Irish Fairies: The Púca (Pooka)

 

The Púca

The púca or pooka is a supernatural being known throughout Europe but is mostly associated with Ireland. The pooka is a mischievous fairy that can shape shift into various animal including goats, bulls, cats, and hares. The fairy may also take the form of a human but with telltale animal features such as ears or a tail. It also has a human voice and can offer advice to those who will listen. It is most often seen as a black horse with golden eyes.

The púca can be benign, or even helpful, but also has the ability to cause harm. There are stories of the púca assisting farmers with their work, but also of taking unsuspecting riders for a wild and terrifying journey.

The púca can be found in writings as early as the 8^th century. It is said that you can control the fairy by wearing sharp spurs, most likely made of iron of which the creature is afraid.

Púcas are also known to spit on wild fruit like blackberries, causing eaters to become ill.

1 November is Púca Day, a day on which they are expected to behave themselves!

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I'm pretty sure a púca will be making an appearance in my next book which will be full of Irish mythology. This will be the third installment of my Midsummer Women Series. Check out the first two here: