SMALL WONDERS

The horror movie Leprechaun turns 30 this year, but the history of little people goes back centuries.

THIS MONTH WE CELEBRATE the evergreen horrors and humor of Leprechaun on its 30th anniversary. Aside from Lucky and his magicallydelicious marshmallows, Warwick Davis’ character is the most famous of Ireland’s little people. Surprisingly, the film reflects some of the folkloric origins of the leprechaun.

For instance, they were first documented in the 7th or 8th century medieval story “Echtra Fergusa maic Léite” (Adventure of Fergus son of Léti) when three “lúchorpáin” tried to drag the titular Fergus out to sea while he slept. When he awakens, he catches the little lads and demands three wishes. Mostly these creatures— defined by David Russell McAnally in 1888’s Irish Wonders as a child of an evil spirit and “degenerate fairy”—are mischievous but “not wholly good nor entirely evil.”

Leprechauns are primarily considered male and on the old side. The name itself is connected with etymologies of words meaning “small body” (luchorpán) and “shoemaker” (leath bhrogan). Even the murderous titular Leprechaun’s obsession with shoes has roots in Irish tales, but McAnally said the solitary creature would only mend his own due to all the running around he’d do.

Pots of gold at the end of the rainbow and the “luck of the Irish” are associated with the trickster. Yet they might not be personally invested in their gold savings so much as using it to deceive (and teach lessons to) greedy humans who seek to capture them. Although we’ve come to associate puckish leprechauns with wearing green—they live on the Emerald Isle, after all—they were said to don red threads before the 20th century.

Lest you think leprechauns are bygone relics, as recently as 1989 a pub landlord named P.J. O’Hare found a small green suit, some bones, and gold coins in Carlingford, County Louth, Ireland. These leprechaun “remains” are still on display at The Anchor Bar, aka PJ’s. The same area is home to the Sliabh Foy Loop trail, a protected leprechaun sanctuary under the European Habitats Directive.

However, leprechauns are far from the only small-size supernatural entities out there. Here are some other wee creatures from folklore and legend in other cultures.

Redcaps

Sometimes called dunters or powries, these are grizzled, nasty goblins with long teeth, iron boots, and claw-like fingers that hold a pike. They wear a cap dyed red by the blood of victims and hide in castle ruins along the Anglo-Scottish border, as seen in the new film Unwelcome

EL DUENDES/DUWENDES

These goblins from Iberian and Filipino cultures are an example of how little people lore proliferates across the globe. Duendes can be as small as a flower, or about four feet tall, lack thumbs, appear haircovered, or appear as little old men. They might wear hats (the color red pops up again) and can be good, evil, or mischievously somewhere in between—either stealing children or guiding them to safety. They dwell in caves but can take up residence in a home.

THE CHANEQUE & ALUX

Among Mexican legends, the Chaneques emerge from the former Aztec Empire, and the Mayan peoples’ Aluxob (plural of Alux) of the Yucatan Peninsula have slight variations. Both are elvish and associated with nature or crops. These elementals might be mischievous (with behavior ranging from braiding a horse’s mane to stealing children) and can be plied with sweets. Chaneques appear as a small child, and Aluxob are childlike with an elderly face.

Whereas many elemental little people have dualistic natures, there are some that seem just plain mean. The pukwudgie of Wampanoag Native American myth is a troll-like wild man who wields a spear and attacks humans. On the Indonesian island Flores, the Ebu Gogo is a ravenous, almost primate-like creature who will chomp on human flesh. The Australian Aboriginal Noongar tribe have the Woodarjee, an easily provoked one-foot-tall bearded man wearing only a loincloth and carrying a spear.

DOMOVOI

Though he can shapeshift into animals, this Slavic entity appears as a hairy old man (or sometimes like the head of a family) who protects a household. He is generally kind and is presented offerings of food, but can stir up misfortune if disrespected. Domovoi are attached to a home yet can go with a family if they move to a new residence.

COBLYNAU/TOMMYKNOCKERS

Rather than the aliens from the Stephen King novel, the Cornish Tommyknocker and Welsh Coblynau are good-natured, occasionally trickster, gnomes who live in mines and dress in mining outfits. They knock on the walls of mines to assist human miners or warn them of an impending collapse.

This is nowhere near a complete list of wee creatures that populate folklore. But one thing seems certain: wherever you travel in this big world, there are stories of little beings.