen a whatever. Second night, same exact thing happens. Lauren goes up to bed. I'm on the sofa, iPad, not off again, awoken by this high velocity habits, man, man, man, man. I'm like, what are they doing? So this time I actually get up off the sofa. And I walk through the living room, I walk into the kitchen, because it's coming from like the other side, like where my neighbors would be on the other side of the kitchen, essentially. So I get about halfway into the kitchen, and the volume of the hammer pounding goes down and fades out. So weird. So weird.

WDG: Well, hopefully you don't have a, like some kind of house. Like a brownie. Yeah. Do you have stuff been fixed? Like some of your milk been missing? I didn't notice. I didn't notice.

Danny C: It was there's one of those two nights and it was weird that it was, you know, my first conclusion is like, oh, I was half asleep. You know, it's but it was just interesting. I was like the same exact scenario on two exact two consecutive nights.

Baba: Have you noticed any like very small shoes of high quality?

Danny C: No, no, no high quality shoes, no gold coins, nothing.

WDG: Does it seem like you thought maybe like the kids cleaned up, but they probably did it. Somebody got like cleaned up the area and you're like, yeah, that was nice of them. Did I did the dishes or something?

Danny C: We didn't do that. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. How big are leprechauns supposed to be? Are they like under a foot, like three to four?

WDG: What do they supposed to be around? Like, like, like they tell them small body. They're supposed to look like little old men. So I think they're sitting around like three feet, one meter, somewhere like that.

Baba: I mean, it's interesting because like, again, like when it comes to place bound spirits, that's also could describe a haunting, you know, more so than a creature itself, depending. So like, so some of the qualities wind up with that kind of a thing. And it's like, but again, is what you're seeing what it actually is, or is it something trying to appear? To be something else. Like, I got back into the aliens for just a second here. There's an encounter. I'll have to get the details on exactly where this takes place or has said to have taken place. But a farmer has, he looks outside and there is not only is there a craft outside, but there are some beings out there that are cooking some food. He approaches these beings and he winds up getting one of these cakes from them, these little patties. And they, I don't know, they, I guess they're on their way. They needed a cup of sugar. But they're on their way. They're making these little pancake things. He turns it in when he talks about this, he reports this incident. And it's analyzed in a lab. And it's like, a lot of it's just like kind of like normal stuff. Like, it's like this barley kind of stuff. But notably, there's like, there's no salt. And that's kind of interesting because one of the things you do to keep certain, it's like a spirit boundary or like, you know, like protection against the fae is salt. So it's like, like salt and iron is another one.

WDG: Yeah, I was like, is this a ghost rule segment?

Baba: Because it'll probably fall into ghost rules.

WDG: Yeah, iron. Yeah, like there's, yeah, people like

Baba: apparently clothing worn inside out is productive against the fae, which remember that in the there was like a trend where people were just like, purposely wearing things inside out like as like, I guess just as they do something, you know, much they go high that they didn't care. But actually, I think, yeah, I think some people were wise to it. So but but but it's interesting, because like, we're, I mean, going back to like the place bound spirit type thing, it's like, there are enough similarities to things in this that happen around the world. Is this just the localized emanation of that, like the things we call leprechaun encounters or fae encounters? I'm sure people are very opinionated on that. And they should leave their opinions in the comments to that. What do you mean you have an opinion on fairies?

WDG: So why is that

Danny C: supposed to why not? Why would that work over flour or sugar or ground up parsley or something like that?

WDG: Yeah, I mean, salt is weird. Because salt also comes like again, with ghost rules, like salt is like you can put salt like on the boundaries of things like door ways and without ghosts, like they don't keep out spirits, you know, they can use salt, right as circles to trap demons supposedly or protect you from like, you know, I think it's like isn't just because salt is like, often considered like a purification thing, like it's historically, across many cultures, it's like salt is usually associated with like, like pure, I

Baba: mean, you can like salt meat, for instance, to to preserve, you know, and things like that. Yeah. So I think it's got this like, association with being this, and then the superstitious, curative,

WDG: like, though you spill salt, you got to toss it over your shoulder or something like that. Yeah. For you. But also, then there's like, well, or does tossing this salt over your shoulder, is that an act of trying to create good luck? I don't know.

