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

I’m so excited to reveal the cover of my next book, Fairies of Northern Appalachia: A History of the Little People of the Mountains, which covers fairy stories and beliefs from Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky.

I thought John Anster Fitzgerald’s painting “The Fairies’ Favourite” was the perfect cover for this book, as it captures the diversity and strangeness of Appalachian fairies. I also like the fact that the cover depicts a fairy queen wearing a crown (can you find her?): the book contains a couple of “fairy queen” stories—from eastern Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

As for the back cover, we were able to find an image depicting the Pennsylvania Dutch Bucklich Mennli (a type of household goblin) created by woodcarver Joan Reed (who is of Pennsylvania Dutch heritage).

You can order the book through your local independent bookstore here.

Here’s the cover and back cover in full:

Book overview

Join Andrew Warburton, author of New York Fairies and New England Fairies, as he explores the deep, but often overlooked, roots of fairy lore in the mist-shrouded mountains of Northern Appalachia.

The magic of Old World folklore lingers in Northern Appalachia’s hills and hollers. From banshees to tommyknockers to mischievous elves, myriad fairy spirits populate the stories of the region’s mountain folk. The Little Hunchbacked Man who dwelled in corners of Pennsylvania Dutch homes. Pixies whose knocking warned of explosions in West Virginia’s mines. A red-haired fairy whose magical arrows tormented the Scots Irish of Kentucky’s Cumberland Mountains.
 
In this vivid and well-researched history, Andrew Warburton gathers the region’s forgotten fairy stories―from tales about “ancient pygmies” in Ohio to a psychiatrist’s account of photographing fairies in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

The contents are as follows:

• Introduction: Influence of Scots-Irish settlers.
• 1. German Fairies: Influence of Pennsylvania Dutch folklore.
• 2. Irish Fairies: Influence of Irish immigrants.
• 3. Underground Fairies: Tales of “tommyknockers” and mining spirits.
• 4. Virginia’s Fairy Stone Park: Legends behind the famous staurolite stones.
• 5. Fairies by Other Names: Regional variations of little people.
• 6. Appalachian Pygmies: Legends of ancient, small inhabitants in Ohio and throughout Appalachia.
• 7. Modern Fairy Stories: Accounts and sightings in the modern era.
• A Glossary of Northern Appalachian Fairies
• Bibliography