One final fling at catching the Pooka. See Yeats's entry on "The Pooka" in _Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland_: "The Pooka, recte Puca, seems essentially an animal spirit. Some derive his name from poc, a he-goat; and speculative persons consider him the forefather of Shakespeare's "Puck". . . He has many shapes--is now a horse, now an ass, now a bull, now a goat, now an eagle. Like all spirits, he is only half in the world of form." Beware: he is a November spirit. Regards, Alex At 07:39 03/11/00 -0800, you wrote: >Actually "puck" is obviously closer in English. See OED p.2350 "whether it >was originally Teutonic or Celtic is unsettled." So are a lot of other >things in this brave new world. > >---------- >>From: Alex Davis <[log in to unmask]> >>To: [log in to unmask] >>Subject: Re: help >>Date: Fri, Nov 3, 2000, 3:35 AM >> > >> Dear Alex, >> >> Irish: Puca--hobgoblin is the closest approximation in English. Don't >> bother with Websters, see a Gearrfhhocloir Gaeilge-Bearla (Irish-English >> dictionary), if you can lay your hands on one. >> Best >> Alex >> >> At 16:22 01/11/00 +0100, you wrote: >>>Dear Pounders, >>> >>>I am doing a new translation of ALL Coney-Island-poems by Ferlinghetti for a >>>publisher in Berlin and cannot refer to my own 1972 translation (Sel. >> Poems) as >>>that contained only a selection of Coney (and other LF volumes). Therefore >> this >>>call for help. >>> >>>In poem # 11 we have these 2 lines: >>> >>> "and a stray Connemara Pooka" >>> (life size)" >>> >>>Obviously not one of my numerous dictionaries (including "I Hear America >>>Talking", "The American Heritage Dictionary" and a very good Websters >> PAPER-ed.) >>>offers help as to what a "Connemara Pooka" might be. Must be an (exotic?) >>>animal. >>> >>>I don't want to ask LF directly - or wd only do so if no Pounder out there cd >>>offer an explanation. >>> >>>Thanks anyway, >>> >>>alex >>> >>> >>>________________________________________________________________________ >>> >>> Alexander Schmitz - Kleine Moorstrasse 8A - D-21640 Horneburg - Germany >>>Ph:(49)4163-7565 - Fx: 7549 - Mob: 0177-5128767 - eM: [log in to unmask] >>> >> >