Baba: Yes, salt has long been a thing of value to be worth your weight in salt. Or the word salary is derived from the same as people used to be paid in salt, I believe it was like Rome who used to pay people in salt. Not everybody, I don't think but there was at least one form of payment. Um, yeah, I'd be so

WDG: that probably the iron is weird, though, like that does come up too, in a lot of things like, you know, it's like, like, I can like, you know, I mean, I'm also like, which probably crosses into like, stuff with like, silver, how like, you know, silver is effective against werewolves, werewolves, or yeah, like vampires, and I

Baba: think they're trying to think about iron, you generally speaking, I mean, you're, you're heating it, you know, you're cooking it in fire, you know, so again, it's that purification kind of, you know, putting work into it if it's some kind of a blade or a nail.

Danny C: Well, steel is a pure form of iron, right?

WDG: It's an alloy.

Baba: Like, yeah, steel is what it's partly, I believe it's partly nickel. And, and just other carbon. Yeah.

WDG: Yeah, but just like straight, like iron ore, right? You know, like, so like, that you, that you take out the impurities and more steel is like, yeah, depending on the type of students,

Baba: steel is iron and or steel that has gone through the Bessemer process.

WDG: But it's like, but yeah, because like, obviously, like, the tensile strength of steel depends on the type of alloy that you put in it, because like, some of it, you want steel to be certain steel, you want it to be harder, but it's less like, it's less stretchy, you know, essentially, and like, if it's more stretchy, it's less hard, you know, it's like, that depends on how you mix the mixture.

Danny C: But where I'm going with this, if iron serves as like a protective boundary, so to speak, do like the nails in your home or the steel structure rebuilding, does that create almost like a I just had the phrase, it's like a like a Faraday cage for leprechauns where it's like, they can't, they can't go in.

WDG: I don't know. I think like you think you have to actually like with the as far as I know, with the iron, you gotta like get them like stick to right Chris, it's like this stick a fairly with it. It's not just like, I mean, I guess you can put them in an iron cage, they wouldn't be able to touch it or something because that's like kind of burn them or something.

Baba: I mean, there are things where like with different spirits, you can like, take their name or their sigil or something and drive an iron nail through it or do things to it. And that'll, you know, Hollywood movie voodoo style will like affect the you know, but yeah, it's yeah, there's sometimes y'all have horseshoes will be nailed to the wall that are said to keep witches away. Sometimes they'll also keep Bigfoot

WDG: away, or Bigfoot who's also a practicing witch

Baba: and there is an association with Bigfoot witches that we'll talk about in some future conversation. But the the now the horseshoe is a funny thing because of course now we're back to the leprechaun as a cobbler. It's interesting, some of these symbols, I'm curious about the the worn the clothing worn inside out. I once heard of a spell for getting rid of if you were being haunted, that you I don't know, you like walk backwards at your door and spin three times. Like it was some kind of it was like this weird kind of like backwards confusing kind of thing. I think it was just supposed to confuse the spirit. I think when it comes to like, is there stuff to this? There's this similarity just these tales told around the world, you know, these like weird things. And it's kind of like, so you got to wonder, okay, we talked about Bigfoot, we talked about all this like, sometimes it's got six feet toes, sometimes it has three, sometimes it looks like a bird, sometimes it's 12 feet tall. And it's like this, sometimes it's three feet tall, like the albatwitch. And so it's like, is it just that we're like this like interdimensional highway for these things coming through and we did they just happened to we see them in these weird places, or when we're in weird states, we can see them kind of thing.

WDG: But sometimes it's probably with like the fairy stuff. Because I mean, right, it's like, because like, you know, usually you don't travel to the fairy world necessarily. It's like an ease, like, it's that whole like, you walk in the woods, then all of a sudden, you're somewhere else, like not too dissimilar to from like the time slip or limbials, but it's like, oh, but that's the that's the you were in the fae world, you fall into like the, you know, and like, like that, the leopard con, he's got the whole one shoe off one shoe on thing, because he's always sort of in the fae world sort of not like he's like, he's like, he's actually in between them all the time. It's like, it's kind of like he can, he can move more easily between those things. And like, when you fall in there, it's like, oh, that's just screwed. You just ended up, you might get killed, or you might end up coming back as an old person. Yeah.

