Faeries, Elves and Goblins: The Old Stories

by Rosalind Kerven

A unique collection of traditional stories about faeries, elves and goblins.

Faeries, elves, goblins, leprechauns, brownies, spriggans and many other supernatural beings leap vividly off the page in this collection of haunting stories. Included are 25 stories drawing on folklore from the rich narrative heritage of Britain and Ireland.

Marvel over ancient spells to summon faeries to your house, tremble at the shapeshifting powers of dangerous faery queens, lose yourself amongst the illusions of Faeryland and learn how to protect family members from the terrors of faery abduction. Interspersed with facts on faery folklore, these tales cover faery morals, elvish misdemeanours, the spells cast by goblins and the sightings of the creatures, as well as their dealings with mortals.

With charming illustrations from favourite illustrators throughout, including Arthur Rackham, this book reminds us of the enduring appeal of folklore and mystery for all generations.

Genres: Fantasy, Folklore, Short Stories, Mythology, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Fae

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 14, 2013

About the author

"Rosalind Kerven, connoisseur of myths and folktales" – THE INDEPENDENT (one of the UK's leading online news websites)

I'm the author of over 70 books published in 22 countries, with total world sales of nearly a million.
Specialising in myths, legends, folk tales and fairy tales from all over the world.

Follow me on Twitter @MythsandTales

Reviews

[Cora Tea Party Princess · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic collection of fairy stories and the second of Rosalind Kerven's books I've read this year - and I'm definitely going to read any further publications.

Fairy tales aren't just for kids - as an adult I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It took me right back to my childhood. These old stories are timeless, and wonderfully told in Faeries, Elves and Goblins. As an adult, the background to some of the stories was extremely interesting. I love reading anything that increases my general knowledge.

But Faeries are not only for children's eyes: they are more often spied by sensible matrons and reputable middle aged men.

This book has gorgeous illustrations throughout, I always paused to look them over. Even the chapter pages had me staring for a while!

The tales are from everywhere. I loved that there was something to make me stop and think "I know this one!"

Go out and buy this book. I had an e-copy via Net Galley for review, but I picked up a copy during a visit to a National Trust property and the quality is great. Definitely get the hard-copy, a screen doesn't do this beautiful book justice.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! The artwork was whimsical and magical, the stories were short but very interesting so it kept my attention very well, there were little sections that had overviews on faeries in a more nonfictional kinda way, the end was all notes on each story and the different regional variations. I really liked the last section and I also liked how the author put ALL of her sources in the end so if you want to keep doing your own research you can find everything she used! Really awesome compendium and general scholarly knowledge on faerie!

[Eris lover 55 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love reading about humans getting screwed over by faeries

[Liselotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved this book! It just has a lot of (beautiful) illustrations that take up a lot of room, so the book is a lot thinner than it looks. The stories were really sweet and tons I haven't heard of before, which is always a plus to me!

[Alice Hanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faeries, Elves & Goblins (The Old Stories) by Rosalind Kerven

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a short story book that includes short shorties from various parts of Europe (mostly England, Ireland and Scotland). It includes legends and old stories passed down about people who experienced or ran into faeries or goblins.

At the back of the book is a notes section that details where the author found the stories and the process they went through to get them. I enjoyed getting the specific details of where the stories come from.

So if you are interested in old stories of these mythical creatures, I strongly suggest checking this book out.

[Claudia Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk i just … like it was fun(ish) but i think it needed to be branded more as like an anthology than a cute nd fun book. because by like three stories in, i was kinda bored shitless,, idk maybe i’m looking at it wrong

[Caelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Sophie Avett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was expensive. Oh my god, this was probably the most expensive book I've bought in a while. HOWEVER, it was totally worth it. I did pick up this book at Barnes and Noble, and it is the hardcover edition. Frankly, I opened it not really knowing what to expect and as I started reading I found myself utterly surprised by how familiar the stories sounded. Come to find out, they're familiar because this is THE fairy tale book most children had not too long ago. They just don't know it. I was absolutely thrilled by my discovery. Frankly, I have never encountered an author who does short stories quite like this author does. She breathes new life into OLD tales and does it with wit and humor. Utterly engaging, and a wonderful trip down memory lane. I recommend this book to anyone looking to recapture their childhood. And yes, the Sophie sure did retell one of these tales in her New Gotham series. If you're a reader, stay tuned and I'm sure you'll figure out which very, very soon! :)

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to pick an introductory book to fairy lore, this could definitely be a great option. Well selected, well-written (eloquent, enjoyable, and close to oral storytelling, which I like), high quality edition (or at least it looks great on Kindle). It contains all the most popular fairy tale types (changelings, faery wives, faery midwives, leprechaun treasures, etc.) as well as some of the most well-known classics (Tam Lin, Thomas the Rhymer, Midir and Edain). In addition, it also contains some unique and cool stories of less well known types.
Bonus points for the fact that each story comes with extensive notes (including sorter summaries of several similar tales), and there is a long bibliography at the end for further research. I would have liked if the individual stories came with their sources, but it is not too hard to find them in the bibliography based on the notes.
Enjoyable read for fans of fairy folklore, and a very useful resource for storytellers.

