Arkan sonney /ɑːkʌnsɒnɑː/[1] ("lucky urchin" or "plentiful little pig") is the Manx term for hedgehog.[2] In Manx folklore it is a type of fairy animal that takes the form of a white pig that brings good fortune to those who manage to catch it.[3][4][5] It was even considered a favourable omen just to have seen the "lucky piggy".[5] It was also said that if you caught one you would always find a silver coin in your pocket.[2] However, holding on to it for too long will result in bad fortune.[6]
In Fairy Tales From the Isle of Man (1951) by Dora Broome, the white pig is described as having red eyes and ears, and though it can alter its size it is not able to change its shape.[7] Theresa Bane describes the pig in a similar way, without mention of red eyes.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Animals | Learn Manx". www.learnmanx.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ a b "Arkan Sonney". Vocabulary of the Anglo-Manx Dialect.
- ^ Briggs, Katharine (1976). An Encyclopedia of Fairies. Pantheon Books. p. 10. ISBN 0394409183.
- ^ a b Bane, Theresa (2013). Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology (Illustrated ed.). McFarland. p. 35. ISBN 9781476612423.
- ^ a b Gill, Walter (1929). "4". A Manx Scrapbook. J. W. Arrowsmith.
- ^ Maberry, Jonathan; Kramer, David (2007). The Cryptopedia: A Dictionary of the Weird, Strange & Downright Bizarre (Illustrated ed.). Citadel Press. p. 101. ISBN 9780806528199.
- ^ As retold in Briggs 1976
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