BritishMythsAndLegends_MP3_Background_23194 (1)

Leprechauns are an important part of Irish tradition, and there are different opinions about who or what they are. Some think they are old elves, while others believe they are the descendants of Irish kings and queens. Leprechauns are known for their love of music and their mischievous behavior, but they rarely hurt people. Children try to catch a leprechaun by putting something sweet in a box and seeing if it disappears. Dragons appear in fantasy stories, and their appearance depends on the origin of the story. In Western myths, dragons are like snakes with wings and guard their treasure. In Eastern myths, dragons are seen as colorful creatures that bring good luck. Stories about dragons may have started when people found ancient dinosaur bones or fossils. background. Leprechauns. There are lots of stories about leprechauns and they are a very important part of Irish tradition. In fact there is a National Leprechaun Museum in Dublin which is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. Although they only live in Ireland, people all over the world are familiar with these little men in green. Many people know that leprechauns have got a pot of gold and that they often keep their gold at the end of the rainbow. But who or what are these creatures and where did they come from? There are many different opinions. Some people think leprechauns are very old elves with old-fashioned clothes. Others think that they could be the sons of a malicious spirit and a fairy. Some people consider them the original Irish people or the descendants of Irish kings and queens. However many people don't believe that these little men are malicious. They just like deceiving people in a clever way. According to legend, leprechauns often take or hide things but they always keep their promises and rarely hurt people. Many stories show that leprechauns love music. They are expert musicians and can play many instruments including a whistle and a violin. On the day before St. Patrick's Day, children try to catch a leprechaun. They put something sweet inside a box and then in the morning they look to see if it has gone. If it has gone, it means one of these little men has visited them. Dragons. Many fantasy stories include dragons but the type of dragon often depends on the origin of the story. In Western myths, the dragon is like a snake with wings, feet, teeth like knives and fire coming out of its mouth. It lives in a cave, is always hungry for meat and guards its treasure. People have to feed the dragon regularly so it doesn't attack them. When the people haven't got any more animals, they have to give the dragon humans. The majority of these stories are similar to George and the Dragon. A hero comes, kills the dragon and often rescues a princess and marries her as his prize. In Eastern myths, especially from China, dragons are more colorful creatures. People often think they bring good luck and in particular, rain when it's needed. In the past, people believed a dry season was because a dragon wasn't doing his job. In many stories, ancient Chinese gods used dragons instead of horses, camels or elephants. Dragons are still a part of Chinese culture today. Where did the stories about dragons come from and how did they appear all over the world? Anthropologists have suggested that these stories started when people found the bones or fossils of ancient dinosaurs and believed these were magical creatures from the past.