Danny C: Hold on that for a second. So earlier, you talked about being resemblance to an old man, like a small old man.

Baba: Yeah.

Danny C: Ever a small woman?

WDG: Oh, no, not really. Okay, so leopard guns are usually just small old men. It doesn't seem like there's any female leopard counts.

Baba: So which is always curious when you find those kind of like weird asymmetries or these things that aren't explained that often like, lens to like this feeling that there might be something behind this, you know, like, like when it's like, why were those things they're cooking these pancakes? Why did Bigfoot give the mouse body wrapped in a leaf?

WDG: You know, but maybe because it's like, there's, they're just a male fae that kind of look like this, right? That that's their thing. You know, they're just, yeah, I guess there's other fae that are different type, you know,

Baba: maybe they're doing magic in the world they're from, and they're stepping into this world, which is where magic is useful for them. And they drop these weird things over here, like mice wrapped in leaves. And that's like me, like, oh, no, like, wrapping a GI Joe in the name of an enemy and tie it up and throw it in the sewer. You know, and it's like, but maybe when I walk into the same realm and drop it off.

WDG: But what'd you say? And then the raccoons find it.

Baba: And it is a strange world we live in. And all these all these things, but like, it's hard to write off just says like, all right, now here's a weird thing I just heard about this is related. And it's like a strange, strange, I promise this is related. It's a strange story. There's a, there's a mushroom that is known to produce I actually I think I still have this. It's an article to Did you see this the little pollution hallucinations?

Danny C: Yeah, I talked hard about it too. I was like, you're not gonna believe this.

Baba: It is a mushroom. And I saw Paul Stamets posted something about it. Paul Stamets is the man when it comes to mushrooms, him and Trat Trat Carter. Yeah, but the but when it comes to all kinds of mushrooms, if you want to talk specific, but different show different show. All right, so it is called, this is the part where I mispronounced something, but maybe not too bad. It's a land, Mal, Asiatica. It is, it is in looks like Papua New Guinea is somewhere that it's been encountered, God knows where else. It doesn't matter. But yeah, University of Utah has an article out on it. So basically what it does, though, it causes these hallucinations, but like consistent hallucinations of little elf like people, or little fey type people crawling up furniture and walls and clothing and things like that, like, but it's like consistent with different people that have eaten. And if you think about other hallucinogenic mushrooms, you might be familiar with, again, different conversation. But you're not necessarily gonna have like consistent hallucinations. There are things that people say, like, Oh, well, I saw this kind of thing. It's like, I that sounds very familiar to me, you know, but it's not like, always the same kind of Oh, yeah, if you eat that mushroom, and it's not thoroughly cooked, you might have these hallucinations, these little people. And more curious, from what I understand, they have not discovered a psychoactive property, substance in these things. Like, it's not like, Oh, well, it contains psilocybin. So it, yeah, it makes you makes you trip.

Danny C: You know, but I said the same exact thing to Lauren. I was like, it's so fascinating that the hallucination is generally exactly the same among different people. I thought that was really amazing. We'll include the link to it in the show notes. People can check out the article.

Baba: Absolutely. I'll send it to you after we after we wrap today. So yeah, very strange. Okay, so what

WDG: like, mushrooms and garden domes are always associated.

Baba: And so there's a thing called a fairy ring. That is, it's a circle of mushrooms. Now there's a scientific explanation for it cover up, cover up, cover up. There's a scientific explanation for it. Now I'm not gonna get into because they can spread their own propaganda. I'm telling you about fairy rings. And it's like, it's a gate to it marks the entry into fairy territory. Consider before you cross over one, or if something looks like a gateway to another world, things that also might indicate it is if you're looking at something and you say, that looks like a doorway. That kind of looks like a doorway. Well, consider not going through that unless you want to go through a doorway.

