Tradition / Region: Irish mythology
Alternate Names: Fear Dearg, Red Man, Rat Boys
Category: Gnome
The Myth
The far darrig is one of the darker little folk of Ireland, a solitary fairy feared not for strength, but for cruelty and laughter. He is known as the Red Man, for he appears dressed in a red coat and cap, a bright color that makes his presence unmistakable when he chooses to be seen.
Unlike fairies who help or bargain, the far darrig lives for practical jokes, and his humor is often grim. He delights in frightening people, humiliating them, or leading them into situations that end in terror or shame. His favorite victims are the helpless and the unsuspecting, and his tricks often carry lasting consequences.
One of the most dreaded acts attributed to the far darrig is the exchange of infants. He is said to steal human babies from their cradles and replace them with changelings—sickly, unnatural beings that cry endlessly and never thrive. Families who suffered such losses believed the far darrig had passed through their home unseen, laughing as he worked.
In some tales, the far darrig is linked to nightmares. He presses upon sleepers, twists their dreams, and fills their sleep with fear. People who wake in terror, unable to move or speak, were sometimes said to have been visited by him in the night.
Though small, ugly, and misshapen—sometimes described as squat and heavy with a snout-like face and a thin tail—the far darrig is never harmless. He belongs to the same shadowy company as the leprechaun and the clurichaun, but where they mock and tease, the far darrig torments. His laughter is not playful; it is a warning that mischief, once invited, can turn cruel.
Gallery
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Far Darrig. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_darrig
Interpretive Lenses
Religious Readings
- Christian Ascetic Deep Dive
Philosophical Readings
- Nietzschean Deep Dive
Psychological Readings
- Jungian Deep Dive
Esoteric Deep Dive
- Hermetic Deep Dive
Political / Social Readings
- Marxist Deep Dive
Other
- How to Invite The Far Darrig