The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
by W. Y. Evans-Wentz
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This collection of reports of elfin creatures in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany ranks among the most scholarly works ever published on the subject. The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries begins with the author's account of firsthand testimony from living sources, classified under individual countries and introduced by leading authorities on anthropology and folklore. The next section concerns the recorded traditions of Celtic literature and mythology, followed by an examination of a show more variety of theories and their religious aspects. The book concludes with a remarkably rational case for the reality of fairy life. Narrated with an engaging sense of wonder, this volume offers a valuable resource for students of anthropology and Celtic lore, as well as hours of delightful reading for fairy enthusiasts. Unabridged republication of the classic 1911 edition. show lessTags
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A voluminous cataloging of oral Celtic folklore at the turn of the century. Contains information on the fairy/deva evolution to some extent but is mainly about beings that would belong to the Elana/Faery race, and in some cases, darker beings from lower planes. Folklore, superstition and spiritual truths are often blended together in mysterious ways and the reader of books such as this one should not take the accounts literally. It can be like detective work. Looking at the clues to find the spiritual truths. What are the allusions and metaphysical meanings? In a sense, it is similar to ferreting out the spiritual truths in fairy tales and religions.
Fascinating subject, delightfully earnest and academic, but man, is the prose tortured in places. Still, probably the most detailed collection of eyewitness testimony and likely the most serious academic study ever done on fairies.
Originally published in 1911, it includes many 1st hand and FoaF accounts from older people, recounting common fairy related Celtic customs, experiences and stories from the 1800s and earlier. The 'evidence' is not well organised. The NewPage Publishers edition is also terrible- full of typos such as periods randomly placed in the middle of sentences, "bow" for "how", etc. I only got this edition so I wouldn't feel bad about writing in it, but its far more distracting than expected; I'm surprised a publisher would print something so poorly edited.
An exhaustive (and exhausting) study of folk belief in fairies in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Brittany. I've never been able to slog my way through it all, but dipped in here and there. If you need the gory details, they are all here. It's recently been reprinted by Dover, making it easier to obtain.
A dense and scholarly account of the beliefs in the supernatural in Celtic language speaking regions of the world. This book is the pinnacle to which other books of a similar theme aspire.
A good comprehensive study first published in 1911.
Available to read legally for free at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/34853
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12+ Works 3,135 Members
W.Y. Evans-Wentz (1878-1965) was best known as the translator of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the author of several other books on eastern mysticism
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries
- Original publication date
- 1911
- Epigraph
- 'It remains forever true that the proper study of mankind is man; and even early man is not beneath contempt,especially when he proves to have had within him the makings of a great race, with its highest notions of duty and r... (show all)ight, and all else that is noblest in the human soul.
-The Right Hon. Sir John Reys
'There, neither turmoil or silence...
'Though fair in sight of Erin's plains,hardly will they seem so after you have known the Great Plain...
'A wonder of a land the land of which I speak; no youth there grows to old... (show all) age...
'We behold and are not beheld.'
-The God Midir, in Tochmarc Etaine - Dedication
- THIS BOOK depends chiefly upon the oral and written testimony so freely contributed by its many Celtic authors,-the peasant and the scholar, the priest and the scientist, the poet and the business man, the seer and the non-se... (show all)er,- and in honour of them I DEDICATE it to TWO OF THEIR BRETHREN IN IRELAND: A.E., whose unwavering loyalty to the fairy-faith has inspired much of what I have herein written, whose friendly guidance in my study of Irish mysticism I most gratefully acknowledge;
and WILLIAM BUTLER YEATES who brought to me at my own alma mater in California the first message from Fairyland, and who afterwards in his own country led me through the haunts of of Fairy Kings and Queens.
-OXFORD- NOVEMBER, 1911 - First words
- There is probably no other place in Celtic lands more congenial, or more inspiring for the writing down of one's deeper intuitions about the Fairy-Faith, than Carnac, under the shadow of the pagan tumulus and mount of the sac... (show all)red fire, now dedicated by triumphant Christianity to the Archangel Michael.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)In the same way, what in this generation is heretical alike to the Christian theologian and to the man of science may in coming generations be accepted as orthodox.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Anthropology, Religion & Spirituality, General Nonfiction, History
- DDC/MDS
- 398.45 — Society, Government, and Culture Customs, etiquette & folklore Folklore & Folktales Paranatural and legendary phenomena as subjects of folklore Paranormal beings of human and semihuman form
- LCC
- GR137 .E9 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Folklore Folklore By region or country
- BISAC
Statistics
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- 793
- Popularity
- 34,886
- Reviews
- 7
- Rating
- (3.73)
- Languages
- English, French
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 36
- UPCs
- 1
- ASINs
- 13
