Will O' The Wisp: Folk Tales And Legends Of New Brunswick

by Carole Spray

Book by Spray, Carole

132 pages, softcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Desert Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't live in New Brunswick, I've never even been over there. I'm not Canadian. But I do like learning about folklore and stuff, and I enjoyed this. I thought it was well put together, moving easily from one subject to the next with each chapter organized based on the subject.

The main source of value for this came from the stories I'd read before in other folklore collections, specifically the Will O' the Wisp tale itself, which I read in WB Yeats' collection of Irish Folklore. It's interesting to see which aspects of the legend are kept and which are kind of thrown to the wayside. The Irish version makes it clear that part of the problem for the man who ends up as Will O' the Wisp (as the names are different) is that he was given the opportunity to wish for three things from an angel, and used the opportunity to wish for things that really only benefitted him personally. Religion/godliness is obviously more important in the Irish version, which I thought was interesting.

Overall I think folklore is important and always will be, and I appreciated learning something about the culture that existed in lumber camps in New Brunswick decades ago.

[Linden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a charming collection of tales that have been passed down over generations and polished with local flavour from values to quirky individuals.

The longest stories are still only a couple of pages long, and every one is accompanied by a paragraph or two of context that draws the reader into thd personal atmosphere of a tale around the table.

This book has been sitting unread on my shelf nearly a decade, with the assumption it woulc be dry. Instead, it warmed my heart and summoned memories of a beloved uncle's tall tales.

I would recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys exploring the subtleties of culture or peering into the near-yet-foreign past. And anyone who delights in tall tales or country lifestyles.

[Amy Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice little collection of whimsical and ghostly folklore. I enjoyed the introduction more than some of the stories. There are a few gems,most I wouldn't reread. It was really funny reading one of the Grimm's fairytales in the original wording of an old-timer, 'look-it' and 'gonna' and 'I got me a woman' were hilarious to read in a normally sedate and proper fairytale.
An enjoyable book perfect for reading leisurely before Halloween.