🍀 Happy St. Patrick's Day 🍀

 

May your troubles be less and your blessings be more and nothing but happiness come through your door.

Happy St. Paddy's Day 

🍀🪙🇮🇪💚 

Folklore and Mythology, The Four Leaf Clover 🍀

The four leaf clover is commonly considered a good luck charm in many places around the world.

The shamrock itself is wildly recognized as a symbol of Ireland largely do to St. Patrick's use of it's three leaves as a symbolic representation of the holy Trinity. 

However  the four leaf clover  is associated with Ireland just as much and also has use dating back to ancient Celtic times .

The four leaf clover was used as a way to see fairies,Irish Folklore claims carrying this charm would allow the holder to see through glamours ( fairy illusion magic) or to recognize witches in the crowd.

During the middle ages it was used as a protective charm to ward off not just bad luck but curse's as well, the same way the ancient Celtic druids did.

 St Patrick used a three leaf clover to symbolize the Holy Trinity (the father, the son and the holy spirit) but because of the popularity of the four leaf even after the christianization of Ireland the church also accepted the four leaf as a symbol of hope, faith love and luck.

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Another old saying is that  four leaf clovers were "gathered at night-time during the full moon by sorceresses, who mixed it with vervain and other ingredients, while young girls in search of a token of perfect happiness made quest of the plant by day.".

In an 1877 letter to St. Nicholas Magazine an 11-year-old girl wrote, "Did the fairies ever whisper in your ear, that a four leaf clover brought good luck to the finder? 

The Clover has also been used as the logo for many companies and advertising around the world.

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A survey done in multiple European countries figured The odds of finding a four leaf clover on average.

 The odds of finding a four leaf clover are around 5000 to 1 (one 4-leaf clover for every 5076 normal 3-leaf clovers), almost twice the commonly stated probability of 10,000 to 1. According to this survey, the frequency of a 5-leaf clover is 24,390 to 1, and that of a 6-leaf clover is 312,500 to 1.

Happy (early) St. Patrick's Day 🍀

Irish Folklore: The Far Darrig

                  The Far Daring or Fear Dearg.

A far darrig or fear dearg is a faerie. The name far darrig means Red Man, because he  wears a red coat and cap.

 

They are also sometimes known as Rat Boys because of their slightly  fat bodies, dark, long snouts and skinny tails.

The far darrig is usually  a solitary fairy along with the leprechaun and the clurichaun, all of whom are, mischievous  and enjoy pranking humans .

 

The far darrig is most often described as a mischievous prankster as he enjoys  playing  practical joking on people, thought he has a dark sense of humor and  enjoys cruel "jokes".

 

 One of his favorite "jokes" is switching  human babies with changelings.

 

They're also believed to have some connection to nightmares and invading peoples dreams.

Because of  his red coat and cap, along with his darker sense of humor, it's possible that the Far Darrig has relation to the English Redcap........Though the Redcaps are Far more sinister..

 

 

                                                                     ..Redcap..

 

Napoleon Believed in a Little Red Man of Destiny

 

Napoleon seemed to have interactions or at least a belief in  A Little Red Man(Most lily a different spirite, not a Far Darring.

Napoleon interpreted his dreams and he liked to tell ghost stories. He firmly believed in a Little Red Man of Destiny who foretold his future, and let this belief influence his decisions. A thoughtful historical look at Napoleon should include his superstitions and folklore beliefs, and an assessment of how much they influenced his actions.

The Little Red Man of Destiny was a legendary ghost who had appeared at the Tuileries Palace.

(Red Man post coming soon.)