Nancy Arrowsmith

This is a straightforward guide to the traditional supernatural beings of Europe as described in folktales and less formal folk beliefs. The introduction says "this book is written for people who want to rediscover elves --the majestic, cruel, beautiful and irrepressible elves of our forefathers." Like Tolkien and Lewis (and Kipling's Puck) the writers reject the cute little fairies of late 19th-early 20 century childrens' stories (and largely represented in The Fairy Dictionary) in favor of the original folk accounts of begs who could be quite powerful and dangerous. Descriptions are based on folktales and sometimes retell them by way of examples. The beings are divided into light eves, dark elves and dusky elves, based more on their appearance and lifestyle (translucent and airborne or dark and earthbound or appearing in twilight) ,--unlike some fiction in which "light" eves are "Good" and dark elves are "bad" (e.g. The Wierdstone of Brisingamen) and drawn from a wide range of European cultures, Irish, elsh, German, Scandinavian, Slavic, etc. The book is not as witty as The Book of Wierd but sticks closer to the original versions of the creatures and actually serves as ore of a reference.… (meer)

I wanted to like this book. It has some useful information about the "little people." But if you really want that sort of information, a much better source is Katharine Briggs's authoritative Encyclopedia of Fairies.... The Briggs book has the added bonus that it doesn't believe in its subject matter. Nancy Arrowsmith does -- or at least acts as if she does.

This is one of those cases of "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Of actual evidence Arrowsmith offers none -- I'm not even sure she knows what evidence is. This makes it hard to trust anything one reads in this book. I'm tempted to file it under "fiction." Certainly I wouldn't file it under "trustworthy." I wish it were otherwise. This could have been a much better book -- if it had been subjected to some healthy skepticism.… (meer)

I really do not know exactly what to make of this book (or how to rate it). The information about the various types of Little People is informative and of interest to anyone who enjoys folklore and folk tales (the bibliography at the back is extensive as well). However, the fact that Nancy Arrowsmith actually seems to believe in the existence of these creatures is, or at least can be, a trifle disconcerting. Now I am not going to categorically claim that mythical beings, that the Little People do not exist, but there were and are some parts of this "field guide" that I found and continue to find not only problematic, but potentially dangerous. In some of the sections regarding supposed changelings, the author actually claims that one way to rid oneself of these creatures is to relentlessly abuse and harass changelings until they either leave or are rescued by their own. When one now realises that often children (and adults) with mental and/or physical challenges were and sometimes even still are considered to be possessed by demons, changed or enchanted by the fairies etc., Nancy Arrowsmith's advice (which certainly seems not to be ironic or tongue in cheek) could, in a worst case scenario, lead to abuse and torture of individuals who do not fit in, who have challenges, who are ill. Although I would not go as far as not recommending this book (it does have some interesting, informative material), I would certainly say "reader beware" (and if you are looking for a book that is sweetness and light, this book is probably not for you, as quite a number of the elves, gnomes etc. are described as being rather nasty, even potentially deadly).

Academically speaking, although I like the fact that the author has included a detailed bibliography at the back, I don't really understand why Nancy Arrowsmith has then not made use of the bibliography within the text proper. While she continuously presents and gives information and exmaples of stories, folktales and fairy tales that have clearly been gleaned from the books mentioned and presented in the bibliography, she does not, in fact, acknowledge her specific sources within the narrative itself. Thus, if I am reading a story (an account) about German Kobolde, it is not indicated within the text from which book(s) in the bibliography the author has gleaned her story, her information. This is not only frustrating and infuriating for academic research purposes, it is actually somewhat academically dishonest and suspect, as the reader really has no way of verifying the sources of the account (unless he/she went through the bibliography and managed to find the exact source/sources, but that would be a guessing game at best). Two and a half stars (I cannot bring myself to round up the rating to three stars, the academic shortcomings are simply too frustrating for me).… (meer)