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Seeing Fairies: From the Lost Archives of the Fairy Investigation Society, Authentic Reports of Fairies in Modern Times
THIS IS NOT A CHILDREN'S BOOK. Its accounts of fairy experiences, mostly from the twentieth century, have come from business men and women, housewives, journalists, clergymen, bus drivers, anglers, gypsies, school teachers, university professors, soldiers, artists, authors, poets, musicians, sculptors, actresses, and many others who have seen fairies of various types in houses, churches, and sheds; in gardens, fields, woods, country lanes, and public parks; on moors, hills, and mountains; and even on sewing machines, typewriters, and kitchen stoves.
In 1950 Marjorie T. Johnson became Honorary Secretary of a resurrected Fairy Investigation Society, which had been founded by Capt. Quentin C. A. Craufurd, and she collected accounts of fairies and also angelic beings from many of the members.
In 1955 the Scottish author and folklorist Alasdair Alpin MacGregor collaborated with her in sending letters to the national press asking for further true experiences, and many more were received.
The result is this book, published here in English for the first time. Marjorie Johnson's only request was that readers peruse the book with an open mind.
"THIS BOOK IS SPECIAL because it brings together an unprecedented number of fairy sightings... There are here about four hundred sightings from around the world. In short, this is the biggest single collection of fairy experiences ever amassed... Whether fairies are out there (author points to wood, hedgerow, and waterfall) or in there (author points to balding head of middle-aged 'witness') then they need to be explained. Marjorie gave us, in these pages, the tools to do just that." - from the Introduction by Simon Young
In 1950 Marjorie T. Johnson became Honorary Secretary of a resurrected Fairy Investigation Society, which had been founded by Capt. Quentin C. A. Craufurd, and she collected accounts of fairies and also angelic beings from many of the members.
In 1955 the Scottish author and folklorist Alasdair Alpin MacGregor collaborated with her in sending letters to the national press asking for further true experiences, and many more were received.
The result is this book, published here in English for the first time. Marjorie Johnson's only request was that readers peruse the book with an open mind.
"THIS BOOK IS SPECIAL because it brings together an unprecedented number of fairy sightings... There are here about four hundred sightings from around the world. In short, this is the biggest single collection of fairy experiences ever amassed... Whether fairies are out there (author points to wood, hedgerow, and waterfall) or in there (author points to balding head of middle-aged 'witness') then they need to be explained. Marjorie gave us, in these pages, the tools to do just that." - from the Introduction by Simon Young
388 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 6, 2022
I wish I believed in fairies - I really do!
But after reading this book and the many thousands of accounts from people who claim to have seen fairies, I’m nowhere near closer to believing.
However, I’m very happy about the fact that the ‘Fairy Investigation Society’ really exists. That will do for me for now.
This is a very hard to find book and copies sell for quite high prices. I would advise anyone to think twice before shelling out a lot of money. Marjorie T Johnson seems quite naive in her unwavering belief in the accounts of fairy sightings. She contributed a great many of her own sightings. But the book leans heavily on the ‘Woo’ and for me, this discredited the book too much.
It would have been interesting to chart how the style of the appearance of the fairies changed with whatever was a popular depiction at the time (in the same way that reported sightings of aliens changed in there descriptions with whichever book or film was currently popular).
I was quite interested in the parts describing ‘pixie -led’ experiences. They didn’t make me any more of a believer but it was a nice break from the reams of similar fairy sightings.
But after reading this book and the many thousands of accounts from people who claim to have seen fairies, I’m nowhere near closer to believing.
However, I’m very happy about the fact that the ‘Fairy Investigation Society’ really exists. That will do for me for now.
This is a very hard to find book and copies sell for quite high prices. I would advise anyone to think twice before shelling out a lot of money. Marjorie T Johnson seems quite naive in her unwavering belief in the accounts of fairy sightings. She contributed a great many of her own sightings. But the book leans heavily on the ‘Woo’ and for me, this discredited the book too much.
It would have been interesting to chart how the style of the appearance of the fairies changed with whatever was a popular depiction at the time (in the same way that reported sightings of aliens changed in there descriptions with whichever book or film was currently popular).
I was quite interested in the parts describing ‘pixie -led’ experiences. They didn’t make me any more of a believer but it was a nice break from the reams of similar fairy sightings.
December 27, 2014
The idea of the book is better than the execution. I found the accounts of people seeing fairies fascinating, but the extreme credulity of the author, and the unquestioning acceptance of a theosophical outlook, made much of it difficult to believe. Nevertheless, for what it is, a valuable resource. More comments may be found here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews