by John Bauer (1882 – 1918 Swedish)
The Wild Ride of the Púca
The Púca is a fairy from older Celtic and Irish origins, with mention also throughout the British Isles. There are a lot of descriptions of encounters with púcai (plural), which can appear in many various shapes, generally animal forms with black or dark fur, but sometimes white also. They are renown shapeshifters, even assuming human figures from time to time. They also are considered both beneficial and menacing, good and bad, bringing both good fortune and ill tidings, depending on the encounter, or in other words, typical fairy mixed values.
Their primary claim to fame is that of appearing as a large, black horse and offering weary travelers a ride along the way, particularly at late evening or night. However, once the rider is seated, the Púca takes off in a wild ride of frenzy, speed, carelessness and misdirection. All the poor soul seated atop the Púca can do is hang on for dear life. Eventually when the Púca tires of its manic run, it drops the rider off either where it began, or out in the middle of some distant bog or hinterland, leaving them terrified and abandoned.
Conversely, there are tales of Púca intervening before bad spirits, saving farmers crops by protecting them against malevolent fairies, or assuming human voice and giving advice and leading people away from harm, and other such interventions. So the overall understanding of Púcai is they are mischievous, and enjoy both confusing and often terrifying humans, but also helping them from time to time, again, typical fairy behavior.
So as a result of this complicated relationship with humans, there is a certain love / hate relationship going on with the cultures where the Púca lives, in Ireland, Britain, and some areas of Northern Europe. For instance there is the Púca festival (https://pucafestival.com/) held on Samhain (Halloween) each year in Ireland. It has inspired a creative magazine (https://pucalit.com/). The Púca has also added a rich discussion to many historical folktales and stories throughout ancient Ireland. One can also read the article about a Púca sculpture to fully grasp the devisiveness this fairy can reveal – https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-40898174.html.
However, this article is not about the Púca per se, except how to note how it represents the wild ride of life. In this manner, the Púca is a metaphor for life, and the ride one is on. Of late, and inspired by the artwork of the ‘Rider’ by John Bauer (1882 – 1918 Swedish) above, I’ve been contemplating the nature of my life, and through it, all lives. How we are afloat on the great river, adrift on a great sea, blown about by a great wind,, exposed to forces far greater than ourselves, and the best we can do is hang on.
by Willy Pogany
(1882 – 1955 Hungarian)
And it is wild, a journey forward into future, onwards to unknown shores, distant lands, through experiences of awe and fear and wonder and silence. And where it will end, at what landing, what destination, and who will we be when we dismount, how will we have changed? And how will we describe our journey, as this happened and it was… and that happened and that was… Were they good or bad experiences, like the Púca, a mixture of this and that, maybe bad leading to good, and other confusing conclusions? And finally, do you avoid the ride, hide away, or embrace the adventure, with all its dangers and rewards?
It is said Brian Boru, the High King of Ireland (1002 to 1014), rode a Púca by using a special bridle incorporating three hairs of its tail, thereby taming its capricious and mischievous nature. Even so, the ride took him on a frantic race across Ireland, North and South, from County Clare and back again, to where he began, on Corkscrew Hill. As part of the arrangement, it is also said Boru extracted two promises from the Púca, one to quit ruining farmers fields, and second to never attack a good Irishman, only those drunk or with evil on their minds. Of course, fairies being fairies, the Púca took it more as a suggestion than anything else, time since has revealed.
But even so, when considering life and the wild ride… take that mount. Force promises if one must, if nothing else for to say, one did everything one could, and then take that ride, into the night, and across the sky, towards the lands of unknown. It is the only way.