The Little Encyclopedia of Fairies: An A to Z Guide to Fae Magic (The Little Encyclopedias of Mythological Creatures)

“Opanike’s book is small . . . but each page is filled with interesting detail, some humor, and some dark descriptions, proving that small can be as valuable as large.”

“From ghoulies and ghosties

And long-leggedy beasties

And things that go bump in the night.

Good Lord, Deliver us!”

Although this Scottish prayer does not appear in Ojo Opanike’s recent book, The Little Encyclopedia of Fairies: An A-to-Z Guide to Fae Magic, it would be most acceptable.

Opanike introduces to the reader that “Fairies are possibly the most enduring folk creatures of all time.” He takes us on a journey around the world and assures us “it’s clear that fairies [a term interpreted broadly in this book to include non-Western fae concepts] are prevalent everywhere.”

We learn names that we have never heard before, such as Achachila, a protective spirit found in the Altiplano plateau in South America and the Apotamkin, “often presumed to be vampires. . . . They are believed to be giant fanged sea serpents who sometimes drag people, especially children, into the sea and eat them at Passamaquoddy Bay, between the US state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick.”

But some names are more familiar to us. Consider the Banshee that “in Irish folklore can be traced to the eighth-century myth of women known as keeners who sang songs to lament the deaths of people and would sometimes take alcohol as their payment.” And the Brownie, who was said to have occupied every house in the 1600 in Scotland, where they also became known as “hobgoblins.”

While these fairies can be found around the globe and many dating back centuries, it’s nice to know that America is not left out of their areas as mentioned above. Take the Barbegazi, a mysterious gnome from the mountainous regions of France and Switzerland but the myth of this creature has been “updated to include migration to North America, specifically Roseau County, Minnesota . . . where sightings . . . have been reported in the winters along the Roseau River.” One wonders how difficult that emigration must have been.

Opanike takes us through the alphabet, introducing us to the large variety of fairies, where they live(d), how they behave(d), what they like(d) and dislike(d). As one reads through this encyclopedia, one find many similarities.

Many of the fairies are small men, with scraggly beards; many of them don’t like humans and entice them to the water—streams, ponds, lakes, and even oceans—where the humans follow them into the water and drown. Why they do this is not entirely clear.

It appears that there are more male fairies than female. When a female appears, she is, more often than not, beautiful with long silken hair.

A particularly interesting creature is the Duende. Duende is a “word that can describe a wide range of fae beings, and their nature varies from culture to culture. They can be found in Portuguese folklore, Hispanic cultures, in Mexico and the American Southwest.” They are described as “goblin-like,” often as “malicious and can have green skin and red eyes.”

Cast throughout the book are illustrations by Kate Forester. Her black and white ink drawings give a clear picture of how humans see these many creature. Tokoloshe is one. of the excellent illustrations Forrester shares with us. Tokoloshe is considered a terrifying spirit from Zulu mythology. Small with an almost human-like appearance, they become invisible by drinking water or eating a pebble.

Opanike’s book is small—only 135 pages—but each page is filled with interesting detail, some humor, and some dark descriptions, proving that small can be as valuable as large.

In conclusion, Opanike informs us that what he has laid before us is just a small sampling of the many more fairies that exist in or around our lives. Here he invites us to start our own journey to learn about these mystical creatures and form our own opinions about what they are.