Angels above Smut

At the heart of Irish folklore is the well-known, but seldom seen leprechaun. Leprechauns date as far back as the 8th century and have been featured in much folklore over the years. Mostly solitary, a leprechaun is a shoemaker fairy that's keen on creating mischief. Known to promise great fortune or even bribe his way out of a bind, the leprechaun is notorious for using some form of trickery to then vanish without any payout. Leprechauns don't exactly have the type of sparkling image one would be proud of.

Yet, it's Hollywood that's given these little misfits a more lovable charm. This isn't unlike what's happened with other legends like the Yeti, Bigfoot, and the Loch Ness Monster. Hollywood has managed to manipulate the public's opinion and vision of such creatures into more sellable characters.