WDG: Well, we talked about leprechauns and we're gonna get into our like, when we get to our final judgment kind of things. It's like, how do we like, want to approach this? Is it just gonna be like, hey, here's some hammering, are you gonna like, check it out? Do you want to like, would you make a deal with the leprechaun if you did, like catch them and they're like, hey, like, I'll give you something or, or you just like, you know, it's like, like, what's the what's the criteria that we're gonna give it or just like the leprechaun itself like this, like feel like, oh, well, you know, it's not, I'm not going to Ireland anytime soon. I don't have to,

Baba: I think we might have to because we're not local to to the to these specific phenomena. I think like, yeah, they like, it stops being scary, right? Like, we like, we talked about ghost ships. And it's like, well, if I'm not on a ship, I'm not that scared of it. I don't know if we can broaden it to these types of spirits. I guess it's kind of like, yeah, like, that's the same thing. We're in Ireland. Actually, all of us have Irish ancestry. Do we not? So we're in Ireland visiting Ireland, as one would when they were there. And we have we're wandering alone, for some reason, stupid Americans. And we encounter a leprechaun. You

WDG: hear some hammering and you wonder, despite

Baba: my warnings, the warnings you heard on the best podcasts ever this past year, you decide to follow it. I decided to follow it. I'm the one that gave the advice. I decided to follow it. And I encounter the leprechaun. And it is it scary? Here's what's scary, that there's this thing that says something about the world that we're in, in an unmistakable way, that all of a sudden all the rules have to be thrown out unless you know your ghost rules, all the rules have to be thrown out. I think that would be it would be it wouldn't be so much that I'd be scared of the leprechaun. I think, though, that like that that encounter would be so unbelievably weird, that like everything you thought you knew about reality would be gone. Because like, it's not the guy on Lucky Charms. Like it is, it is like weird. And here it is, making shoes or whatever. Like you if you believe that you hadn't just lost your sanity, although itself, I'd have to say three monsters. Not I'd say to it. Now I'll give it three. I'll give it three. That's like my my safe place here. Because like, I think it would be spooky and weird enough. First of all, that like, I don't know if I would believe that what I was looking at was actually really what was real. I'd be like, what the hell is this really? Like, because I don't think it's a leprechaun,

WDG: you know, so you certainly wouldn't try to catch it and then get some something out of it.

Baba: Well, okay, so now here's here's the other part, because there are there are spirits I would make a deal with on purpose. But I think when it comes to this kind of thing, what you call it really matters. And I would not make a deal with any otherworldly entity I encountered in any of the UK to tell you the truth.

WDG: I feel pretty much very so much you but I think my thing would be like, yes, I hear the saying like it just happens to be like a like you turn a corner, whatever you're walking back to your like where you're staying or something like that down like some road and turn it and you see this. I feel like my approach to it was similar, like that quite is similar to you. But like, it's definitely gonna be the three monster realm. But it's like, I probably appreciate like, you know, when like, we got to use like single public restroom and someone decides to not like lock the door and you like it kind of tap but they don't hear you gonna open it. They're like, Oh, God, it's like someone's in here. Like, I feel like that's the kind of like, like reaction I would have to like see I'd be like, clearly walked in on something that I don't. I'm not going to try to catch the leprechaun. I know the bad stuff that's going to happen. Greed is bad. I already I already got that lesson down. I don't need need need to need a refresher in it. I don't want to get roped into, you know, working for the leprechaun for seven years or something, you know, bad like it's like, probably would just kind of turn away and probably when you did that, he'd be gone, right?

Baba: You know, like a possum isn't going to kill you usually, you know, but like, when you encounter one unexpectedly,

WDG: small guy dressed in red with a hammer. But yeah, three monsters because I don't think they're purposely out to get you either. So it's like, so I don't feel like that's like the, you know, it's like you, it does seem to be like you got to like, try to get them to give you something and that's when they really want to get one over on you, you know, and it's like, so I feel like, but it's definitely a not that yeah, it would be a weird encounter. So three, three monsters for me.

Baba: Yeah. Danny C, you trying to get his lucky charms?

