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Katharine Briggs
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Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, & Other Supernatural Creatures Paperback – August 12, 1978

by Katharine Briggs (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 95 ratings
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A complete guide to fairy lore from the Middle Ages to the present. Both an anthology of fairy tales and a reference work with essays about the fairy economy, food, sports, powers and more.
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    9 - 12 years
  2. Print length
    480 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 6
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  6. Publisher
    Pantheon
  7. Publication date
    August 12, 1978
  8. ISBN-10
    039473467X
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0394734675
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Perhaps she should have called it "Everything You Wanted to Know about Fairies, but Were Afraid to Ask." This book covers every type of "little people" from abbey lubbers to Young Tam Lin. Not just the tiny, translucent winged pixies of popular art, but brownies, goblins and bogies, even larger creatures like dragons and mermaids. Exhaustive in its coverage, while still entertaining.

Review

"If myths are both the food and fruit of the imagination, then Katharine Briggs has prepared a banquet.... There seems to be no end to the information in this enchanted almanac."

-- New York Times Book Review

"Oberon would have revelled in this convocation of his subjects."

-- Peter Opie

"An Encyclopedia offers a supernatural host of legends, ballads, folk tales -- and more than enough hobgoblins and dragons to fill minds little or large. The entries are informative and scholarly without being stuffy. A good thing, too. Fairies like to play tricks on the serious." -- Time Magazine

"What Briggs has done is to recover fairies from the nursery (and to a degree from formal literature and painting as well) and restore to them their diversity, complexity, and astonishingly subtle relationship with mortal men and women.... These stories are designed to awaken consciousness." -- Peter S. Prescott

Newsweek

"An Encyclopedia of Fairies is a work that is at once beguiling and trustworthy .... A valuable reference book and a most readable one." -- Richard M. Dorson

"Dr. Briggs brings to her subject both a formidable background in folk scholarship and a lively pen. This absorbing, sensitive, and well-written book will be a valuable single-volume reference work in the study of folklore, mythology, and literature. Even for the general reader-browser, it is a treasure as sprightly and appealing as the fairies themselves." -- Southern Folklore Quarterly

"Katharine Briggs is the magic mirror on the wall. Ask her what you will, but have a care of this wonderful book. Dip into it for two minutes and you'll be gone for an hour. No hour could be better spent." -- Richard Adams

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pantheon; 3rd Printing edition (August 12, 1978)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 039473467X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0394734675
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 6
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.52 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 95 ratings

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Katharine Briggs

Katharine Briggs

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
95 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

coi00koo0ee
5.0 out of 5 stars A good academic-style reference on the Fae
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
A good academic-style reference on the Fae. The contents range from different creatures such as Pixies or Selkies, items of significance in fairy lore (four-leaf clovers allowing a person to see faeries, iron and bells repelling them, ext...), and important terminology and locations. Most of the encyclopedia describes specific figures from fairy tales like Morgan La Fay. Many entries have examples of folk stories in addition to a description. There are a few entries that include art of the creature, but not many.
There is an entire subsections under the entree ‘Fairy’ that include their food and clothing, morals, economy, work and trades, and even funerals.

The encyclopedia focuses on faeries of England and the surrounding area. Sometimes I would find entries that include descriptions of German or French variations of the English fairy, but the book doesn't go outside of western Europe.

This encyclopedia was exactly what I was looking for: a reference guide. The entrees were simple and straightforward, providing satisfying descriptions.
16 people found this helpful
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G. C. Foster
5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a fascinating and fun read- the authoritative source on many hobgoblins and bogies.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2012
Verified Purchase
I originally found this book in a local library and, due to my interest in folklore, I loved it. It isn't actually an encyclopedia, per se, because the name encyclopedia implies that you would look things up in it- this book, however, you are skimming and finding fascinating things to do further research on. For instance, a banshee, (bean sith) is a well known folk tale creature, however this book delves into the origin of the myths and the various beliefs about it. This book is an invaluable tool to have for any folklore specialist interested even remotely in Ireland and the surrounding area.
7 people found this helpful
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CABrown
5.0 out of 5 stars Love my new book!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2023
Verified Purchase
Seller was great!! Absolutely love my new book. It’s in better condition than I even thought it would be & it was shipped out quickly & received fast as well. I would definitely buy from this shop again!! A++++
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Becky W
5.0 out of 5 stars An Odyssey to Find, but the Absolute Best!
Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
I was reading The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (which uses elements of the Water-Horse legend, which can be found in this book) and in the author's note, she recommends this book. She's my personal hero, so I go to purchase this at the bookstore. Then on that bookstore's website. Then on a different one. NOPE. Apparently, this has been out of print since the 70s.

That's why you should jump on this right now. It's the absolute best. I also bought all the other Katharine Briggs' works I could find on Amazon (Folktales of England, The Vanishing People, etc.), and those are great, but they really tell the tale itself, like a story (which is fun to read, and you should buy those, too). This gives you another angle: here, she recounts the lore, but she also includes entries about prominent figures in the study of folklore, as well as essays on things like "Captives in Fairyland" and "Time in Fairyland." Basically, she allows you to understand folklore as an organic entity, really, giving you all the background information to have it really develop into a world.

It's just the best. I can't even explain it. Gah, I'm literally bouncing up and down with how excited I am to have this.

Seriously, Katharine Briggs is the be all and end all of folklore, and this is like her magnum opus...you need this. You just do.
42 people found this helpful
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Nadia Carrim
4.0 out of 5 stars Great reference
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
Awesome reference book! Great overview of the many fairies that appear in tales throughout history. A tad drier than I was expecting (considering the subject matter), but that probably has more to do with my preferences than the book. I’m happy to own a copy!
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Kat
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2016
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This book is a must have for ones library if you are of an open mind ;) a seeker of mysteries and esoterica and generally walk off the beaten path. Now out of print, this book can be found second hand from reputable dealers here on Amazon. Purchased some time back and extremely happy with the knowledge it imparts. So grateful for Ms. Briggs' gift to the world.
11 people found this helpful
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Mars Velvet
1.0 out of 5 stars Gremlins in the E-Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful book and I am lucky to have an old hard copy. But my failing eyesight has made it hard to read so I was delighted to find it on Kindle. However....... It is NOT formatted for Kindle. It is only scanned pages. Like photocopies of the pages (not well centered even). Tiny print which you cannot
adjust to a bigger font. You cannot even search or highlight the text either. Better to have a hard copy and read it through a magnifying glass. I refunded the e-book immediately. Very disappointed.

But the book itself in hard copy is amazing and detailed and quite a treasure.
Just avoid the e-book version!!
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2017
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I love this. It's hard to find this kind of book. It's informative but it also includes tales. I feel like it's missing a few fairies but it's perfect for any fairy lover.
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Top reviews from other countries

Greening
1.0 out of 5 stars Defective
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
The work of Katharine Briggs is incredible, but for some reason this e-book is missing half of the pages - the encyclopedia stops at the letter M. Whether this is a download issue or a problem with the scanned pages, I do not know.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Happy with this purchase. My daughter will be thrilled Christmas morning!
Reviewed in Canada on December 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Great condition!
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L Medana
1.0 out of 5 stars I can't read the print
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
I can't read the print, it's too small. I've tried adjusting the font size on the kindle app, but that hasn't helped. I've also tried adjusting the magnification using the settings on my laptop (where I read my kindle) and that didn't help.

It's so frustrating.
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