The Pooka and Puck

Púca, the old Irish name for Pooka, is the word from which the mischievous satyr Puck derives his name. Puck, or Robin Goodfellow, is known for his animalistic appearance, complete with a goat’s horns and legs.  In a fashion similar to that forest fairy, the Pooka in County Roscommon, Ireland, is said to appear as a large, black goat with curling horns and gleaming red eyes.  Many people believe that the legends surrounding Puck at least partially arose out of the stories told of the Pooka in its goat form.