Katharine Briggs, Fee Greening. Octopus Publishing, (192p) ISBN: 9781800963504. Folklore, read 03/08/25, Hardback ★★★★☆

Briggs’s Dictionary of Fairies

I love being able to add to my myth and folklore library and this was one I was always wanted and thankfully this new beautifully illustrated hardback edition came up on Publisher’s News.

This is a revised edition with slightly fewer entries but with some beautiful illustrations to support the text from Fee Greening, there are also some photos of Katharine Briggs and family.

From the Northernmost parts of Scotland to the very Southern tip of England the book takes us on a tour of the British Isles and the tales of creatures big and small that inhabit the folklore and myths of the people of the isles.

It was a fascinating read, especially since this is based on a seminal work that has been the toughstone for so many people in the past and holds a warm place in people’s hearts for introducing them to British folklore.

There were many tales I already knew like the Selkies and the Lambton Worm, but so many more that I’d never heard of such as the Nuckelavee and Abbey Lubbers. Each story adds so much to the tapestry of British lore and history and helped me place things I wasn’t sure about.

An enjoyable read and a great addition to the folklore/myth shelves.