Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia

Carol Rose's 'Spirit, Fairies, Leprechauns and Goblins' is exactly what it claims to be - an encyclopediac guide to all manner of spirits, ghosts, djinn, goblins, angels, demons, fairies, dwarves, gods and other denizens of folklore and myth. And while no such volume could ever be complete, given how rich (and often contradcitory) the world's folkelore really is, this volume is still quite good. No doubt those reading this book will have heard of, say, the Green Man, La Llorona, brownies, nagas, trolls and elves, but what about more obscure tales such as Pahuanuiapitaaiterai, the each usige, hantu ayer or leshii? Each spirit, goblin or deity is given a seperate, dictionary style entry, along with references and related articles. Entries may refer to individual beings (Coyote, Lilith, the Jersey Devil) or types of spirits (black dogs, ohdowas, pitris, roane). Furthermore, she also gives a series of appendices at the end, breaking down entries by type of spirit (Demon, Nat, Nymph, Keremet, etc), associations (spirits of water, spirits of nature, spirits of fate, spirits of disease, etc), and country or culture (Welsh, Gypsy, Middle Eastern, Brazilian, Vietnamese, Norse, etc).One of the big strengths here is that Rose was so thorough in including often overlooked non-western beings, like Indian gandharvas, Malay langsuir, Afro-Brazilian Exu or the Penobscot wanagemeswak. In addition, she does make notes on regional variations on particular beings, such as the different role of Daevas in Hinduism and Persian Zoroastrianism, or how dwarves change in German, Scnadinavian and other folklores. And yet, as previous reviewers noted, she also sometimes displays very obvious western biases. For instance, saying Durga is 'evil' completely misunderstands her role in Hinduism. Far from being evil, Durga is a demon-slayer and one of the most beloved aspects of the Goddess (Devi) in all of India! Even in her more destructive aspect of Kali, she is still not 'evil.' Still, one cannot be an expert on everything, and excepting these cultural biases, this work is a good reference for looking up various spirit beliefs. More detailed research you can find elsewhere.So while there are indeed a couple of shortcomings, this is still an excellent resource for looking up different types of goblins, bogies, phantoms, demons and other denizens of the invisible worlds. Couple this with a half-way decent library of folklore, mythology and legends and your set to do some serious research here. Students of folklore will get good use out of this book, especially with regards to the more obscure beings, so definately give this book a look. As for myself, I saw she has a companion volume, 'Giants, Monsters and Dragons,' which I am going to pick up soon.

I was looking for a book exactly like this. I can't begin to describe just how much of a perfect fit this is for what I was looking for.If you're looking for some whimsical storybook then this is not the book for you. This reads like a dictionary of fantasy creature names. There are only short blurbs on each, and you get about 10 per page for 346 pages. Then the appendix groups them in interesting ways (grouped by country, for example, or "Spirits associated with woods" etc.If you're looking for a extensive back story for every creature in existence, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a good starting point to get just a very basic idea of the different types of creatures out there to spur additional research into those that seem particularly interesting, this is EXACTLY the book for you.As a reference point, I'm an indy game developer and have been looking for a "Bestiary" of sorts to get inspiration for in-game creatures. Again, this is precisely what I was looking for. A simple, no-nonsense list of creatures with a small tidbit of info about each.Wish I could give more than 5 stars.

I adore this book!It is written in encyclopedia style, so volumes about each creature is not what this is about.For me, it's enough to learn about different mythological beings which serves as a springboard to do further research.

Great reference for anyone writing fantasy! The descriptions of the creatures are concise, and are just enough to set you off in the right direction. Unlike some other books I have, there are very few pictures, and the ones that are included are black and white. I personally like to have color pictures, which allow me to visualize if the creatures will fit in a particular scene, which is the only reason for the 4 star rating.

Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins is a fairly comprehensive encyclopedia of the otherworld from all over the world. The illustrations are not very good, it is true; however, the text is pretty thorough and while no book will ever be able to cover the totality of Faerie and the diversity of its inhabitants, except perhaps the book of Life, this is a good addition to the library of those who love and study this subject. We're glad we got it.The Silver Elves authors of  The Shining Ones: The Elfin Spirits That Guide You According to Your Birth Date and the Evolutionary Lessons They Offer

Absolutely amazing information for any writers of fantasy or lovers of folklore!!! I bought both this and her monsters book!!! Well, well worth the money and have already put flags all and highlighter all over it!!! Some of my favorite research material yet!

I just received this book this afternoon so I cannot comment on the content--other than to say it looks to be more for research than pretty pics. I was expecting a little more illustrations.This book was in pretty shoddy condition for being "new" from amazon. I have received better quality used books. The cover corner was bent and has a crease, the pages (when book is closed) are filthy and have dark marks running over them. I am very disappointed in the quality of the last few purchases from amazon..usually they are my go to for books and toys because everything ships in near perfect condition.If it wasn't such a hassle to return!

This and its partner (Giants, Monsters and Dragons) are the best resources I've found. I write fiction and online research is great in general, but if you really crave a real encyclopedic source, get one or both of these. They really tickle my writer's brain even when I'm not in research mode.Note: They do have some overlaps since, obviously, a lot of the creatures and characters could fall under either title. But unless your focus is completely, 100% summed up in one title, you will very likely enjoy both. A lot.

I have a number of books on folklore, mythical creatures and spirits and fairies. Hey, I like them. This is the best. This covers everywhere and everyone. It includes everything. As any good encyclopedia should, it runs A-Z. It prompts further reading. It links listings to others in the 'pedia and can prompt further research. It is at the back of the book that the information comes into its own.It is all very well knowing the name of an entry, but what if you do not? What if you want a spirit to go with water, or a spring, or fate etc? Go to the back, they are all listed. But not just that. Want spirits associated with the creative arts? Corn and grain? Disease? They are all listed. Then look them up in the main 'pedia.There is also none of the "maybe" and "could be" that you get with other publications. Carol Rose simply says how it is, or not. She states what is known, or not.There are lists of Angels, Demons, tree spirits, and a list by Country of origin. Need an obscure Belgian fairy? You'll find it here. There are some books that should be reprinted and massive sellers. This is one. Get it. It can be hard to find, but if you can just buy it.

Disappointed with the drawings.

A very usful book Used to pursue an interest in folk lore

This book is truly a wonderful reference guide to have. Creature after creature, one can learn so much with this book. Being that the book covers so many, and I mean many, creatures, the information given is often short; but, it is an encyclopaedia, and that is exactly what it is. This is truly one of my most treasured resource books, when exploring the world of faeries.

Cool reference book. No complaints