The pooka, also spelled puca or phouka, is a creature of Celtic, English and Channel Islands folklore, considered a bringer of both good and bad fortune who could help or hinder rural and marine communities. Pookas are shapeshifters said to take the form of horses, goats, cats, dogs and hares, and can also appear in a human disguise that retains some animal feature, such as ears or a tail. Their fur or hair is described as either dark or white, matching their unpredictable, dual nature as both helpful and mischievous spirits.
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Both figures belong to the same live Celtic-paganism tradition record and are commonly discussed together as members of the Irish fairy (Aos Si) folklore corpus.
Both figures belong to the same live Celtic-paganism tradition record; Redcap (Anglo-Scottish Border folklore) and Pooka (Irish folklore) are both malevolent or trickster fae figures of the British Isles fairy corpus.
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