The author of this book, Thomas Keightley, was an Irish writer known for his works on mythology and folklore. The presented here "Fairy Mythology," later reprinted as "The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves, and Other Little People," was one of his most famous works, which made him popular at home and abroad. Keightley was an influential pioneer in the study of folklore by scholars of his time, and the word "Fairy Mythology" is an essential opus in the field.