The Vanishing People: Fairy Lore and Legends

228 Pages·1978·26.24 MB·English

by  Katharine Mary Briggs

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Although fairies are traditionally visible only
between one eye-blink and the next, Katha-
rine Briggs takes a long look at fairy lore in
this enchanting study. Brownies, hobgoblins,
pixies, bwcas, shellygoats, corrigans, spig-
grans, phynnoderees—these are just a few of
theinhabitantswe glimpseinourtourthrough
this magic world.
Legends andstoriesof"thelittlepeople"are
We
interwoven with a catalogue of fairy lore.
learn about the origin of fairy beliefs; about
thedifferenttypes offairies, fromhouse spirits
to trooping fairies to fairy midwives; about
fairy powers, fairy sports, fairy mortality—in
short, much more about fairies than could be
glimpsed in several blinks of the eye.
In addition, there is a glossary of fairies, a
book list, and, for those who like a dash of
scholarship with their enjoyment, indexes of
tale types and motifs.

The
Vanishing People
ALSO BY KATHARINE BRIGGS
British Folktales
An EncyclopediaofFairies:
Hobgoblins,Brownies,Bogies,and
OtherSupernatural Creatures
The
\fonishing
People
Fairy Lore and Legends
Katharine Briggs
Illustrations by Mary I. French
PANTHEON BOOKS, NEW YORK
©
Copyright 1'978 by Katharine M. Briggs
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American
Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by
Pantheon Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New
York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of
Canada Limited, Toronto. Originally published in Great
BritainbyB.T. BatsfordLtd.,London.
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
Briggs, KatharineMary.
TheVanishingPeople.
Bibliography: pp.203-6
Includesindexes.
1. Fairies. 2. Fairy tales—History and
criticism. I. Title.
GR549.B75 1978 398.2'1 78-53523
isbn0-394-50248-5
Manufactured in the UnitedStatesofAmerica
FIRSTAMERICAN EDITION
TO KATHARINE LAW AND CAROL DUFF
This is the first book written entirely at
Southolme, so it is fitting that it should be dedi-
cated to them, whose kindness and enthusiasm
made it possible.
1
CONTENTS
-*-*<
Preface 7
Chapter The Supernatural Passage of
1
Time in Fairyland 1
Chapter 2 The Origins ofFairy Beliefs and
Beliefs about Fairy Origins 27
Chapter 3 The Trooping Fairies 39
Chapter 4 House Spirits 53
Chapter 5 Nature Fairies 66
Chapter 6 Fairy Habitations 81
Chapter 7 Fairy Midwives and Fairy Changelings 93
Chapter 8 Captives in Fairyland 104
Chapter 9 Powers Exercised by the Fairies 118
Chapter 10 Fairy Dealings With Mortals 133
Chapter 11 Fairy Patrons and Fairy Wives 141
Chapter 12 Fairy Morality 151
Chapter 13 Fairy Sports 162
Notes and References 181
Glossary of Fairies 195
Book List 203
Index ofTale Types 207
Motif Index 209
General Index 215