The Illustrated Fairy Encyclopaedia

By Anna Franklin

Illustrated by Paul Mason & Helen Field

To open this book is to enter the world of magic, filled with mystical creatures and strange fairy realms, where nothing is quite as it seems and where even the simple act of uttering a name is fraught with danger.

 Yet, what are fairies? Do they really exist, or are they just figments of our imagination? Hardly - for belief in fairies goes back to the dawn of time and is a worldwide phenomenon, with parallels in the traditions of peoples from as far apart as Africa, New Zealand and Britain.

 If you have a stylized idea of what a fairy should look like, open this book and think again. As the informative and wide ranging entries in the comprehensive A-Z show, many of the creatures we now call fairies began their existence as gods and goddesses who were demoted by subsequent religions to fairies and nature spirits. Others are, and always have been, creatures of other realms that wander into our world. They come in all shapes and sizes from the monstrous Formorians of Ireland to the tiny South African Abatwa. Some resemble humans and have been known to live with, and even marry. Yet, one can never be sure of them and malevolent fairies are rather more common than friendly ones; and some are very frightening indeed.

  From A. to Z.. and from the icy north to the warm tropics, the entries are in alphabetical order and include a wide variety of alternative spellings of traditional and ethnic names. Finding reference is fast and simple, with each main entry leading the reader to related entries - so that the book can be used almost like a thesaurus and with the same ease.

 Anna Franklin's vast knowledge and ability to sift and organize information from around the globe resulted in the better part of two years work adding to and refining her data, until it became this unique book you of some 3000 entries

 All this, together with a collection of dazzlingly beautiful illustrations featuring the artistic abilities and enthusiasm of Paul Mason and Helen Field, has resulted in  a book that is beautiful as it is to look at,  but designed to be used. Whether you are a serious student or simply have an interest in the subject, there is no better starting point.