{"id":21988,"date":"2020-03-10T01:10:18","date_gmt":"2020-03-10T05:10:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=21988"},"modified":"2020-03-09T15:01:07","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T19:01:07","slug":"book-review-a-new-dictionary-of-fairies-by-morgan-daimler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2020\/03\/10\/book-review-a-new-dictionary-of-fairies-by-morgan-daimler\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review – A New Dictionary of Fairies: A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies by Morgan Daimler"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Review<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

A New Dictionary of Fairies<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

by Morgan Daimler<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

416 Pages<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Most people know of my views on fairies; specifically, my concerns when some people insist that fairies are wee, harmless creatures who only want to help us. The fae are powerful, unpredictable beings, but to be fair, they are also numerous and varied in type, and understanding them is a convoluted and confusing process. Morgan Daimler\u2019s new book is a massive aid for anyone wanting to understand the world of fairies and magical beings.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When I was a little girl, one of my favourite books was \u2018A Field Guide to the Little People\u2019 by Nancy Arrowsmith. There were so many creatures from all across the world, but particularly from the lands I lived in and knew of: England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. I loved the twisted tales of selkies and grabbingly-greedy children, gold turning to coal by dawn or hapless miners trapped underground, all because they didn\u2019t leave a crust for the knockers. When I got a bit older, I ended up seeking out more in-depth information about the spirits and beings of places. I discovered Katharine Briggs\u2019 Dictionary of Fairies. The number of creatures covered in Briggs\u2019 volume astounded me, yet this new encyclopaedia by Morgan Daimler, published by Moon Books, has taken this knowledge to a whole new level.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Morgan\u2019s book describes dozens and dozens of different types of fairy in painstaking detail. Like any good encyclopaedia, she also includes useful entries on all things fairy-related. Look out for sections like the one on blood, which covers a surprising wealth of information on human blood, fairy blood, and plenty of other fairly gruesome and gripping points. There are sections on pointed ears and glamour, helping break down assumptions and common associations about fairies. Some of the most exciting sections are the ones about origins and physicality, providing more information than I have ever seen in one place about the existence of fairies and fairy lore.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This is an absolute \u2018must have\u2019 book for anyone who is interested in any the fair folk, the little people, sprites, pixies, or even folklore in general. As with all her books, this one is meticulously researched, and despite being encyclopaedic in nature, it\u2019s written in an engaging and easy to read way that keeps the pages turning. A book to keep handy on the shelf and return to again and again.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n