I want to write that this is my first review of a work of non-fiction, but I’m not sure if that’s the case. True, The Element Encyclopaedia of Fairies is not a novel or a collection of short stories, but it’s still fiction. Or is it?
The Element Encyclopaedias series boasts books on topics like witchcraft, fantastical creatures, secret societies, and many other fascinating subjects. The Element Encyclopaedia of Fairies is a reference book on, you guessed it, fairies.
Lucy Cooper, fairy expert and author/editor of this encyclopaedia, has dipped into the history of fairies and the folklore of civilisations all over the world, and she has collected stories and descriptions of mythical beings. In the encyclopaedia, Cooper has included fairies from the British Isles, but also those from other cultures in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australia. The stories are not only fascinating in their own right, but they also offer an insight into workings of the cultures that created them. This book has taught me that there are more fairies than I had ever imagined.
I recognised some of the entries, like those about the kelpies, the Green Man, and the Bucca, but others, like the Kirnis, the Bongas, and the lovely African Jengu, were entirely new to me. I suppose that nowadays anyone who is at all familiar with folklore and/or fantasy fiction knows that not all fairies are cute tiny females with wings, but The Element Encyclopaedia of Fairies proves this beyond any doubt. In fact, the vast majority of fairies are unlike anything I ever imagined. They’re not all friendly either. Some, like the Gashadokuro from Japan, are downright terrifying. I was particularly pleased to find that the encyclopaedia included the Bakru, a large-headed spirit of flesh and blood from my native country of Suriname.
The encyclopaedia contains more than mere descriptions of fairy folk. Some of the descriptions include background information about the entity in question, or even the traditional stories about them. There are also entries that deal with human authors, like Marie-Catherine D’Aulnoy, a French countess who penned traditional folk tales in the late 17th century. There is the chapter on fairyland, one on how to connect to fairies, and another on Elementals and flower fairies. And there are pictures!
The encyclopaedia is easy to read and entertaining, much like a collection of stories, but unlike a story collection. This work provides the reader with an insight into the fables and myths of a variety of cultures as well as with a myriad of fascinating creatures.
Obviously, The Element Encyclopaedia of Fairies is a wonderful resource for writers of speculative fiction, but it’s equally wonderful for anyone who has an interest in fairies, folklore or just in the workings of the human mind.
Picture courtesy of Wikipedia