Tradition: Irish Mythology
Alternative Names: Bruch, Brucha (plural: Brucha)
Category: Insect
The Myth
Bruchus is the immature form of a locust, described in the Hortus Sanitatis as a yellow insect with absent or undeveloped wings. This stage lasts until the creature becomes capable of flight. Although it cannot yet fly, the young locust is considered especially destructive because it remains in one place and gnaws fruit-bearing plants down to their roots, leaving them unable to produce further crops.
The Epistil Ísu, an Irish version of the pseudo-epigraphic Sunday Letter, presents the Bruch, or Brucha in the plural, as a supernatural creature sent to punish people who disrespect Sunday. Here, the insect has iron bristles and fiery eyes, giving it a more monstrous appearance than the yellow, wingless creature described in the Hortus Sanitatis.
Swarms of Brucha descend upon the vineyards of sinners and attack the grapevines. They cut through the branches, then roll among the fallen grapes, impaling the fruit on their iron spikes. Once the grapes have been pierced, they carry them away to their lairs. This unusual behaviour resembles accounts of hedgehogs carrying fruit on their spines, particularly the description attributed to Pliny, which may have inspired the medieval legend.
According to the Epistil Ísu, Brucha eventually mature into adult locusts, which possess iron wings capable of scything through wheat and knocking the ears from their stalks. The destructive insects continue their role as avengers of Sunday, punishing those who fail to observe the sacred day.
Bruchus therefore appears in two related traditions: as a destructive young locust that devours plants, and as a supernatural instrument of divine punishment. In the Irish account, its transformation into an adult locust does not end its destructive purpose. Both stages of its life bring devastation to crops, turning the familiar threat of locusts into a warning against religious disobedience.
Sources
“Bruch.” A Book of Creatures, September 15, 2016. https://abookofcreatures.com/2016/09/15/bruch/