The Great Irish Phouka...

There are pookas, but THIS is the great one.  He is half human-half horse, usually, but sometimes he takes the form of an eagle or a bat.  Often he wears a chain about his neck.  He is probably one of the main tricksters of the universe, a genius in this particular fey activity.

Quite a few places in Ireland are named for pookas: a falls on the Liffy River near Ballymore Eustace, named Pool-a-Phooka [the Phooka's Hole] - in County Cork, the ruins of a castle named Carrig-a-phooka [the Phooka's Rock].  Then, there's Puckstown, Puck's Fair, Pooka's Ford, Puck's Castle...

The Phouka likes to hang out near bogs and swamps.  Whoever is foolish enough to jump on the back of the Phouka when he is a horse is in for a very wild ride!  Many of the older Irish think that feeling the presence of the Phouka is a bad omen.

Pookas, the small ones, used to be numerous.  It is said that a person should not pick berries after Michaelmas, [September 29th] because then the pookas piss on them and the essence of the berries is ruined...  Ha-ha-HA!!!