Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, and Boggarts: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies, by Katharine Briggs
Exactly what it says on the can: an encyclopedia of British fairy descriptions and stories by a British folklorist. Her books are all out of print, but I have also obtained her fairy tale novel Kate Crackernuts and a book on cat folklore. I haven't read those yet.
There are cultural notes in this book but it's not academic, but very easy to read and meant to be enjoyed. Old-school and excellent. The stories are vivid, the atmosphere is eerie, and the illustrations are beautiful and scary by turns-often both. I owned this as a child and was absolutely terrified by the story and full-color plate illustration of the Nuckelavee, a horrible centaur without skin.
I lost the book in one of my many moves, then eventually ordered it online to see if it was still good and the Nuckelavee was still scary or if it was just one of those childhood things that loses its impact with age. Nope. Still good. Still scary.
If you like this sort of thing, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Or give it to a child you know, and with any luck it will haunt them like it haunted me.
Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2235558.html. Comment here or there.
There are cultural notes in this book but it's not academic, but very easy to read and meant to be enjoyed. Old-school and excellent. The stories are vivid, the atmosphere is eerie, and the illustrations are beautiful and scary by turns-often both. I owned this as a child and was absolutely terrified by the story and full-color plate illustration of the Nuckelavee, a horrible centaur without skin.
I lost the book in one of my many moves, then eventually ordered it online to see if it was still good and the Nuckelavee was still scary or if it was just one of those childhood things that loses its impact with age. Nope. Still good. Still scary.
If you like this sort of thing, I cannot recommend it highly enough. Or give it to a child you know, and with any luck it will haunt them like it haunted me.
Abbey Lubbers, Banshees, & Boggarts: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fairies
Crossposted to https://rachelmanija.dreamwidth.org/2235558.html. Comment here or there.