Superstition, Folklore & Myth from Ireland Quiz

Answer: Shoemaker

The most famous of the Irish little people, these cute creatures are handy cobblers and the other fairies put up with their many bad habits (smoking, drinking and bad language and many more unmentionable ones) due to obvious necessity. If a human manages to catch one they can demand that it hand over any stashes of treasure and it is duty bound to comply.
They apparently like to hide some of that treasure in the form of a 'pot of gold' at the end of a rainbow and it is doubtful that they would be allowed a job in a bank. Although, in some instances the normal fairies expect them to guard all the accumulated fairy gold.
They like their beer too much to spend all evening working in a pub and serving it to anyone else. Well... It has never been recorded of leprechauns giving 'cut and blow drys' or 'blue rinses'.

Answer: It is said to bring the power of eloquent speech to that person

Apparently if this stone is kissed then those shy and retiring, quiet persons will develop the "gift of the gab" and will not shut up (well perhaps not until someone gives them a large sticky toffee). It is situated in the tower of Blarney Castle, near the town of Blarney in the county of Cork.

Instructions to kiss it are: lie down, bend backwards with head downwards, lips firmly planted on the stone and at the same time hold on to some iron bars for support. Sounds rather awkward! This stone is not known to be involved with helping folk gain luck in love, money, health, adventure or fix broken hearts.

Answer: Die

An old wives tale in Ireland apparently, whoever falls asleep first will be the first to die. Nasty! There must have been couples sitting awake all night with matchsticks holding their eyelids open! Why this tale was thought of we can only imagine. Perhaps the original wisdom of it was to ensure that the marriage was consummated and children begotten and there was no sleeping on the job? Also if someone was too tired on their wedding night of all nights then they were not too healthy and would be the likely choice to die first?

Cry and scream is what the other remaining living spouse would most likely have done if the other one fell asleep first! There would not have been much to laugh about either under those circumstances.

Answer: Carrying a haddock's jawbone around

Apparently, carrying this piece of fish anatomy around helped prevent aching teeth. Yuk! Two cups of whiskey might be better after the tooth ache starts.
There is no known superstition in the prevention of tooth ache by curtseying or saluting to the four points of the compass or chewing daisies and buttercups.

Answer: Saturday

It is bad luck to marry on this day of the week in Ireland.
The preferred days would be early in the week as is shown in this well-known rhyme: "Marry on Monday for wealth, Tuesday for health, Wednesday the best day of all, Thursday for crosses, Friday for losses and Saturday no day at all".

Answer: Death in an epidemic

Apparently, in Ireland it means someone is going to catch a nasty, fatal disease.
In some other countries a black cat crossing a person's path means good fortune. There has been no Irish superstition about crossing the path of black cats on a moon-lit night and having the weather predicted for the next day.

Answer: They took a different route home after the wedding, than the one the bride used going there

This was a symbolism that this was life's new road for the bride and not a good idea to take the same one last traveled in her old life.
Deliberately avoiding right angles and having to take left turns all the way home could lead to long, miserable detours. They might miss the wedding night so not a good idea!
Running a mile in a wedding dress could be difficult, jumping a stile also and eating a country pancake (the type that a cow makes) could at least cause vomiting. Not recommended... There is no known Irish custom of hugging an oak tree and tying a bit of the wedding dress ribbon to it.

Answer: Seventeen years of bad luck

Apparently, to kill a cat brings this awful misfortune.

There is a legend about a large phantom cat, The Black Cat of Kilakee with eyes of fire which has been seen in the locale of Kilakee House, near the Dublin mountains and has nothing to do with killing cats as far as is known, and apparently, has more to do with the legends of the Hellfire Club.

Hairy warts and moles on the face and/or being fined and thrown in jail would be an extremely apt fate for a cat killer, but it is not mentioned in Irish mythology either.

Answer: Neladoir

This name means 'cloud diviner'. They studied the skies for, signs, and portents. A particular function was to foretell the appropriate time to build a house.
'Airbe Druad' is an invisible, mystical barrier made by a druid for protection. A 'Cenad' is a magician's mantra-like chant. 'Anu' is the goddess associated with fertility and motherhood.

Answer: Seamroy or Trefoil

This plant at various times in history have been named these. In Christian times it symbolized the cross, the blessed trinity, and also had connections to St. Patrick. Before Christianity the Irish Druids made it their sacred plant because its leaves formed a triad. The number three was a mystical number in the Celtic religion.
"The Celtic Harp" or alternatively, "Brian Boru's Harp" is the official emblem of Ireland but the "Shamrock" is used in most cases as the national badge and is more known by the world
Trefolage, Brigit's weed, Drieleaf and Paddy's Trine are all completely fabricated names.