Pooka Dust

This is my hat which is often worn with goggles in place as pictured here.  Sometimes I take advantage of the goggles strap to hold my business cards in place.  At the rear of the hat you may see a white fluffy tail.  I enjoy referring to this as my Pooka Tale.  Not that it is a tail from a Pooka rather it is a conversation piece that supplies me with the opportunity to tell a tale of Pookas.  Of late the hat has been attracting strange dust like deposits.  I believe that some, if not all of these fluffings are occasioned when my head garb is borrowed by unseen wearers who sometimes leave a footprint, or two but never take a photograph!

The Pooka mythology has been around for many centuries.  Some relate that the name comes from Púca which is Irish for goblin.  With regional variations there are easily over a dozen different names that the shape shifting Pooka, or Puck has acquired.  To date his most famous recording might be found in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Titania ask Puck, also known as Robin Goodfellow

Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow: are not you he
That frights the maidens of the villagery;
Skim milk, and sometimes labour in the quern
And bootless make the breathless housewife churn;
And sometime make the drink to bear no barm;
Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?
Those that Hobgoblin call you and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are not you he?

(Act ii., Scene i.)

It may only be my night tripping dream like fantasy that the dust upon my hat is a clear indication of it being borrowed by friendly sprites, but it is nice to have a flight of fancy as long as you have safe landings.

For further reference see the film Harvey, 1950, with James Stewart and Harvey.