Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia
by Carol Rose
List Price:
Our Price: $13.63
You Save: $8.32 (38%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $9.95 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Carol RoseEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-08-17
ISBN: 0393317927
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Book Reviews of Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia
Book Review: Excellent Reference to the Other World
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Summary of Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins: An Encyclopedia
A fabulously entertaining work with over 100 delightful illustrations--Library Journal calls Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins its "favorite work of 1996."
In more than 2,000 alphabetically arranged entries, readers will meet angels, demons, elves, encantados, fairies, familiars, keremets, nats, nymphs, and many other strange beings from around the world. Carol Rose introduces the reader to the little--and not so little--folk, delightfully various and, at the same time, strikingly similar from country to country. Wherever humans have lived, the supernatural beings have dwelt alongside us. People serve to explain the unexplainable--the strange disappearance of a traveler in a dark wood, that odd thumping in the attic, the fresh cream turned sour overnight. Often they reveal the stoic humor with which human societies have faced their difficulties. But whatever their source, our guilts, fears, dreams, or imaginations, the spirits have fascinated and enchanted us through the millennia. Chosen by Library Journal as a Best Reference Source.Literature Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature Books
The Dostoevsky Encyclopediaby Kenneth Lantz
Greenwood; Published: 2004-06-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $25.14
Price in other shops:
A William Faulkner Encyclopediaby Robert W. Hamblin, Charles Peek
Greenwood; Published: 1999-11-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $108.00
Price in other shops:
The Feminist Encyclopedia of Italian LiteratureGreenwood Press; Published: 1997-07-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $129.95
Encyclopedia of Latin American TheaterGreenwood; Published: 2003-12-30; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $96.49
Price in other shops:
The Burns encyclopediaby Maurice Lindsay
St. Martin's Press; Published: 1980; Hardcover; Book
C. S. Lewis Readers' Encyclopedia, Theby Jeffrey D. Schultz, John West Jr.
Zondervan; Published: 1998-07-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $34.99
The Columbia Dictionary of Shakespeare QuotationsColumbia University Press; Published: 1998-06-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.95
Price in other shops:
The Columbia Dictionary of Modern Literary and Cultural CriticismColumbia University Press; Published: 1995-04-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.50
Price in other shops:
The Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms (Oxford Paperback Reference)by Chris Baldick
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2004-06-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.93
Price in other shops:
The Earth's Natural Forces (Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Geography)Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 1990-11-15; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.95
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddessesby Judika Illes
HarperOne; Published: 2009-01-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $16.06
Price in other shops:
The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonologyby Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Checkmark Books; Published: 2009-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $16.32
Price in other shops:
The Writer's Complete Fantasy Referenceby Writers Digest
Writers Digest Books; Published: 2000-11-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.14
Price in other shops:
A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spiritsby Carol K. Mack, Dinah Mack
Holt Paperbacks; Published: 1999-10-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.90
Price in other shops:
A Complete Guide to Faeries & Magical Beings: Explore the Mystical Realm of the Little Peopleby Cassandra Eason
Weiser Books; Published: 2002-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.00
Price in other shops:
The Dictionary of Imaginary Places: The Newly Updated and Expanded Classicby Alberto Manguel
Mariner Books; Published: 2000-11-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.16
Price in other shops:
Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Mythby Carol Rose
W. W. Norton & Company; Published: 2001-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $13.94
Price in other shops:
The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings From Myth and Magicby John Matthews, Caitlin Matthews
Sterling; Published: 2005-11-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.16
Price in other shops:
Faeries: Deluxe Collector's EditionAbrams; Published: 2010-10-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
The Fairy Bible: The Definitive Guide to the World of Fairiesby Teresa Moorey
Sterling; Published: 2008-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.23
Price in other shops: