Pixies, elves, brownies, dwarfs, leprechauns, and the other enchanted little people: where do they come from? Folklorists consider them the byproduct of ancient religious beliefs, occultists term them nature spirits, and the peasantry call them fallen angels - creatures neither good enough for redemption nor bad enough to be forever lost.

This collection of reports of elfin creatures in Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and Brittany ranks the most scholarly works ever published on the subject. ,,The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries" begins with the author's collection of firsthand testimony from living sources, classified by individual country and introduced by leading authorities on anthropology and folklore. The next section concerns the recorded traditions of Celtic literature and mythology, followed by an examination of a variety of theories and their religious aspects. The book concludes with a remarkable rational case for the reality of fairy life.

Narrated with an engaging sense of wonder by W. Y. Evans-Wentz, the first American ever to receive the degree of Doctor of Science in Comparative Religion from Oxford, this volume offers a valuable resource for students of anthropology and Celtic lore, as well as hours of delightful reading for fairy enthusiasts. "A very charming and valuable book, and one in which the student of folk-lore and of what may be called folk philosophy will find a mine of information and suggestion." - The Times Literary Supplement.

Dover (2002) unabridged republication of the edition published by Henry Frowde, London, 1911.