Day 70 - Lucky Steve The Leprechaun

This is just Lucky Steve! I felt it only appropriate to draw something for St. Patrick's Day since it is next week. The leprechaun is considered a mythological creature that appeared for centuries in Irish Folklore.

The Irish-American viewed the leprechaun much differently than how the traditional Irish viewed them.The Irish-American leprechaun is more of a silly made up person, while the Irish leprechaun is based on traditional folklore that goes back to the Celtic period. The Irish-American leprechaun was actually taken from cartoons that were used against the Irish and not at all based on the actual tradition. This includes the pug nose, batted hat, and fist in the air. The traditional Irish leprechaun was based on actual folklore of spirits that could be angered if one went near certain sacred places. I was used a method of controlling people and their behaviors. It was a way setting boundaries for Irish societies.

To see a video about the leprechaun and other Irish traditions visit the History channel.

This is Day 70's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Day 65 - Lucky 13

My birthday falls on the 13th every year!  But is it really lucky?  Tok Thompson states in the "STUDIA MYTHOLOGICA SLAVICA" that "The number thirteen has several strong connotations in a number of diverse cultures." He goes on to say that there are "surprising, and puzzling...similarities of associations (the moon, women’s magic, omens, etc)." (Thompson, 2002) His "paper attempts a cross-cultural view of the number thirteen, and arrives at a hypothetical explanation to account for the widespread occurrences of the phenomena." (Thompson, 2002)

"Several cultures have been investigated, but the ones in which thirteen is an “ominous” number are revealed to use, or have used, lunar-solar calendars. My hypothesis is that the number thirteen’s connotations derive ultimately from a natural, and naturally observable regularity-- the 12.41 lunations per solar year. Hence, cultures with a lunar-solar calendar are forced to reckon with an odd thirteenth month every year, and this month is, in this hypothesis, what has given the number thirteen its unique and widespread cultural properties." (Thompson, 2002)

So, why do we think that the number 13 is so unlucky?  I for one believe in the unlucky part of the number as every birthday that I have had that fell on the 13th did not turn out well.  Maybe it was all in my mind, or maybe there is another side to the number!

This is Day 65's ATCs that I submitted in the 2010 Project ATC 365.

Reference:

Thompson, T. (2002). The Thirteenth Number: then, there/ here and now. Retrieved March 6, 2010, from STUDIA MYTHOLOGICA SLAVICA: http://sms.zrc-sazu.si/En/SMS5/Thompson5.html