Leprechaunophobia – the Fear of Leprechauns

If you turn and see a box of Lucky Charms, does the picture of Lucky the Leprechaun on the front of it cause you to panic? Do you shy away from parties where others might be dressed as leprechauns? If so, then you might have leprechaunophobia.

The world can be a terrifying place to live for people who have phobias. A phobia is an extreme dread or fear of something. When a person encounters the object of his or her fear, he could experience anxiety, shortness of breath, rapid breathing, an irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, dry mouth, etc.

While this person’s phobia may seem outrageous or unreasonable to you, I assure you it is not unreasonable to the person experiencing it. You should never make fun of anyone who has a phobia, but their fear can be used in your writing.

Leprechauns usually make their appearance around March. For the rest of the year, unless I read a story that has a leprechaun in it or see a box of Lucky Charms, I don’t normally hear anything about them. But there are people who are haunted and terrorized by them year round. These unfortunate people fear leprechauns and believe that at least one leprechaun, and maybe more, are out to get them.

What is this time of year like for someone who fears these little men dressed in green and smoking a pipe? Would they be terrified just by seeing a box of Lucky Charms? Does the mere mention of leprechauns send them into a terrified frenzy? I’m sure that if they went to a St. Patrick’s Day party and encountered those dressed as leprechauns that they would probably have to excuse themselves and leave.

The fear of the color green is chlorophobia. Since there is no specific name given for a phobia of leprechauns, I guess this one comes close to describing it. I mean, leprechauns are known to be dressed in green, but someone with this phobia would fear so much more than leprechauns. Surely we can come up with a better, more descriptive name than that for a leprechaun phobia.

Leprechaunophobia is the obvious choice. And I thought for sure that would be what it was called. There is no mention of it anywhere that I can find though. Someone with leprechaunophobia would specifically fear leprechauns.

Why would someone be afraid of them? I mean, they’re not real, are they? If you search the internet, you can find plenty of claims that these little guys are for real. Do you have any proof that they don’t exist?

Here is an article that claims one has been captured by scientists: Scientists Capture Leprechaun. Vagabond Tours in Ireland claims to have proof that leprechauns really do exist. You be the judge. Do they exist?

Famous Leprechauns
From breakfast cereal to sports to horror movies, here are some famous leprechauns. Could any of these have caused someone to have a phobia of them?

Lucky the Leprechaun – Even if you don’t eat Lucky Charms cereal, I’m sure you recognized the name of this leprechaun. A different Lucky the Leprechaun is the mascot for the Boston Celtics.

Hornswaggle – I haven’t watched wrestling since I was a little girl, so I didn’t know this leprechaun existed until I came across him while finding information for this article. The teeniest man in WWE, he is an American professional wrestler.

Leprauchaun – I don’t know the name of this greedy, psychotic leprechaun, but he is in several movies. Jennifer Aniston stars in this horror flick about a leprechaun that you really don’t want to catch.  Below are some clips from the very first one made in 1993.

King Brian – From Darby O’Gill and the Little People, we get King Brian, the king of the leprechauns.  This is a family movie, one you can watch with your children.

Clashmore Mike – This is the mascot for Notre Dame.

Evil Leprechaun Fan Art – If you are afraid of leprechauns, you probably don’t want to watch this. And this video begins with a warning that it is bloody and gory, so it isn’t suitable for everyone. You have been warned. Just so you know, I didn’t find the evil leprechaun fan art at all scary, but those who are easily scared and don’t like the sight of blood might be upset by it.

Do you know of any more famous leprechauns?

Writing Prompts – Fiction
What if there is a leprechaun hiding in your bedroom? Maybe your alarm clock is mysteriously reset each night so that it never wakes you at the right time. Maybe you hear the pitter-patter of little feet, but when you turn on the light, no one is there. Are the intentions of this sneaky little guy good or bad? Does he just wish to annoy you, or does he wish to kill you?

You are convinced that Lucky the Leprechaun, the cute little guy who is the face of Lucky Charms, is following you everywhere you go. Not only does he steal all the marshmallows out of your box of Lucky Charms, but he ties your shoestrings together and wreaks havoc in your house. How do you set about ridding yourself of his annoying presence?

What if your character is terrified of leprechauns, but her significant other has talked her into attending a St. Patrick’s Day party where they work? She does all right for a while, but then those who are dressed as leprechauns surround her and refuse to let her leave. Are these leprechauns others that she works with, or has their party been crashed by real leprechauns?

Writing Prompts – Nonfiction
Write about how the belief in leprechauns began and how many people alive today still believe in them.  Do the believers have any proof of their existence, or is it just something they believe?

Write about leprechaun sightings in the present day as well as down through history.

Leprechaun legends – are any of them based on actual events?

Whether you believe that leprechauns exist or not, you can have fun writing about them.

Recommended Articles: 
Leprechaun Facts
Saint Patrick’s Day: Myths, Facts, and Writing Prompts
Favorite Irish Folk Tales – a Review