yes, it can be found spelled differntly
Not as well known as the miserly leprechaun..but,of more generous and mischievous of heart
Jimmy Stewart's tall white hare friend in the movie 'Harvey' was a pookha( spelled in the movie poohka)
Go to the Jimmy Stewart Museum Pooka Page
But I have to admit the first time I saw Harvey was on
Hallmark Hall of Fame; NBC-TV, March 21, 1972
I acquired the nickname soon afterward
I recently found this on the web..
it is my favorite description of pookha, or poohka or pooka
,
Phouka
According to Lady
Wilde
however, he was nearer to the Brownie or Hobgoblin. There is a charming story,
'Fairy Help', in her ANCIENT LEGEND that describes the pookha
this way
"Pooka have a reputation for tomfoolery and hijinks.
Their playful natures make them both beloved and hated among the other
fae.
Somewhat childlike throughout their lives, the pooka never outgrow their penchant for pranks."
"However, despite the
outward playfulness of the pooka, they hide a lingering sadness deep within.
The clown of the changelings, pooka laugh on the
outside to hide their suffering on the inside.
\At times, pooka fall into wrenching periods of depression that last for weeks on
end.
Whenever this happens, they tend to disappear, returning once their spirits have lifted."
"Most other changelings do not understand this dual nature of the pooka,
and few ever take them seriously.
This stems perhaps
from the fact that every pooka has an animal affinity that effects his
looks as well as his personality.
Most pooka tend toward
the terminally cute, with fuzzy ears and big eyes.
( well fuzzy hair and big glasses.. and cat eyes)
Most have tails similar to those of their animal cousins."
(oh well that part isn't true or I lost mine)
" However, those who
understand the pooka respect and listen intently to them".
(ha ha..sometimes they do.. sometimes they just look oddly at you)
"The expression "from the mouths of babes" certainly applies to them.
They have the innate ability to cut through the fog and, with innocent wisdom,
to understand most situations.
(She goes on to say something about pookhas being great storytellers
Such as the cows that used to graze on the capitol lawn were blown away in the tornado)
The description from the web page continues
Background
"The pooka were born of the dreams of mortals who wished for a better, more carefree life.
These mortals envied animals their
relaxed lifestyle.
Cats sleep in the sun throughout the day;
puppies romp and play at their leisure. Horses have no chores to do,
( uh.. men use them and dogs especially back then for chores..cats always had easiest)
no taxes to pay.
Animals have nothing more to do than eat, sleep, and learn about the world.
Thus, early legends said the
pooka ate, slept, and watched all that happened around them.
( umphh..modern pookha's work our little paws for others but we do observe a lot)
They, like the wise animals, were believed to understand more
about the world and its workings than their mortal Dreamers. "
There is a section of how Christians tried to give pookha's a bad rep
Then continues with
"Despite this, the pooka kept many aspects of what they were before the influence of Christian morals.
The pooka never
stopped watching and listening to the world around them.
They remained ever-vigilant, peeking in windows,
always looking for
a prank or a gag to pull.
They also never became mean-spirited.
( well we try not to be mean spirited )
The pooka remained a friendly and well-meaning, if
somewhat annoying and amoral, faerie.
Above all else, they kept their desire to cheer up those who needed it. "
"Although all pooka may not do so consciously, they use their pranks and games and even their lies to tip the balance back
toward the Dreaming.
Their silliness serves as their weapon against the darkness that would swallow the world.
Quite
consciously, the pooka realize the burden that they have taken upon themselves as the jesters of the world."
" They step forth into
territory where others refuse to go,
playing the fool or risking the anger of their targets,
only to inject a bit of joviality and
laughter into an otherwise grey existence."
"Despite their open frivolity, pooka can tender their behavior to fit the circumstances.
When the situation requires them to be
serious, they can be
. _Deeply_ loyal, pooka would never intentionally harm anyone they loved.
Nor would they make light of
an intensely serious moment"
"However, pooka cannot bear to see people unhappy.
This stems from their own unbearable sadness
. They always attempt to
cheer others up, even if they may not always choose the appropriate method
. And they greatly appreciate any attempt to cheer
them up as well".
from
URL: http:// www.lib.ipfw.edu/~jakwkp01/pooka/sarah.html
Maintained by: Kent Jakway
About the pookha
I am of a rare breed...a non Belle Meade Nashville native
at least it seems that way....most of my friends hail from elsewhere
The pookha soapbox
I love the influx of new people, cultures and ideas....
after all we are all immigrants in this land...
Even, in all probability the Native Americans came from some where else
They just had enough sense to get here first...I bet sometimes they wished
they had an immigration policy
And yes, an arguement can be made for limiting numbers...the land can only
support so many....But, so much of the rhetoric on immigration smacks of
xenophobia
Plus there is a new study that says that young immagrants coming
to this county could help if not save the social security system
Just my two cents worth
Something else
This pookha is dyslexic so please excuse any thing that looks odd
I am slowly running the entire site through a spell checker
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