Meet the Púca (say "POO-kah"), the shapeshifter of Irish folklore, also spelled Pooka. It can turn into a horse, a goat, a rabbit or a huge hairy beast, and it can even talk in a human voice. Whether it helps you or gives you a fright depends entirely on its mood.
A Shapeshifter in the Moonlight
The Púca likes the countryside after dark, especially lonely roads and crossroads. It's best known for being a troublemaker, but the stories say it can bring good luck as well as bad, so nobody ever knew quite what to expect. Most of these tales come from Ireland, and similar creatures turn up in parts of Scotland and Wales too.
The shape people mention most is a dark horse with glowing golden eyes, so a big pale moon in the background makes a great way to color one.
The Púca's favorite trick was to sneak up behind a traveler, scoop them onto its back and take off on a wild ride across the land and over the ocean. If you were lucky enough to be set down again, the stories say you were never quite the same afterward.
Goats, Blackberries and Samhain
The name Púca may come from the Irish word poc, which means goat, and goats are one of its favorite shapes. November 1, right after Samhain, is said to be the Púca's special day. Folklore says that after that, you shouldn't eat any blackberries left on the bush, because the Púca has already spoiled them.
