The Clurichaun & Far Darrig

The Clurichaun & Far Darrig

The clurichaun is a night time spirit, closely resembling a leprechaun, and called a cousin of the leprechaun as well. Some speculate that the clurichaun is instead a type of butter spirit; much more prone to mischief as they are, solitary, crazy about butter, reputed household thieves, etc. Other folklore is that instead, a clurichaun is the night time form of the leprechaun, who goes out to drink after finishing his chores. Regardless, the folklore surround the clurichaun is that he is a perpetual drunkard. The legends say that if you treat the clurichaun well; such as leaving a bit of beer or whisky out for them at night, they’ll protect one’s wine cellar. However, if you treat them ill, or do them an injury or insult, the clurichaun will become a notorious household pest. Others say that the clurichaun particularly troubles those who steal wine, or liquor from others, or that they particularly trouble drunks. If a victim of the clurichaun attempts to move away from them, or leave the area, they will jump in their bottle and follow them.

The far darrig, derives from the Irish term for the cousin of the leprechaun and clurichaun, the words “fear dearg.” Fear dearg means “Red Man”, and they travel alone, and reside alone, as “Solitary Faeries” as opposed to “Trooping Faeries,” as classified by the writer Yeats. He’s called the Red Man, because as opposed to the leprechaun who wears mostly green, according to various descriptions in folklore, the far darrig wears a red coat, and hat. According to the book by Yeats, “Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry,” the far darrig is described along with leprechauns and clurichauns as being particularly rude. Yeats’ description was that the far darrig is a “most sluttish, slouching, jeering, mischievous phantom.” The far darrig in particular, according to Yeats’ description is one who “busies himself with practical joking, especially with gruesome joking.”