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Title: The Science of Fairy Tales
An Inquiry into Fairy Mythology

Author: Edwin Sidney Hartland

Release Date: February 14, 2008 [EBook #24614]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE SCIENCE

OF

FAIRY TALES

AN INQUIRY INTO FAIRY MYTHOLOGY.

BY
EDWIN SIDNEY HARTLAND,
FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES.

LONDON:
WALTER SCOTT,
24, WARWICK LANE, PATERNOSTER ROW.
1891.

PREFACE.

The chief object of this volume is to exhibit, in a manner acceptable to
readers who are not specialists, the application of the principles and
methods which guide investigations into popular traditions to a few of
the most remarkable stories embodying the Fairy superstitions of the
Celtic and Teutonic peoples. Some of the subjects discussed have already
been dealt with by more competent inquirers. But even in these cases I
have sometimes been able to supply additional illustrations of the
conclusions previously arrived at, and occasionally, I hope, to carry
the argument a step or two further than had been done before. I have
thus tried to render the following pages not wholly valueless to
students.

A portion of the book incorporates the substance of some articles which
I contributed to "The Archaeological Review" and "Folk-Lore." But these
have been to a considerable extent re-written; and it is hoped that in
the process wider and more accurate generalizations have been attained.

My hearty thanks are due to the various friends whose generous
assistance has been recorded in the footnotes, and especially to
Professor Dr. George Stephens, the veteran antiquary of the North, and
Mr. W. G. Fretton, who have not measured their pains on behalf of one
whose only claim on them was a common desire to pry into the recesses of
the past. I am under still deeper obligations to Mr. G. L. Gomme,
F.S.A., who has so readily acceded to my request that he would read t