[LudmilaM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know there are many stories about faeries, but considering that one of their nicknames is "the Good Folk", stories in this book were almost exclusively painting them negatively as vicious and malicious creatures - a trait that is connected to demonic creatures, rather than faeries. That was a bit of a disappointment.

[Caia_In_Wonderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great and whimsical collection of several legends/tales about all kinds of faeries. I love the illustrations and also the ending notes about each story where the author explains the different variations of it.
It’s a great recourse for a writer of fairy inspired fantasy books.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

25 stories: 1 Manx, 3 Welsh, 3 Irish, 5 Scottish and 13 English. So quite a clear focus on English folk tales which seems a bit of a shame given that the author has already dedicated 2 books to English folk tales. It would have been nice to see a better spread, especially given the Notes at the back supplied brief examples of plenty of Welsh/Scottish/Irish/Manx stories that also fitted whichever trope or style the author was giving representation to with each story choice.

That being said, the stories are wonderfully written and illustrated. The notes give a great insight into repeating patterns in folk tales across the British Isles and I really enjoyed reading it! The introductions to each chapter were a great touch too, I learnt a lot!

If you’re interested in Folk Tales, then I definitely recommend this book.

[Books from Faeries · Rating 5 out of 5]

“No one knows what became of the crofter and his sweetheart, but the Faeries are definitely still there”

• "Faeries, Elves and Goblins: The Old Stories" edited by Rosalind Kerven is divided into five sections covering faerie types, fairy sights, faerie and spells, to dealings between mortals and faeries. It contains adaptations, usually in standard English, from classical folklore tales concerning faeries from Scotland, England, Wales, and Ireland.

• Faeries are seen as beings that should be treated with caution, but they can be benevolent when promises are kept. Stories here are not as dark and twisted as in Fearsome Faeries. The editor provides the sources and very insightful notes, which aren't tedious for casual readers. The book also includes some illustrations by Arthur Rackham.

☞ I wrote a full review on my blog.

[Penelope Winkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading these short tales of Faeries, Elves, and Goblins! Some of the stories seemed a bit too similar to both be included in the same collection. I think for me personally, the stories were so short that I shouldn't have read it all in one go because it felt very stop and go to me, but that's how short fairytales typically are! I thought it was neat that the author included all the places of origin of the specific versions of the stories. There is some debate that goblins were actually anti-semitic caricatures because they're greedy/have hooked noses but the goblin stories seemed that they were just there to play tricks on and bother mortals more than anything else. At least for the ones in this collection.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Spiderwick as a teen( as I read Tithe first) but love short stories in lots of different styles. I thoroughly enjoyed this. The fourth section was chilling. This book had a lot of goblins and the brownies were naughty. I still love brownies though. I can see this book could cause sensitive souls to be frightened; the theme of bargaining, not put so bluntly in the book, had a firm grip on the reader and so unfairness was frequent. I guess that at some stages in the stories the fairies were beautiful and attractive and so their bargains were not redundant but a stroke of ( leprechaun) luck.
( The leprechaun was the real goody imo, boo to the nasty mortal).

I think I will try to find more fairytales and may also revisit Marcus Sedgwick and Neil Gaiman.

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional fairy tales from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with illustrations. Beautiful illustrations highlight the beginning of every chapter. If you write fairy tales and need a resource book, this is it. But this isn't just a book to give to a child. This is a grown up book too. There are references in the text for additional Fairy sources. Some old-fashioned words and phrases in the stories and poems. I loved the feeling of being re-introduced to old legends and mythologies through these stories. Norse to Celtic, this is a good read and a must have for any fantasy author.

[Books And Chocaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully presented book. Both in terms of the writing and the illustrations. The author certainly managed to capture the atmosphere of the tales and also found a balance to not over-embellish them. The result is a well told, concise and to the point, whimsical collection of fairy tales.

[Desiree · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A sweet collection of fairy folklore stories from England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. Other related tidbits are interspersed between them, and there are additional notes with a little more detail about stories and sources at the end

[Sophie Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book about the folklores of Britain and Ireland. A few of the short stories I have heard of or versions of but a lot of them were new to me. I like hearing about fairy tales it makes the world more magical

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Used for research. A nice collection of stories, and the illustrations (mostly Arthur Rackham) are so lovely.

[Leila Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read! I love reading about faeries, goblins and the like. Such a wonderful part of our history! Now, to actually visit the countries mentioned!

[Melissandre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, mischievous zipping tales with sumptuous illustrations. Loved this!

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories.

[Lana De braekell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's perfect if you want to read a little every day :)!

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a charming read! The illustrations were gorgeous, and the sources were neatly compiled.

[Lissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this a lot. A great collection of UK-centric folk tales. I would have loved to have this as a kid. The extra notes were interesting too.

[Beth Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A good collection of fairytales.

[kdrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun to read. It inspired me to move to region where most of the stories come from to read and hear even more stories.

[Emma McGilvray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading these stories. It was interesting to see common themes throughout them. I learned a lot about folklore from the British isles through the stories and the additional notes.

[K. Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needed significantly more Irish tales.