I’ve loved learning about the Fae since I started taking Witchcraft seriously around seven years ago, and there’s an author who’s an instant buy for me in the matter of Fairy lore, Morgan Daimler. Today I want to talk about her book Fairy: The Otherworld by Many Names.
Cover to Morgan Daimler’s “Fairy: The Otherworld by Many Names” [Moon Books]
- Print Length: 128 pages.
- Publisher: Moon Books.
- Publication Date: April 1, 2024.
- Genres: Fae, Folklore, History, Paganism, Witchcraft.
- Rating: 5/5 stars.
The world of Fairy has intrigued humanity across folklore and literature for as long as we have written records and into the modern period. This book seeks to detangle the convoluted history of the world of Fairy by looking at the various cultural beliefs that form the basis of the wider view and explore how those beliefs interact and impact each other. We will explore the Irish Soal Eile, Scottish Elfland, English Fairy, and Welsh Annwn before delving into modern and popcultural understandings of this Otherworld so intrinsically bound to our own.
After learning so much about the beings and the creatures themselves, I admit the world of Fairy itself was one hole in the knowledge that I didn’t pay attention to. Leave it to Morgan Daimler to recognize that and write a whole book about it. Seriously, they cannot write faster because I’d think they’re getting help from a Fae ghostwriter.
Fairy: The Otherworld by Many Names explores different perspectives divided by country about what the land of the Fae might be like. How does it look? What is it like to be there? How do things work in there? These questions and more are included. There’s also space to explore Avalon, the mythical Arthurian isle, along with the Christian influences in fairy belief.
One of the things that I like the most about Daimler is that they have a scholarly writing style but they still make their work accessible. Although I love academia, sometimes the writing can be so cryptic for the sake of it that I reconsider if I want to read the book or not. That doesn’t happen here. As readers, we explore complex topics such as how to travel to Fairy and its different depictions across time and space without getting confused at all.
Despite being a Witch who’s worked with the Fae on different occasions, I haven’t feel brave enough to do any kind of path working or traveling to their land. This book acts as a bridge about what to expect, although it doesn’t cover etiquette because that is beyond its scope. I can say I feel much more prepared to give that a try after reading it.
My favorite part was the last chapter, however, because Daimler addresses some ideas one can infer while reading the earlier ones. They anticipate the questions readers may have throughout the book, and in this final chapter about modern times, their guidance shines the most. There’s a sense of wholeness to it that improves the experience.
Although I love a book that includes both theory and practice, this book is only theory. While that works for me, I want to make this clear so readers do not have wrong expectations. I don’t think this is inherently wrong; although I would have liked some exercises related to the chapters, the whole book works as it is focusing only in theory.
As such, I recommend the books especially for readers who are already familiar with the author’s previous work because it enriches the experience. As a standalone, it is great reading, but the effect is bigger when you’re more familiar with the topic, so I highly recommend reading a few of Daimler’s other books beforehand.
Particularly, I’d say Aos Sidhe: Meeting the Irish Fair Folk and Pagan Portals – Fairy Queens: Meeting The Queens Of The Otherworld would be my choices. It also wouldn’t hurt to at least skim Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk and/or A New Dictionary of Fairies: A 21st Century Exploration of Celtic and Related Western European Fairies. Yes, that reading list sounds daunting, but I promise it will make it more enjoyable to read this book because you will be much more familiar with some ideas and concepts explored in it.
All in all, this is a great addition to those interested in the Fae folk, mostly, and readers who enjoy folklore will also find it interesting. An exploration of a place full of contradictions, Fairy: The Otherworld by Many Names was a pleasant surprise for me due to its simplicity and depth.
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