The first Book, The Realm of the Faerie succinctly detailed the qualities of the five classes of faeries of Wales. It also mentioned the four major classes in the Scandinavian folklore and its differences with the former method. Theories of the origins of the faeries were also discussed. If the reader is using this book as a reference, I advise him to take notes. The author did a thorough job in researching incidents of fairy sightings and encounters so much so that more than half of the book is a recollection of the stories.
The ff. are the types of faeries discussed:
1. Ellyllon
2. Coblynau
3. Bwbachod
4. Gwragedd
5. Gwyllion
The same trend was applied in the second Book, The Spirit-World. Sikes also used a method of classification to delineate the differences between the incidents. The classification is based on the nature of the apparition or creature. The author cited several examples of each type.
The ff. are the types of spirits:
1. Departed mortals
2. Goblin animals
3. Spectres of natural objects
4. Grotesque ghosts
5. Familiar spirits
6. Death omens
Book three is about Quaint Old Customs. These are traditions practiced (some of which are still extant) in connection to certain days and seasons of the year, or events "relating to the most conspicuous events in the common human life". According to Sikes, there were three important events (sometimes four events) called Spirit Nights. These are: All Hallows, May-day, and Midsummer Eve (the fourth is Christmas night). Why these customs were included in a book about goblins wasn't clear at first. They were connected however to the festivals of the ancient Druids and are celebrated "to commemorate the powers of nature and love".
Book four is about Bells, wells, stones, and dragons. It discussed beliefs and superstitions connected with the said artifacts. The section about the dragons however was quite shorter than I expected.
This book was well-prepared was well-researched. The author was able to organize all the testimonies from various sources properly. The books has plenty of information the reader has to remember and understand but given all the examples, it wouldn't be such a hard task.
I'm giving this book a 9 out of 10 rating.
