Fairies of New England: The Little People of the Hills and Forests

By the time I’d finished researching my book New England Fairies: A History of the Little People of the Hills and Forests, I calculated that I’d driven for about 31 hours, visiting all six New England states. The map below shows the route I took.

I began in Connecticut then headed to Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine, collecting fairy stories and photographs wherever I went. In hindsight, I’d say Massachusetts and New Hampshire were the easiest places to find fairy folklore: both states are full of stories.

Vermont was the most difficult state to research, because it has the smallest population, and most of the fairy stories there are Native American in origin and extremely old, making it difficult to bring the relevant facts to light.

Most of the locations I visited were extremely rural, often mountainous, and often featuring bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that New England fairies love water and love to remain hidden among mountains and woods.

Where next, I hear you ask? Perhaps I’ll head to New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to collect fairy stories there.