Review: Pagan Portals – 21st Century Fairy, by Morgan Daimler

Blurb

When people think of fairies they often picture beings who dwell in the wilderness, solidly anchored in the past. Yet the truth is that fairies are as present and active in the world today as ever, found as easily in cities as they are in wild places. 21st Century Fairy explores fairy beliefs and encounters in the modern world, framed by folklore, modern fiction and personal experience, to show readers the possibilities that are out there. Learn whether fairies evolve and what a modern city in the fairy world might be like. Be open to the possibility of tech fairies existing alongside fairies in nature and learn how they interact with human technology. Much like the human world, the fairy world is stunningly diverse and constantly changing. 21st Century Fairy is a guide to seekers who want a modern context for these ancient beings.

My Review

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. I’ve got a couple more from Moon Books to review. They’re all quite short books, afternoon reading length.

I’d just like to say, I knew the author was autistic about five pages in. There’s something in the tone, the use of APA referencing and two pages of notes at the back that gave it away. Plus, Daimler discusses the changeling-autism trope and identifies herself as Autistic in a note.

An introduction to Fairy for the 21st century which draws on a lot of western European folklore and mythology, specifically, early-modern Irish, Scots and historical ‘Germanic’ beliefs/mythology. The author uses Fairy in the sense of a supernatural being that belongs to a specific cultural context and has interactions with humans, everything from the Irish Bean Seidh to the dokalfar of Iceland. Since the author is in the US, most of these are transplants and supernatural beings from the Americas or other parts of the world aren’t mentioned. Not even Baba Yaga and she’s from Russia!

Much of modern paganism, and the beliefs associated with it, are mash-ups of folklore and mythology from all over the world with a heavy concentration on the north west of Europe, and this book is no different, although the author is very definite that fairy folklore from north western Europe is what she knows about and is part of her practice, and she won’t speculate on other traditions. She also warns about divorcing the folklore from cultural context. I enjoyed her survey of current beliefs about fairies and where those beliefs originated. She points out that a lot of it comes from modern or Victorian sources.

There is a lot of personal opinion in this book, but it is fair enough, Daimler gives warning when she’s moving from academic discussion to personal opinion. She’s fairly sensible and level headed – while believing whole-heartedly in the fae, she recommends caution and discernment in looking at modern ‘evidence’ and in reading historical sources. I don’t disagree. The book is well-balanced between sources and opinion based on those sources, with lots of caveats about it just being her opinion and observations, don’t take it as gospel. I’d say, given belief in fairy and the supernatural is a matter of faith, that she has it about right.

I had a few ideas for characters, but without stories for them while I was reading this book. So I got more out of it than the information that the author believes in fairy, that modern fae probably look, in terms of dress, and act like modern humans, and are familiar with modern tech, which is in line with the historical folklore.

I hadn’t really thought much about fairy folklore, it’s just background stuff, you know, like first-footing and horse shoes over the door, but I suppose for people in European settler states, like Canada, Australia and the US, it is a thing that they have ‘rebuilt’ from a mix of sources, like pagan traditions originating in those countries. There’s probably an academic study or three in there somewhere, if it hasn’t already been done. Seems rather rude to ask the Seidh or Brownies to take up residence in North America though, North America has its own supernatural residents. At least ask first…