DON’T eat blackberries after Halloween! Why?

Let me tell you…

The Mischief of the Púca

As you may already know, at Oíche Shamhna (Irish for Halloween), the veil between our world and the Otherworld is at its thinnest. That's when the Púca, a shape-shifting trickster from Irish folklore, comes out to play. As the legend goes, this is when the mischievous Púca pays a visit to the blackberry bushes.

What does he do there, you wonder? Brace yourself… he either spits on or, incredibly, urinates on the berries! Yes, you read that right!

Capturing the Púca in Art

I love the ‘nowness’ of this piece of folklore. We don’t have to imagine blackberries or Halloween because we’re as familiar with them now as generations before us were when this story was first being told many moons ago. This inspired me to create a piece of art around it.

But I wondered, how on earth do I depict a mythical shapeshifter? I concluded that I don’t! I just depict the evidence of it… So this drawing of a befouled blackberry is my attempt to capture the aftermath of the Púca’s activity.

I feel like I have created a rather beautiful, even elegant drawing. My intricate line art represents the Púca’s otherworldly presence, or should I say evidence of his presence. I think it's actually quite pretty.

I like how this drawing presents as one thing (beautiful or elegant) but it represents something very different (spit or urine). For me, it means I can look at the drawing and it causes me to connect with the folklore behind it without being repulsed by the image! And it makes me smile.

It’s also like a little secret. Unless you know the story behind the drawing you wouldn’t understand its meaning. Just as ‘the other folk’ are also a secret, they are hidden and not obvious, yet if you know they are there, you might see signs of them.

I’ve made this available on my website as digital wallpapers for various devices – phones, tablets, and laptops. I have them on my phone and laptop now. They’re getting me in the Halloween mood and are a subtle reminder to avoid those post-Halloween blackberries!

A Child's Perspective

Before I wrap up this strange little tale, let's step back in time to 1938. I stumbled upon a wonderful account on the Duchas.ie website, written by a schoolchild caller Maureen. According to her, the Púca,

After hearing that, you might well think twice about snacking on blackberries after Halloween!

Check out the full story right here by clicking on this link to Duchas.ie

In a nutshell, that's the tale of why you might want to think twice about eating blackberries straight from the bush after Oíche Shamhna. So, this Halloween, embrace the otherworldly legends, enjoy the art, and let the Púca's mischievous spirit infuse an extra dose of mystery into your celebrations…but don’t take it too far!

Oíche Shamhna shona daoibh, a chairde! (Happy Halloween, my friends)