Danny C: Maybe, maybe, the whole grain now. So maybe. So I thought about this about a couple of different ways. And I tried thinking about it strictly by the way, which we described as this, you know, the thing that may be like supernatural in some way, you kind of stumble upon it, you know, and versus like, what if it is a real person, like you just happen to stumble across someone in the forest or whatever, and they're carrying a hammer and whatever. And I react to both of those scenes. So I'm trying to think about that. And here's what I've come up with. I think that I, and this is my initial, my initial thought. I think I have to rank this a one. And my logic behind it is assuming everything we talked about is accurate to the story. If he's hammering something, it's like he's fixing a shoe. So seeing that there's nothing like overly scary about that. It's kind of like, Oh, someone's fixing a shoe. That's weird. You know, guy dressed in red, which I wouldn't be expecting like guy dressed in red. Okay, whatever.

WDG: You know, turn around the woods, you know,

Danny C: yeah, just okay, like turn around, maybe it's gone. But I think it would be kind of like what you were saying, Bible word be like a very weird experience. And like, how do you come to grips with that, especially if you notice all of a sudden it's gone. Okay. And this leads me to the follow up that we're all going to tackle. Okay. And that is, you have this experience. What do you do next? Do you tell anyone about it? Do you keep it to yourself? Do you think I better go see a neurologist? There's something going on in my head. What do you do next? And for me, I would probably like, keep it to myself for a while and then share it. I don't know that I would assume it's a medical condition, which is probably bad. But based on the other experience I've had with like the shadow person I saw, and the hammering sounds, you know, and different other things that I've experienced, it's like I've kind of assumed paranormal. So I probably assumed that as well. But I'm curious, Baba, you're on deck. What do you do next?

Baba: I would definitely tell Sharon about it. I'd be like, look, I mean, with all the caveats, I put around any experience I have. I don't know if this is real, you know, but this weird thing happened to me today. I do not know what to say about it. But yeah, I would I would definitely, I mean, there, I happen to have other other weird folks in my life that I can tell these kinds of things. And they're like, yeah, that's about right for Baba. I don't know if I believe it either. But these seem sincere. Yeah. So yeah, I think, I think so. Like, I would not go. I wouldn't make an internet video about it. I don't think I might tell like, if we're having this conversation, it's like, oh, someone hung in here for 3540 minutes talking about this thing. Like, yeah, they're gonna hear a story about how I saw leprechauns, you know. But yeah, all right. Let's continue in this same order.

WDG: Okay, I don't think I'd question my sanity unless I kept seeing leprechauns. Like that would be like, if I if that would be a whole different thing. If I was like, I went to somewhere, I saw a leprechaun, then like, I fly back to the United States. And then the leprechauns like hanging out in my basement or something like that, making shoes. Then I start, maybe you start questioning what's going on. Like, did you come back? You know, but if it's just that once, and it went away, and I didn't see it, and it was like, and it also depends if I'm going to Ireland and did I stop at a few pubs? Is this my mo? Okay, back from that at the time, like, does that affect that might affect how much I freaked out about it or not? I might, if I had a couple, a couple drinks before I saw one, I might be like, well, that was weird. If I didn't, and it was like the middle of the day, and I just happened to like, like, I might find it more strange. But if it didn't repeat itself, I wouldn't think of mental stuff. But when I tell people, I don't know if I'd like, tell like, I think I find the same thing. I probably be like, I wouldn't believe this weird thing. Like, you know, but I saw this to like, maybe a few people who might expect about it's like, but overall, yeah, I probably wouldn't be shouting it from the rooftops. But I wouldn't expect it to be unless it was like, it followed you around and kept bothering you, then I might start seeking some help from multiple sources, maybe somebody who gets rid of, you know, or following you and someone that maybe a neurologist, like, maybe I need to get some of those mushrooms and get some little people to help me like, he

Baba: didn't make a contract. Very small contract. Yeah. Yeah.

Baba: Yeah.

Baba: Yeah. Well, here you go, right? So let's say the difference between like, you see the thing and it confirms a tradition you didn't know existed. Like, it's like, Oh, I saw a leprechaun, but it was in red, you know, or only had one shoe. And then you go in your research and it turns out it only has one shoe. You know, it's like, are you more convinced of what you saw?