An Encyclopedia of Fairies

📖 The Scoop

"From the Abbey Lubbers (minor devils who were detailed to tempt monks to drunkenness, gluttony, and lasciviousness) to "Young Tam Lin" (the most important of the supernatural ballads), An Encyclopedia of Fairies is a wonderful companion to the world of make-believe. Spanning ten centuries, this guided tour will enthrall anyone who has ever believed or even half-believed in supernatural creatures. In recent years, there has been an astonishing growth of interest in fairy tales and the magic world they represent. For adults as well as children, fairy tales have had the same appeal - and created many of the same worlds - as modern science fiction. From the Tolkien fans to the readers of Pantheon's Grimm's Fairy Tales or the Opies' book of classical fairy tales, to the serious university students of folklore and authors like Bruno Bettelheim, we see an increasing fascination with this mythological world. As a reference work, An Encyclopedia of Fairies is the first and only one of its kind. But it is also a marvelous anthology, in which fairy tales are recounted as well as examined. In it one can not only learn about the appearance and customs of the varied inhabitants of the fairy world, but also read short essays on questions of the fairy economy, their food, their sports, their varying sizes and powers. One learns how to distinguish evil fairies from good ones (though even the good fairies can be formidable); the ways people traditionally protected themselves against the dangers of night travel - the piece of bread in the pocket, the ashen gad, the handful of salt, the turned jacket; the delightful spectacles which may be encountered accidentally; and the manners and qualities which endear mortals to fairies. Twenty-one plats, 39 text figures, an extensive bibliography, and in index of types and motifs complete this fascinating journey through the land of enchantment." --

Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction / Paranormal & Supernatural (fancy, right?)