Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk

by Dr. Brittany Warman and Dr. Sara Cleto

Fairylore book cover

Authors and scholars Dr. Brittany Warman and Dr. Sara Cleto

Big thanks to Union Sware & Co., Sterling Publishing, and NetGalley for sharing their new incredible collection Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk by Dr. Brittany Warman and Dr. Sara Cleto. It’s kind of fortuitous that I was able to find this book since I just read Donald Quill’s Living the Irish Wheel of the Year, in which he references sidhes, who are like a form of fairies and magical beings in Irish folklore. I imagined that this book would be more focused on Celtic folklore from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but I was amazed to find that this is a fairly (or fairy?) comprehensive compendium that incorporates folklore figures from various cultures from around the world. While I’ve never been too interested in fairies, I love mythological creatures and cryptids, and the organization of this book allows for the inclusion of creatures and figures that interact with the human world in interesting and unique ways. I actually love this kind of compendium that presents background stories and information about creatures, their strengths and interests in humans, and that is what this book is—a collection of interesting creatures, organized according to how they interact with the human world.

The authors, who are scholars of folklore, present some useful information about what fairies are and how they differ from other creatures, especially those of legends and mythology. Furthermore, they posit 5 different ideas that help to further classify and differentiate fairies from these other creatures. I loved the way the authors presented their rubric for inclusion into fairy classification. It’s an insightful presentation and it helps them also organize the 5 categories they’ve used to organize fairies: Home, Seduction, Terror (my favorite), Nature, and Neighbors. Furthermore, these ideas about how to classify fairies and how they interact with the human world also help to further their thesis that fairies end up revealing a lot about culture, beliefs, and philosophies. These kinds of stories about fairies serve as a way to explain events and phenomena that are typically beyond knowledge, a way to maintain harmony in society by explaining deviant behavior or avoiding blame of others, and also as a means of social control, to indicate what behaviors, actions and beliefs are approved for society and which ones are forbidden or punished. We still may use stories to highlight these beliefs and values today, but often they involve more realism and less magic, so it’s interesting to see how folklore incorporates these kinds of fantastic elements into their stories to serve as methods of instruction and passing down cultural values and beliefs to different generations.

Throughout the book, Dr. Warman and Dr. Cleto identify fairies from around the world, presenting references from both folklore and scholarly work that identifies stories, examples, or explanations of these fairies. I felt like this was one of the many strengths of the book. It features fairy stories from expected cultures like those of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, but also includes instances of fairies from other cultures and regions including the Apache, the Inca, South Africa, Newfoundland, Japan, China, Korea, and Australia. Furthermore, in their commentary and analysis of these fairies, the authors raise questions about whether some of these fairies existed prior to colonial contact, or whether they possible served as a means to explore colonialism and the encroaching loss of indigenous ways. In addition, they note that many of the first recorded instances of these fairies rely on translations, which may or may not be completely accurate or represent the full understanding of the fairies. It’s an important consideration, and I appreciate their ability to raise questions about sources and cultural interpretations and understandings of these fairies. In fact, this was one of those rare books where I couldn’t wait to peruse the bibliography to see how accessible some of their sources are. While they primarily rely on a few sources that are mentioned throughout the book (Briggs, Purkiss), it seems like Dr. Warman and Dr. Cleto consulted a wide array of different sources that were available to them to create a diverse and inclusive compendium of fairies and other creatures. In addition, the authors included a folklore tale at the end of each section that exemplifies or provides an instance of a fairy mentioned in the section. This was also really cool to read the specific references from their sources, since it provides a clear example and shows how the fairies interact. Furthermore, the authors explain how different modes of storytelling (first person accounts, re-tellings, and third-person accounts) all reflect different ways of conveying elements of the culture.

This is a great reference book to have, and I imagine using it both in the classroom and with my kids. It’s also a great starting point to learn more about these fascinating creatures to further understand their relationship with humans and as a means of explaining cultural beliefs, values, and events. As the authors mentioned in the conclusion, fairies have been a part of art, literature, and culture for nearly 500 years with references in Chaucer and Shakespeare, and more recently in Disney films, anime, and even horror films. I was surprised to find references to certain creatures like banshees, oni, and kitsune, but also excited to learn about so many more creatures that appear in different cultures throughout the world. I also have to mention that the illustrations in this book are another fantastic aspect of the book. Most of the fairies have incredible illustrations that help readers better understand conceptions of these fae folk. This is a great book to read and revisit if you are interested in folklore, culture, and creatures. The entries are brief and succinct, giving readers an insightful understanding of these creatures, how they interact with humans, and the possible morals, values, and behaviors they convey to people. This is a book that I would share with my kids, a classroom, or even just read for my own enjoyment. It’s a wonderful compendium where readers are guaranteed to learn a lot. Highly recommended!