Many of us have a basic grasp of the basics of Irish folkore; we've heard of the Bean Sí, we know not to mess with fairy forts but there's a vast tradition of folklore in Ireland which informs parts of Irish life most of us know little about.
For example, these few days at the beginning of April, in Irish folklore are known as 'Laethanta na Bó Riabhaí' or the tale of 'the brindled cow' means the first few days of April are borrowed from March and therefore, colder than usual.
According to a story which has been recorded in Irish folklore via The Schools' Collection of Dúchas.ie, a project which features approximately 740,000 pages (288,000 pages in the pupils' original exercise books; 451,000 pages in bound volumes) of folklore and local tradition compiled by pupils from 5,000 primary schools in the Irish Free State between 1937 and 1939.
"One time a poor old cow got the better of getting over the month of March and she rose her tail over her back with joy. With spite on the cow March borrowed three days from April and the cow died. That is one of the reasons three first days of April are called Riabhach days."
If you'd like to know more about Irish folklore, about rituals, habits and about important dates and figures, The National Folklore Collection's podcast, Blúiríní Béaloidis is a great place to start. The podcast, hosted by folklorist, Jonny Dillon delves into topics such as sacred trees, the origins of Halloween, changelings in Irish and International folklore.
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