The Fairy Mythology

The Fairy Mythology is a book by Thomas Keightley, first published in 1828. This pioneering study offers a wide-ranging exploration of fairy beliefs, legends, and supernatural folklore from across Europe and beyond, including stories from Scandinavia, Germany, Ireland, Scotland, and Eastern traditions. Written during a time of growing Romantic interest in folklore and national mythologies, Keightley’s work was one of the first systematic attempts to compare and catalogue folk beliefs, treating them not merely as superstition but as meaningful expressions of cultural identity and imagination. With an eye for both scholarship and storytelling, Keightley combines narrative retellings of fairy tales with commentary on their historical and cultural contexts, helping to shape the study of comparative mythology in the 19th century. A historian and folklorist, he was respected for his careful sourcing and rational approach, even while embracing the enchantment of the tales themselves. The book remains a landmark in the literature of folklore, offering a fascinating window into the magical beliefs that once animated the everyday lives of people across the world.