Episode 7: Ireland's Scariest Secrets- Leprechauns, Banshees & a Real Vampire

About this episode

The episode explores terrifying aspects of Irish mythology, including leprechauns, Banshees, and a real vampire.

Forget everything you think you know about St. Patrick's Day. Irish mythology is genuinely terrifying, and we're going there. We open with two listener submissions that stopped us in our tracks: a man struck by lightning inside his own childhood home in Texas, and a gnome sighting featuring a little figure in a red hat that we can't stop thinking about. Then we go deep-uncovering the dark origins of leprechauns (they were feared, wore red, and may be descended from a fallen sun god), the death goddess who became the Banshee, and the Dullahan- Ireland's headless horseman who predates Sleepy Hollow by centuries. Plus- Abhartach, a real 5th-century chieftain who kept climbing out of his grave demanding blood, and whose burial stone has never been moved to this day. We also dig into why nearly every culture on earth independently invented fairy mythology, and a few sworn legal testimonies from people who saw things they couldn't explain. Happy St. Paddy's Day! 🍀 Submit listener stories to listenerstories@parafysiko.com 💖 Follow us on Instagram @parafysiko 🔮 References: 🍀 LEPRECHAUNS & THE TUATHA DÉ DANANN MacKillop, J. (1998). Dictionary of Celtic Mythology. Oxford University…

Topics covered

• Irish mythology
• leprechauns
• Banshees
• Dullahan
• Abhartach
• fairy mythology

Keywords

• St. Patrick's Day
• listener stories
• mythology
• supernatural

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Lore of Ireland, Cross & Slover, Ancient Irish Tales, The Encyclopedia of Celtic Mythology and Folklore, An Encyclopedia of Fairies, Legends of the Hidden People, The Book of Yokai, Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn, Creatures of Philippine Lower Mythology, The Banshee: The Irish Death Messenger, The Great Queens: Irish Goddesses from the Morrígan

Places: Ireland, Texas

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